Coming in the New Year?

L i g h t

Lampshades I've made using vintage lamp bases. I also hand beaded the fringes. I love the intimacy and gentle glow of lamps of a by-gone era. I'm always looking at set designs in films and in British programming shown on TVO and see handmade lamps strategically placed within the screen shots. The artisans who have made these lamps must be thrilled to see their creations highlighted in such posh fashion.

Jewellery

Black and Silver Evening Bracelet

Ruby and Fuchsia Crystal Bracelet

Blue Paua Shell Necklace

Purple Paua Shell Necklace

Black and Silver Evening Bracelet

Raspberry Leaf Necklace

These are pieces of jewellery I've made over the years. I used to do the craft fair circuit in Ottawa. The raspberry leaf necklace shown above was an experiment using polymer clay. I'd pick raspberry leaves either from our back yard or from the hydro property, make polymer molds, paint them with metallic powder paints and then bake them, dare I say, in a toaster oven I retrieved from the garbage. I really like the relief effect of the raspberry veins. I also made 1920 style lamps.

I've been feeling like putting some of my work up on my blog as a contrast to my goings-on about the co-op. Sometimes you just have to do something like this.

Sheep

Excerpt from November 30, 2010 Minutes which were not discussed, nor approved at our meeting on December 7, 2011:

MOTION to approve the audited financial statement

Question: What is Salaries & benefits
Response: This line includes what is paid in staff salaries and benefits, such as a health insurance package.

Question: What gets put under Professional Services
Response: Professional Services includes services provided by lawyers, auditors, accountants.

It's all in the details. Simple!

QUESTIONS

If I were on the Board of Directors and had a property management business on the side and then one day I decided to hire this company as the property management company for the co-op and then insert myself as the Property Manager, would I not be in a serious conflict of interest?

Apparently not. In response to my question to the Property Manager and the Board of Directors, I was shouted down by a female sitting behind me. I turned around to see who it was and all I could see was a 'mouth'.

The current Property Manager also felt that there was simply no conflict of interest whatsoever. The co-op needed a maintenance team and there wasn't time to go out for bids.

This place sounds more and more like a Calvin & Hobbes storyline, with Calvin making up the rules as he goes along in order to win the game.

The meeting was Chaired by a person from CHF who became nastier as the night wore on. I, together with a senior couple living in our co-op, went to meet with him last year. He escorted us into a beautifully appointed board room. His female counterpart firmly ensconced in her position used to live in our co-op, as did most co-op sector movers and shakers. Now they have jobs for life. He said to us that there was nothing he could do to help this couple. I leaned across the table and said: On the contrary there is A LOT you can do seeing that your website boasts a plethora of Aging in Place policies. But I digress.

The co-op has a deficit of almost $200,000. We are six months away from exiting our 3-yr. takeover. Unless CMHC provides us with bail out money, we will not be viable. Our vacancy losses for 2011 were $63,000., down from $80,000. in 2010. Bad debts alone were $26,000.

The person who appealed his eviction, lost. I could not vote either for or against his eviction. I handed in a blank ballot, as did my husband.

My husband asked to speak about the Privacy Commissioner's ruling in our case. The Property Manager, who actually ruled the evening, stated that she would never tell the membership about the case. I stood up and said that she had better, because it pertained to everyone and that it was extremely important. I then reported to the membership that anyone on ODSP and OW need not produce their drug card to verify one's subsidy; that the co-op's forms were 13 yrs. out of date, that The Agency had covered their tracks by saying, 'Who US - we would NEVER ask for a drug card', but that all the co-ops they are paid to govern, DO. Why?

The 'mouth' jabbered on ...

After the meeting people came up to me and said that they were really grateful that I had told them about The Privacy Commissioner of Canada's ruling.

I asked the Property Manager why I couldn't even get the thermostat fixed on my stove. She rudely replied that I HAD HAD ENOUGH WORK DONE IN MY UNIT!!!

Nominations for elections took place thereafter. I was nominated and when it came time for me to speak I said that I was in a major conflict of interest with the co-op (because of the Human Rights action we have against the co-op). Funny, how a member who runs for the Board cannot have litigation against the co-op, but a Board member who has a Property Management Company with plans to be hired by the co-op, CAN.

We now have 2 more members from our co-op sitting on the Board of Directors, which makes for 5 resident members and 2 non-resident members.

