The condo corp has once against wrapped its icy hands around the collective balls of its residents. Unfortunately, I don't appreciate the reach around and S is jealously starting to reach a slow boil.
The corp has decided to start doing full blown construction next week on a walkway between the main condo building and the row of townhouses that hide behind it. Unfortunately we happen to live in those townhouses and that walkway is the only way in and out of our place. We're not the only people in this position, so the corp has decided to remove the railings separating the patios of the individual townhouses so that residents can get into their homes without having to scale fences.
S and I aren't thrilled with the fact that pretty soon every and anybody who would normally use that walk way is now going to have uncontrolled access to our private property. (Although in all honestly, I can't see any other reasonable way for them to do it) But we were in no way consulted, or informed, about this possibility until less then a week before the construction was due to start.
Once again the corp has made a decision and decided to proceed with it, without informing or consulting the people who actually pay the money that allows this stuff to get done.
Worst of all, the construction is completely unnecessary. Apparently they want to tear up the concrete sidewalk ,that has a couple cosmetic cracks in it do to frost heaving, and replace it with interlocking brick. I'm sorry, but I took a look at the sidewalk last night and cosmetic really does sum it up best. The walkway is hardly riddled with cracks, we're talking about one or two cracks in a sidewalk less then ten years old. It's just another excuse to spend money and justify the condo fees.
Hey I have an idea, if you've got so much money that you're spending it on make work projects, why not put some of it back in the owner's pockets.
Showing posts with label condo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label condo. Show all posts
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Condo Corp hi-jinkery
It looks our dysfunctional condo corp is at it again.
Based on a unspecified number of requests the corp is cutting the party room in half in order to expand the building's gym facilities. This means they're getting rid of the party room pool table, which is the only aspect of the party room I actually used. So the party room will now be the size of a small walk-in closet and only hold a single Foosball table on top of a mini bar fridge stolen from your kid brothers dorm room. I know I can't wait to try it out.
Of course this new construction project, beginning in two weeks, is likely to be a somewhat costly venture. So look to see yet another small increase to your condo fees the next time they come up to renewal.
Actually, when you consider the building wide wall painting, carpet replacement, new tile floor, underground parking light fixture upgrades and keyless entry retrofits this small increase could actually be quite substantial.
So. To recap. Condo corporation, under the guise of good governance, spends residents condo fees like drunken sailors just back from sea, on a multitude of make-work construction projects. Then, bass-ackwards corporation proceeds to raise condo fees to pay for aforementioned unneeded renovations all while rubbing five dollar bills over their naked and bloated bodies.
What really bugs me about this whole process is how they've completely overlooked what the building's tenants think. They've gone and decided on a course of a action, along with a timetable to implement said course of action, but they haven't bothered to seriously poll the building to see how much support there is for this endeavour. And because this thing is already in the works it, and assumed to be going forward, it makes it harder for me, or anyone who agrees with me, to stop it or at least have an open conversation about whether this is what the majority of tenants want.
It's a lot harder to effect a program that's already in motion than it is one that's still in the planning stages. Which is what I suspect the corporation wants, it's just smart politics. If you open up the whole consultation process to the building as a whole, who knows what we might agree to? We could decide that we don't want the gym at all and that the space could be better used as a library. What then?
Better to just commit ourselves to a course of action and deal with any problems as they arise. It's easier than the much more messy and less easily controlled group consultation.
If the majority of the building's tenants want a bigger gym than I'm content to go along with that majority. I don't use the party room enough to really care. But don't tell me an unspecified number of people want a more gym facilities. Is that number 2 or 200?
If you're going to embark on a significant construction project that may have real implications on my condo fees. The absolute least you can do is be open, honest and transparent about what you are doing and why. And that includes giving me an opportunity to disagree with your decision.
Based on a unspecified number of requests the corp is cutting the party room in half in order to expand the building's gym facilities. This means they're getting rid of the party room pool table, which is the only aspect of the party room I actually used. So the party room will now be the size of a small walk-in closet and only hold a single Foosball table on top of a mini bar fridge stolen from your kid brothers dorm room. I know I can't wait to try it out.
Of course this new construction project, beginning in two weeks, is likely to be a somewhat costly venture. So look to see yet another small increase to your condo fees the next time they come up to renewal.
Actually, when you consider the building wide wall painting, carpet replacement, new tile floor, underground parking light fixture upgrades and keyless entry retrofits this small increase could actually be quite substantial.
