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Post by mstofpup88 on Aug 29, 2014 21:14:58 GMT -5
If a homeowner calls about an issue, for example, with the roof, perhaps the maintenance worker can leave a note on the door or in the mailbox stating that they came and either fixed the issue, or will be back by such and such date. Unless it is a cosmetic issue, we cannot tell if they actually came or not until the issue arises again.
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Post by walker on Aug 29, 2014 22:25:55 GMT -5
I agree. They should have some type of system to schedule the repairs and follow up with the homeowners to let them know what is actually happening. I would expect a property manager to make sure this was the case. Sadly, they seem inexperienced with this.
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brian
New Member
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Post by brian on Aug 30, 2014 2:09:01 GMT -5
Ive called two years in a row about my balcony being unsafe. The floor boards are rotting and The railings are a joke. when my nieces visit, i don't let them on it. so after my second call, someone came by while i was at work and literally left a can of blue paint at my doorstep. i called (the office) back and asked what the paint was for and was told- "just repaint it, it looks fine as per the maintenance crew" meanwhile they didn't even walk upstairs in my house to check it out. oh, it looks fine from the ground? thats great! thanks for your help guys! if i wasn't so upside down on my mortgage I'd have left years ago. the proper value is garbage.
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cemm
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Post by cemm on Sept 1, 2014 6:59:23 GMT -5
The value of our homes are declining rapidly due to the scenario the previous homeowner is describing. It is unacceptable. Professional, quality contractors must be hired with the proper experience, more importantly to do these repairs in a timely, regularly scheduled basis. Properties should not get to the point of rotting. That is the reason for a maintenance company, is to maintain. We pay monthly, not on a problem by problem basis.
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Post by walker on Sept 4, 2014 22:47:47 GMT -5
Cemm is right. The system is broken and needs to be fixed. As long as we keep paying for poor quality work, that's all we'll ever get. When work is done that is not acceptable, we as both individually and as a group need to call the office and demand the contractor not be paid. Only by stopping the contractor from being allowed to get away with basic robbery can we ever hope to turn it around.
I also think we need a checks-and-balances system to verify the work is done properly and up to a minimum standard of quality. I've talked to some of the owners who have had work done and they tell me of multiple workers standing around for hours watching one do all the work. And this would last for several hours. This would result in a huge repair bill to pay for all these useless workers. And yet no one verified the work was completed or even acceptable to the owner, before paying the contractor.
Understanding that our board of directors are antiquated and and technically challenged, by their own admission at an annual meeting. There are property managers who use email, websites, and software design specifically for property management. You go online to schedule a repair. Send email to ask questions. Pay maintenance fees online. And a lot more. The also use phones and paper forms to communicate to the owners who don't do computers and internet. They're professionals, efficient and effective with property management to preserve and improve the value of the properties.
Personally, I don't see how this will get fixed, without first getting rid of the cause. The board of directors.
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Post by fergus on Sept 5, 2014 5:54:28 GMT -5
The people they have working on roofing issues, siding issues, etc. are not qualified and often don't take care of the problems. The general fix is caulk. We had roof leaks, our neighbors had roof leaks, and as was said above, we weren't even notified how or when these issues were fixed. Someone came, went up on a ladder, and left. Even basic maintenance, such as painting the exterior or replacing cracked or rotting boards, is NEVER addressed. They just caulk the hell out of it. For those who live in the cedar sided units, I think this is a big issue. Take a walk around and look at the condition of some of the siding and it's very disheartening. This effects all of our home values, because no one is going to invest in condos that are not taken care of properly, and no one need look further than the condition of the exterior. My wife and i got so sick of asking the association that finally we had them give us the paint and we painted what we could ourselves.
As a general aside, I want to know why so much money was spent on repairing the pool TWICE. Two summers in a row the pool's walls needed to be fixed. I would think that with the money and time that went into fixing an aging pool, they could have built a brand new one and perhaps one that is big enough and nice enough to support the size of the community. Why do I feel like this is a certain someone trying to give their son's construction business a little added revenue? Look at the state of the park and those tennis courts? Are these really nice reflections on our community?
But to be honest, I just wish some of the resources that went into fixing the baby pool twice would be put into all of our homes that need new roofs, new siding, new paint, new pavement, new balconies. I wouldn't mind paying these association fees or even a bit more if I knew we'd begin to see the benefits to our units and not just the pool.
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Post by Mister D on Sept 5, 2014 12:30:37 GMT -5
I find this association has very little curb appeal. From the streets that are horrible to the bland colors of trim and doors. It would be nice if things were updated cosmetically... I see why there are so many rentals, as selling can be extremely challenging. I'm sure there are many like myself, who ask themselves what did I get myself into here.
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cemm
New Member
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Post by cemm on Sept 6, 2014 8:37:54 GMT -5
Problems and a plethora of ongoing complaints and questions have been vented and still our community looks very distressed. The bricks on the townhomes should be replaced, and should not look like a fractured version, with all the evident cracks. The tar on the roof seams looks horrible. Nothing gets done the right way, it is all patch work. This is not what we pay for. Quite evidently non-professionals are getting paid professional fess, and we are allowing it. The pool and other things should be voted on, and monies should be allocated where the majority, and common sense would dictate, to the homes' maintenance, and the overall moderization of the community. We are in a situation where services are being paid for and monies are not being utilized properly, to put it mildly. Again, get your neighbors to join, get involved, this is your equity. The goal is to rectify this situation, and stop throwing our money out the window. We should set a date to meet. We need an agenda, need a plan to correct.
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Post by walker on Sept 9, 2014 11:23:43 GMT -5
Problems and a plethora of ongoing complaints and questions have been vented and still our community looks very distressed. The bricks on the townhomes should be replaced, and should not look like a fractured version, with all the evident cracks. The tar on the roof seams looks horrible. Nothing gets done the right way, it is all patch work. This is not what we pay for. Quite evidently non-professionals are getting paid professional fess, and we are allowing it. The pool and other things should be voted on, and monies should be allocated where the majority, and common sense would dictate, to the homes' maintenance, and the overall moderization of the community. We are in a situation where services are being paid for and monies are not being utilized properly, to put it mildly. Again, get your neighbors to join, get involved, this is your equity. The goal is to rectify this situation, and stop throwing our money out the window. We should set a date to meet. We need an agenda, need a plan to correct. I read in the by-laws that the board is "required" to have the owners vote on any cost over $10,000. The only exception being "in case of emergency". The pool repair is not an "emergency" when there are months to decide on it. At the last meeting they mentioned it was costing about $35,000 to fix half the pool. I don't understand how we are spending enough for a whole new pool and getting only half. This all seems like another special crony getting a contract for way too much and the owners being kept in the dark, so we don't catch on. I saw some mention in the by-laws about this that sounded like mal-practice on the part of the board. It also said it could make them liable to the owners. Maybe we should find a lawyer to check on this.
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cemm
New Member
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Post by cemm on Sept 9, 2014 13:12:41 GMT -5
Maybe an item to add to the agenda is what type of resources would be needed to move forward and have all our rights explained by a professional.
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Post by Admin on Sept 9, 2014 16:04:45 GMT -5
Maybe an item to add to the agenda is what type of resources would be needed to move forward and have all our rights explained by a professional. Excactly. I'm already in talks with someone to assist with that. I'll discuss it at the meeting. We will need to also discuss our own options and willingness to step in as replacements for existing Board Members. As well as, the steps to fix the problems they have control over. Obviously, no one is talking a quick easy fix to all the problems, but one step at a time.
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