After the meeting I spoke with one of the new Board members who lived in this unit before us. She remembers the stove - she could never cook French Fries in the oven. I wonder if that is enough evidence for the Property Manager to afford us a new thermostat.

And so it went - the 'mouth' blabbering on, the CHF representative yelling at the members, a know-it-all Property Manager dictating to members and a Financial Statement which shows that we are no further ahead now than we were in April, 2009.

Minutes dated November 30, 2010 were distributed one day before the meeting. They were not approved.

The Takeover

On April 15, 2009, our co-op voted for a Financial Solvency By-law, which allowed for a temporary three-year Board of Directors that included non-resident members. The purpose was 'to provide for a process of returning to exclusively resident directors within three years'.

At the time of the meeting members voted for 2 resident Directors to coincide with the 3 non-resident Directors. Last year we had 3 resident and 2 non-resident Directors. This year we'd have 4 resident Directors and 1 non-resident Director.

However, upon recently rereading this By-law, I noted a glaring contradiction. The rotation of Directors reads that after three years we would have 5 resident Directors and 2 non-resident Directors. The co-op is NOT being returned to exclusively resident Directors after three years. The Board of Directors is being increased to 7 Directors, 2 being non-resident.

The waters are indeed murky.

Power Play

Members received notification of an Annual General Meeting to be held on December 7, 2011. The Agenda is tight. Members are asked to approve the Audit for the year ending March 31, 2011, to vote on a pending eviction (humiliating for the member in question), to elect a new Board of Directors, to elect a delegate to CHASEO/CHF, to elect a PIP representative and lastly, under Other Business, to introduce the new Directors.

The Agenda does not indicate how many Directors are to be elected. However, an attached job description of the Powers and Duties of the Board states:

The Election of Directors shall take place yearly or at such other interval NOT EXCEEDING FOUR (4) YEARS as is provided by the "Articles", and all Directors then in Office shall "retire", BUT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RE-ELECTION. (REF: Section 90 (2) of the ACT)

This article stipulates that ALL Directors must resign. Does this mean that the external Director(s) must resign too? There will definitely be a manipulation of this rule. This clause also allows for the re-election of the present internal Directors - a tricky, but clever, move on the part of the present Board of Directors.

The Duty of Directors attachment goes on to quote another clause of the 'ACT' as follows:

The "Articles" or By-Laws may provide for the election and retirement of Directors in rotation, but in that case no Director shall be elected for a term of more than four (4) years and at least two Directors shall retire from Office in each year. (REF: Section 90 (4) of the ACT)

So why the two opposing references to the ACT? The Board of Directors want to cherry pick part of one reference and part of the other. To further elaborate on this scheme, the Property Manager/Board of Directors includes an additional paragraph:

b) Any qualified Member of ____ may run or rerun as the case may be, without any mandatory waiting period, as is consistent with the "Volunteer Principles" of the Co-operative Movement and with the Provisions of Section 90 of the ACT. Refer to ARTICLE 10.00 on the Members' Right to Remove any Director before the end of the Elected Term.

Our By-laws stipulate that a Director whose time in office has expired, must retire for one year before running for election. The reference to Article 10.00 means that if you're really tired of a Director who has been in office for 4 years and gets re-elected for another 4 years, there's a solution for that - simply expel him/her from office. Of course, a majority of members would have to vote on that option in order to take effect.

"What does the 'Volunteer Principles" of the Co-operative Movement mean? It can mean absolutely anything, at any time, by a party or parties twisted enough to invoke them.

There are references to our By-laws throughout this briefing, yet time and time again the Board of Directors state that we do not have any By-laws - that they were set aside for a period of 3 years. The Financial Solvency By-law No. 31 only allowed for the co-op to bring in non-resident Board Directors. Our By-laws remain intact. The By-law reads as follows:


THE FINANCIAL SOLVENCY BY-LAW NO. 31

Be it Enacted as a By-law of _______ as follows:

PART I - BASIS OF THIS BY-LAW

1. Purpose of this By-law: The purpose of this By-law is

to put the Co-op on a sound financial basis and to bring the Co-op's business and operations into good order.

to provide for a temporary three-year Board of Directors that will include non-resident members and will be able to accomplish the purposes stated above.

to provide for a process of returning to exclusively resident directors within three years.