So. To recap. Condo corporation, under the guise of good governance, spends residents condo fees like drunken sailors just back from sea, on a multitude of make-work construction projects. Then, bass-ackwards corporation proceeds to raise condo fees to pay for aforementioned unneeded renovations all while rubbing five dollar bills over their naked and bloated bodies.
What really bugs me about this whole process is how they've completely overlooked what the building's tenants think. They've gone and decided on a course of a action, along with a timetable to implement said course of action, but they haven't bothered to seriously poll the building to see how much support there is for this endeavour. And because this thing is already in the works it, and assumed to be going forward, it makes it harder for me, or anyone who agrees with me, to stop it or at least have an open conversation about whether this is what the majority of tenants want.
It's a lot harder to effect a program that's already in motion than it is one that's still in the planning stages. Which is what I suspect the corporation wants, it's just smart politics. If you open up the whole consultation process to the building as a whole, who knows what we might agree to? We could decide that we don't want the gym at all and that the space could be better used as a library. What then?
Better to just commit ourselves to a course of action and deal with any problems as they arise. It's easier than the much more messy and less easily controlled group consultation.
If the majority of the building's tenants want a bigger gym than I'm content to go along with that majority. I don't use the party room enough to really care. But don't tell me an unspecified number of people want a more gym facilities. Is that number 2 or 200?
If you're going to embark on a significant construction project that may have real implications on my condo fees. The absolute least you can do is be open, honest and transparent about what you are doing and why. And that includes giving me an opportunity to disagree with your decision.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Here's mud in your eye...
I live in a townhouse which is smack in the middle of a larger condo complex. As such our place is governed by the complex’s condo corporation.
S and I pay fees to gain access to the condo’s services and facilities such as snow removal, mailboxes, gym access and underground parking. The condo fees aren’t onerous but, sure as shit, every year they’re guaranteed to go up. (And yet try to book a party room for your fiance’s wedding shower and watch the machinery break down)
But what I really don’t like about the condo corp is how it embodies the worst aspects of a gated community. Last summer, the corp declared that all exterior doors would now be painted black, to keep visual look of the doors consistent with that of the railings and exterior light fixtures.
Ooooooookay.
This summer our exposed concrete wall has become a test canvas for the corp to experiment with finding the perfect shade of red for all the exposed concrete in the complex. (Incidentally our next door neighbour is the condo president which is why we got saddled with this particular honour)
As we own the townhouse, it bugs me that the corp is free to redecorate our entire exterior based on their bureaucratic group think. Um, the last time I checked we were paying the condo fees and should therefore be the final arbiters of what our own house looks like.
Do I really care if our door is black and our wall is red?
No. Not really. I think it’s an improvement to be honest.
But what if I didn’t like the new colour scheme? Then I’d be stuck with someone else’s design choices and a long uphill battle to preserve a status quo that’s already been changed.
What I care about is how someone else gets to make decisions that affect my property without even consulting me on it.
I’m tempted to paint our entire front porch neon orange, throw up some broken Christmas lights and maybe even throw out a pink flamingo or two in the front flowerbed, just to what would happen.
It may trigger an interesting conversation.
S and I pay fees to gain access to the condo’s services and facilities such as snow removal, mailboxes, gym access and underground parking. The condo fees aren’t onerous but, sure as shit, every year they’re guaranteed to go up. (And yet try to book a party room for your fiance’s wedding shower and watch the machinery break down)
But what I really don’t like about the condo corp is how it embodies the worst aspects of a gated community. Last summer, the corp declared that all exterior doors would now be painted black, to keep visual look of the doors consistent with that of the railings and exterior light fixtures.
Ooooooookay.
This summer our exposed concrete wall has become a test canvas for the corp to experiment with finding the perfect shade of red for all the exposed concrete in the complex. (Incidentally our next door neighbour is the condo president which is why we got saddled with this particular honour)
As we own the townhouse, it bugs me that the corp is free to redecorate our entire exterior based on their bureaucratic group think. Um, the last time I checked we were paying the condo fees and should therefore be the final arbiters of what our own house looks like.
Do I really care if our door is black and our wall is red?
No. Not really. I think it’s an improvement to be honest.
But what if I didn’t like the new colour scheme? Then I’d be stuck with someone else’s design choices and a long uphill battle to preserve a status quo that’s already been changed.
What I care about is how someone else gets to make decisions that affect my property without even consulting me on it.
I’m tempted to paint our entire front porch neon orange, throw up some broken Christmas lights and maybe even throw out a pink flamingo or two in the front flowerbed, just to what would happen.
It may trigger an interesting conversation.
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