2. Priority: This By-law takes priority over all other By-laws of the Co-op, including the Organizational By-law (By-law #4). If there is any conflict or inconsistency, this By-law governs.


The words 'accountable' and 'transparency' are not mentioned under the Powers and Duties of the Board and that's a good thing, because there is no time slot in this Agenda for members to discuss the Board's past or present performance on such issues as not overseeing the performance of our previous Office Co-ordinator, not ensuring the the Co-op's property is adequately maintained, not keeping members apprised of the financial affairs of the co-op, etc., etc.

The machinations of this purported democracy are mind boggling.

Replay

On October 30th, I wrote to the Property Manager about getting a stairlift installed under the RRAP program. To date I have not received a reply.

On November 2nd, I emailed work orders (which have been outstanding for a year) to the office. I received a reply from the Office Co-ordinator on November 3rd indicating that she was going to forward these to the maintenance team. To date these work orders are still outstanding.

I also asked about when the elections would be and how many positions would be available on the Board of Directors. The Office Co-ordinator stated that she'd get back to me within days. I have not yet received a response.

Our previous Office Co-ordinator did not do the subsidy calculations last February. In August the co-op sent out notices indicating that it was subsidy renewal time and instructed members to submit their documentation once again. Members have heard nothing since. Was the request for new documentation merely a ruse to satisfy the auditor's request because the documentation we submitted in February was no where to be found? On November 11th, I wrote the Office Co-ordinator asking for the return of the documents we submitted in February. I did not receive a reply to my request.

It's Here!

The Human Rights action my husband initiated with the co-op has begun. The only comment I will make at this time is that we will be responding to the co-op's lawyer's assertion that we cost the co-op a whole lot of money in vacancy losses. We will address other issues in due course.

Stairlift & Other Raising Matters

Ten days ago I emailed a request to our Property Manager to have a stairlift installed in my unit, as I will be undergoing an operation on my Achilles Tendon. CMHC has a program called RRAP, a residential rehabilitation assistance program, which loans are forgivable. This is my first foray into accommodation rights for disabled persons. I have not yet received a reply to my email.

Even though a property management company has been hired to oversee maintenance issues in our co-op, no one has seen any maintenance men on site. I emailed a list of outstanding work orders to our Office Co-ordinator and was assured that they'd be passed on to the maintenance crew. In addition to this, an electrician was supposed to arrange an appointment with us to have our electrical panel inspected. We have not been contacted on either front.

In the meantime I think a miracle is occurring. Dr. Scholl's heel lifts seem to give me relief while stretching to rake up leaves. Now that is wholesome news.

Preliminary Hearing

As a follow up to my post entitled Tragedy on the Commons in June, 2010, there's more news to report. The accused is well known in this community and landscaped several paths in our greenspace. Many of us were interviewed by detectives about the accused's comings and goings and his peculiarities. We may never know the extent of his crimes, nor how many victims may have been disposed of in our forested area. We have reported some disturbing findings to the police over the years, but we have no idea about any follow through. The hydro corridor is only one part of our greenspace. The clear cutting most likely was to preserve the integrity of the electrical grid.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/11/04/ottawa-cleroux-preliminary-hearing.html

Hydro Landscaping Art

THEN

THEN AGAIN

AND NOW

AND NOW

MORE OF NOW

What unimaginable devastation! Gone are the grape vines, raspberries, strawberries, cherry trees, and all varieties of blossoms. Hydro Ontario used to trim the bushes and trees - not any more. This property was a flight route for birds - a stop over if you will, with lots of fruit bearing trees and bushes to nibble on. What about the wildlife which used to roam this greenspace? And to add insult to injury, we can't get any information from Hydro Ontario as to why they clear cut our greenspace. The only comment they made was that the community feels 'safer' now. I'll say - now that we can see clearly for 3 kms. in all directions ...

Co-op Affairs

I received an answer to my email to the office regarding the state of our basement. The Property Manager will be bringing in a foundation repair company to assess various basement problems in the co-op. The Property Manager, was (and maybe still is) one of our non-resident Board Members. She is an employee, or part owner, of the management company hired to oversee our co-op. Progress or conflict of interest?

Elections are months overdue. Still no word about subsidy confirmations. No visible work is being done in the co-op, yet we are still standing. The co-op has asked the Human Rights Tribunal for a month's extension in the action we have taken against them, one factor being that the co-op is still undergoing an audit. That's the longest audit I've ever heard of ...

Basement Update

Photo of water penetration and efflorescence - January, 2010

Maintenance Man painted floor prior to inspection by building consultant - March, 2010

Excerpt of building consultants report:

In summary, we found the air in the basement humid ... However, we did not find any evidence of past or currently active water leakage into the basement, and we did not see mould or other growths on exposed surfaces. Assessment: We understand the previous occupants of Townhouse no. __, resident for six years, had not experienced any water penetration into the basement. Nevertheless, Mrs. __ (me), wrote in her email to CMHC that there is active water leakage, potential for electrocution, mould growth, etc. (Report by Building Consultants dated July 14, 2010)

Efflorescence and concrete crumbling returned - October, 2011

Efflorescence around sump pit and on wall - October, 2011

Efflorescence and badly crumbled concrete - October, 2011

There is a nasal-searing, lung sucking stench of mould emanating from our basement, as well as extremely high humidity levels throughout the house. The co-op purportedly paid $5,000. to building consultants to inspect this basement - after the maintenance man painted over the floor. Well, look at the evidence now!

Below is a CMHC Fact sheet indicating what steps should be taken when efflorescence and cracks in concrete are evident. Our co-op has continually denied that there is a problem in our basement. Therefore no corrective action has been taken - to the detriment of the co-op and to us, the members who are breathing in this toxic indoor air mass.

Renovating a Home > Renovation Fact Sheets > Renovating Your Basement — Moisture Problems The following fact sheet is part of the About Your House — General Series Common Situations Moisture is the most common problem in basements — either entering from outside sources or being produced inside by the occupants’ activities. The soil around the walls can contain a large amount of moisture from surface water that is seeping down or from a high water table. Water can find its way inside by gravity or through a crack or flaw in the water protection layer of the foundation. Water can also be pulled up by a “wicking action” or “pushed up” by hydrostatic pressure from the soil under the walls or floor. In the summer, warm moist air from outside can enter the house and lead to condensation on the cool basement walls or floor. Daily activities also produce moisture that can be trapped inside the home. Basement moisture problems often include: Foundation cracks that leak. Standing water. Efflorescence (white, chalky stains). Wet decaying wood in contact with concrete. Damp or moldy walls or floor. Condensation on windows, pipes and other fixtures. Wet insulation. Moisture damaged finishes. Musty or damp carpets. High humidity. Stuffy, damp smells. House as a System A house is much more than just four walls and a roof—it’s an interactive system made up of many components including the basic structure, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, the external environment and the occupants. Each component influences the performance of the entire system. A renovation provides an opportunity to improve how your house performs. Basement moisture problems can have a huge effect on the durability of the entire house structure and on the indoor air quality (IAQ) throughout the house. Avoid Surprises Moisture problems are caused by a buildup of a variety of water sources. Whether it comes from surface or ground water that leaks in, water that wicks up or water vapour that condenses, it must be controlled. The easiest way to control moisture is to stop it from coming in and to exhaust the water vapour produced in the house to the outside. Here are some of the likely situations that people encounter. However, every situation is unique. You may need to hire a qualified professional to do a thorough investigation, find the moisture problems and suggest the best solutions. Foundations Does water leak in through cracks in the foundation wall or floor? Is there a complete concrete floor? Patch small cracks from inside with cement-based material or use an injection-type foundation repair system. Fill large cracks from inside (and outside if possible) with “hydroscopic material that expands as it dries. Consult a structural engineer or basement specialist concerning multiple, severe or expanding cracks. Install a concrete floor over a sealed polyethylene moisture barrier. Water may penetrate cracks, continue to deteriorate the existing house, affect IAQ and any proposed renovations. Severe or active cracks may be an indication of future structural problems or even present unsafe conditions Without exterior protection and drainage, water will eventually find its way inside. Dirt floors are a huge source of moisture and soil gases. Existing problems
	Are there any white, chalky stains (efflorescence) on the walls or floor? Are there any black, white or green mold stains or fuzzy growth on the walls or floor? Are there any wet or decaying wood windows, sill plates, columns or beam ends in contact with concrete? Are floor tiles lifting? Are carpets damp or musty? Is there any wet insulation, framing or moisture damage on finished walls?
	Provide better drainage and dampproofing to the outside. Efflorescence indicates water evaporation of moisture that has wicked through the foundation wall. Clean up mold according to CMHC guidelines. Remove the sources of moisture. Replace decaying wood. Provide a capillary break between wood and concrete. Seek professional advice as damage may compromise structural strength. Damp concrete causes lifting floor tiles and damp carpets. Improve foundation drainage. Install a polyethylene moisture barrier over the concrete floor as part of a retrofit floor system. Replace carpets with hard surface flooring. Remove wet insulation or finishes. Fix the moisture source before refinishing.
	Continued efflorescence is a sign of ongoing moisture problems. Some molds are toxic. Clean up must be done carefully to avoid health hazards. Wood in contact with concrete will continue to decay and will eventually result in structural problems. Tiles won’t stick to damp floors. Damp carpets will continue to be a haven for dust mites and mold. Materials that are wet from any source (leaks, capillary action or condensation) will get moldy and decay, leading to unsightly finishes, durability problems and hazards to health.

Under the Wire

There's low-level grumbling in our co-op - for good reason. No one knows what's going on. Our outside Board member may or may not have stepped down in light of the fact that she has pronounced herself to be our new Property Manager. She may or may not have a connection to the management company hired to look after our development. The contractor who assessed work to be done in our unit works for the other co-op she manages. Does this contractor also work for the management company?

No work has been done in our unit, although a white car, purportedly from this company, has been seen in our co-op.

I notified the office about essential contracts which must be maintained. Furnace servicing is to be done in the Fall. Other contracts which haven't been done in years are sewer/sump pump maintenance and fire hydrant inspections. They must be reinstated. I expressed my abhorrence about the tons-of-rocks plateau that a Board of Directors sanctioned 3 or 4 years ago to act as a snow storage site. The snow removal contractor referred to this site as the 'gravel pit', when instructing his crew where to dump road debris during spring clean up. The piling up of snow ravaged our mature evergreen trees - branch by branch, as well as creating a lake around a whole row of units. In my email to the office, I stated that the clean up of this site is a contractual obligation with the company - it goes beyond any volunteer clean up. The Property Manager answered my email indicating that she would like to inspect this site with me. To date this has not happened.

In the meantime, eviction notices are still popping up in the co-op. Some may result in evictions - some may not.

Dexter

Dexter, our beloved dog, passed away two days ago. He was going to be 15 years old on November 10th. He was the most huggable dog ever. He understood our emotions and our need for someone constant in our lives. Dexter was our focal point, our vessel of love. He was our protector and companion. We miss him dearly.

Rest in Peace dear Dexter. We love you so much.

Crushed!

Members were notified yesterday that the co-op is under new management, well - actually four layers of management to be precise. For the first time in our co-op's history a realty management company, which manages large office buildings in the City of Ottawa, will manage our "development in a competent professional manner". BUT, they don't say what they'll be managing. Will they be responsible for co-op maintenance only? They, in turn, will take their orders from our Property Manager, who is also on our Board of Directors. Included in this pyramid is our Office Co-ordinator, and last but not least, our Board of Directors. Left at the bottom of the heap are our lowly Members, who will have NO say.

Will a Yertle the Turtle type burp have any effect on this grand scheme?

Monday Update

As per the Property Manager's request I forwarded her a copy of The Privacy Commissioner of Canada's decision regarding documentation to be used for calculating one's subsidy. She stated that she wanted to pass this information on to CHASEO, CHF and the Office Co-ordinators in the City of Ottawa - the very same written instructions I had asked the previous Office Co-ordinator to do this past April. The Property Manager did not acknowledge receipt of the decision, even though she seemed very anxious to share this 'news' with the co-op sector.

My husband initiated a Human Rights Tribunal action against the co-op a few months ago. The Human Rights Tribunal sent our claim to the co-op and received no reply. They will try again and if they receive no response, they will render a judgment.

A few weeks ago a maintenance man assessed our outstanding work orders, as he did in other units. This man has since been hired - we have heard nothing more about these work orders.

When we transitioned from ODSP to OAS, our income changed. The previous Office Co-ordinator kept delaying a recalculation of our subsidy, so I calculated it for her: Income x 30%, less credit for utilities and a credit for our sump pump. When the annual subsidy renewals were to be calculated this past April, she didn't do them, telling some members, 'That's OK, your subsidy is the same as last year'. Our Office Co-ordinator is no longer with us, but some members are paying for her lax ways. Notices of Eviction are now being served to long-standing responsible members, even though the members were never notified that they were in arrears. Members in this situation have no representation - Housing Help won't help co-op members, nor will Community Legal Clinics or Legal Aid. The co-op sector added fuel to the fire by asserting that Para-legals could not represent members, which has no 'legal' basis whatsoever.

Will we soon receive our Notice of Eviction?

Frigid Waters

On April 15, 2009 our co-op voted for a Financial Solvency By-law. The alternative was to go into Court ordered Receivership. The crisis was set out as follows:

1. The arrears and vacancy rates have created a cash flow loss in the co-op.

2. The subsidy is over-allocated and has created an internal subsidy program that the co-op cannot afford.

3. The cash flow crisis means that repairs are not getting done and vacant units cannot be adequately marketed.

4. The capital reserves have been heavily used in recent years. There are insufficient funds for current major repair needs.

5. The community has no lasting trust in the successive boards that it elects. It results in a hostile atmosphere that has delayed important and effective decision-making in the co-op. It creates lack of pride, concern and enjoyment by co-op members.

A representative of The Agency told us that there were a dozen other housing co-ops in Ontario which were also 'in care'. We were to be governed by 3 non-resident and 2 resident Board Members. Our By-laws were to be suspended for 3 years.* There would be no committees, although social and gardening volunteerism would be allowed.

We are now 2 1/2 years into this 3-year plan. There are no visible improvements in the co-op, nor in the sense of community. The All Members Meeting, which should have been held in June, might be held this month. If so, another resident member will be elected to the Board, replacing a non-resident Board member. Next year, technically speaking, the co-op should revert back to the membership. It would be interesting to hear how the dozen other co-ops 'in care' are doing. Without signals from other co-ops in dire straights, we are a lone drifting iceberg.

*Our By-laws are cherry-picked - invoked at will.

Privacy Commissioner of Canada's Ruling x 2

Subsidy Renewal Applications were delivered last week. Members had submitted these same forms in February of this year, but our previous Office Co-ordinator did not do the calculations. My first question is: What happened to our documents? There was no security whatsoever in the office. Paperwork was endlessly strewn about the common room, letters were found in the recycling bin unshredded and documents were undoubtedly removed from the office.

The subsidy form delivered is the same form we complained about to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. The form makes reference to FBA/GW. Family Benefits and General Welfare were replaced by Ontario Works in 1998. The form still includes the demand for the drug card used by these recipients. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada in April, 2011, ruled that the drug card neither confirms who the beneficiaries are under these programs, nor how many residents occupy a unit. It merely denotes who is covered under the drug card. [See post - April 13, 2011]

The co-op would have received a copy of this ruling, but nevertheless, I sent a typed copy to the office, to which I received no reply. I resent this copy to the office last week and received a polite and almost curious response, asking if I could send her a copy of the original ruling, so that she may inform CHASEO, CHF and the Office Co-ordinators throughout the city. The Privacy Commissioner's office in their investigation, also interviewed The Agency regarding their demand for the drug card. The Agency stated that they DO NOT require the drug card as proof of income. So this leads me to my second question: Why on earth wouldn't The Agency notify the Office administrators of co-ops, not only in Ottawa, but throughout Ontario AND issue them new forms in light of the fact that The Agency receives millions of dollars each year to oversee co-ops? Personally, I think that The Agency responded to the Privacy Commissioner's Office with, 'Who Us? Of course not - we're completely on top of everything'. In other words, they covered up!

What is really disturbing is that my husband and I had to go outside the co-op movement in order to effect change within the co-op movement. We will await the new subsidy forms with patient anticipation.

A Question of Balance

Our co-op is presently undergoing an audit since the departure of our Office Co-ordinator and the Maintenance man - the first audit having been done in the first quarter of this year. Word has it that an All Members Meeting will be held after the audit is completed.

On Track

Last week I emailed the office with some work orders and within two hours a maintenance man came by to assess the work to be done. It was just about an instantaneous response. The company at that point was not hired, they were in the process of giving estimates to the co-op. We were really impressed with this maintenance man's professionalism, knowledge and respectful ways and conveyed that to the office. This company also works for other co-ops in the city.

JACK

Jack Layton: 1950-2011

No Rush

The Board of Directors will now be holding their meeting in September, as apparently they are all on vacation, leaving several families in a state of flux.

It's a long summer.

Rest

There's a 'release' of sorts in the air in our co-op after the three-year struggle we've all been through trying to air our complaints about the Office Co-ordinator. At last there is a sense of normalcy in our co-op - a rational approach to property management. We don't know much about what exactly is taking place, but it feels like we're not being ignored - abandoned - like before. Several members I've spoken to have also received follow-up phone calls from the office pertaining to maintenance work orders.

On the home front - I'm still undergoing physio for extremely debilitating bi-lateral Achilles Tendonitis, our son is giving us updates on his bicycle trip. They should be crossing the California border in one week from now. They're really enjoying Oregon - Portland and the coastline. My husband and I and our 'puppy', who is almost 15 yrs. old, are taking care of each other in a circular fashion - IPad, quilting and puppy cozily sleeping most of the time.

A reflective and quiet time.

Thursday Recall

The temporary Office Co-ordinator telephoned me yesterday for a follow-up on the work done by our maintenance man. And she asked me if I was pleased with certain aspects of the work done. She also made note of the work orders not completed. It's encouraging to know that the co-op is following through on these work orders in such a respectful manner.

We haven't seen the maintenance man around lately, so we don't know if the 'Property Manager' has another maintenance team in mind.

Eight and Counting...

Members received a form to fill out from the office entitled 'Composition of Member's Household'. The administration must think that we are overflowing our units, because there are eight (8) lines to list the names of individual people occupying a particular unit, plus corresponding dates of birth.

Members must also fill in their vehicle information and whether or not they require an extra parking spot. Now if eight or more people are occupying a unit, there should be an equal number of lines pertaining to vehicle registration, not one as indicated.

When we were semi-taken over in 2009, our By-laws were purportedly suspended, but in reality that is not the case. The By-laws are referred to time and time again, as well as the need to participate. Our Occupancy By-law has stipulations for overhousing and underhousing. There is no discrimination between Phase I or Phase II of our co-op, nor between full fee or subsidized members. It's a 'one size fits all' By-law. However, subsidized members are the only ones to be downsized. If full-fee members are found to be overhoused, would there be a consequence for them? I don't think so.

I don't mind signing the form (minus our birth dates), as I feel the office needs to get a handle on what's going on in the co-op. My husband sees the demand as a form of intimidation and won't sign it. The form must be handed in by Monday, August 1st, 2011 - a civic holiday!

Highways & Byways

Our son has taken on a new adventure with a friend. They are biking from B.C. to San Francisco. What a wonderful post-grad excursion. We are with you son and don't forget to keep us posted.

Big hugs - Love MOM & DAD

Upgrading Our Standards

Rockcliffe Park Pavillion

A newsletter from our co-op office informed us that our new Property Manager is none other than one of our outside Board Members, who is an Office Co-ordinator at another co-op. This position, almost certainly, was not advertised - it was simply taken over. For the moment we have a temporary Co-ordinator. Whether the ex-Board member, now Property Manager, will sub-contract out the position at our co-op remains to be seen.

The newsletter informs members as to how to report a Work Order, contains a strict reminder to pay our housing charges on time, not to park in grassy areas, how to clean mould* with baking soda and water, a warning that fire pits are not permitted, and a dire warning to 'people drinking and drugging in the pathways' - that the police should be called and to give the police the co-op's telephone number, so that the co-op may do a follow up.

It is encouraging to know that there is now some supervision in our co-op. An immediate effect was a member moving his illegally parked car. The newsletter states that working with us will make our co-op 'the most sought after place to live'. Last weekend we attended a family celebration held at Rockcliffe Park. We drove through the winding streets of what used to be known as Rockcliffe Village, past the Prime Minister's residence, the Governor General's and dozens of mansions half-visible through forest trees. Then we returned to our place of residence - derelict cars, piles of tires stacked against units, garbage pails/recycling boxes in driveways, fallen window screens, cigarette tins, strewn garbage, peeling co-op siding, rotting window frames with not a scrap of paint left on, rotting wobbly fences ... It was not a pretty sight. So it will be interesting to see how this place could possibly become a most sought after place to live in the next while.

Unfortunately, the newsletter also contained some condescending quotes for members to ponder - a flashback to newsletters of old. The quotes are as follows:

Being a victim doesn't look good on anyone... Jan Arden

Stop blaming your circumstance & figure out who you are... Arlene Dickenson

Where has our Board of Directors been for the past two years? The Office Co-ordinator rarely showed up for work. She didn't deposit housing charge cheques until the middle of the month, she didn't pay co-op bills. She wouldn't respond to City health official orders to attend to basement flooding and subsequent mould problems. Work orders were only granted to her favoured members. We ARE victims due to the lack of oversight by our Board of Directors. As indicated by the above quote, there is no accountability on the part of the Board - just a punishing admonishment to the membership to 'get over it'.

And just what exactly does the second quote mean? WE KNOW WHO WE ARE. When my husband and I attended a Board meeting and told them that the co-op had gotten worse over these past two years, we were told to leave the meeting. A similar scenario was exacted on other members as well. The Board of Directors did not, would not, listen to the members. They were the 'experts' - we were mere pawns to be silenced.

The above quotes victimize the membership once again.


* Mould caused by rotting windows, substandard construction, basement leaks.

Notice to All Members

July 12, 2011

Dear Member,

This letter is to keep you informed of changes which are coming in the management of the Co-op.

As you know, for the last three years [Office Co-ordinator] has been managing the operations of the Co-op under the supervision of the Board. Both the Board and [Office Co-ordinator] have now decided that it is in the best interests of the Co-op that they part ways. As a result, [Office Co-ordinator] will be leaving her position effective Thursday, July 14, 2011.

In the near future, the Board will be hiring a property management company to assist with managing the operations of the Co-op. The Board has heard from several of you who have concerns about outstanding work orders and other matters. Rest assured that the Board is taking steps to make sure these issues will be dealt with as soon as possible.

The Board is confident that these changes will be in the best interests of the Co-op and its members and is excited to move forward. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact a Board member.

Yours truly,

[Board member]

*****

I believe the single factor that prompted the Board of Directors to take note of what was 'NOT' happening in the co-op, was my email to the Office Co-ordinator (with a copy to a Board member), indicating that subsidized members had not received confirmation of their subsidies, which were to have taken effect on April 1st, 2011. This is in major violation of the co-op's operating agreement with CMHC, and as such, the co-op's viability was ultimately at stake. After that email, the Office Co-ordinator was declared to have taken a leave of absence and the co-op office was suddenly swarming with co-op management officials, etc.

I then took this 'window of opportunity' to resend to the co-op office my outstanding work orders going back to last October, and as I posted on my last blog, the maintenance man came by last week and attended to some of these.

The Board of Directors propped up and supported the Office Co-ordinator for these past two* years to the detriment of the co-op. Members were devalued - the Office Co-ordinator was continually praised.

Who will head the property management company now hired to manage the co-op? Some movers and shakers in the co-op movement have created their own management companies, i.e. ex-Office Co-ordinators. We should find out more about this next week.

*The Office Co-ordinator worked here for a year prior to the semi-take over of the co-op.

PROGRESS

I decided to write the co-op office, forwarding in the text, the work orders I had submitted on October 20, 2010 and again on January 26, 2011. I also included other work orders such as a repair to our toilet, which went unacknowledged. I received a response from an outside Director, apologizing for what had transpired and assured me that the Board of Directors, in no way, considered this to be efficient co-op management.

Yesterday the maintenance man replaced our front screen door, installed new weatherstripping on the door itself, installed a grab bar by the front steps, changed two electrical sockets, and removed a padlock on our basement window bars. He will also try to get the go ahead to change our toilet for a low-flush one with a styrofoam liner. He will return on Monday to install a metal plate on our door frame and bolt the wooden step he made us, to the precast concrete steps.

So that's a lot of progress in one day. Although I speak about these incidences in the first person, it is the same situation for many people here in the co-op. It will take some time to turn things around - maintenance-wise. but maybe now, the Board of Directors will listen to the members, instead of how they propped up and protected the Office Co-ordinator for the past two years.

Open Doors

Directors from our membership, external Board members and people from outside agencies, have been meeting in our office building all week, as our Office Co-ordinator has suddenly been declared to have taken a leave of absence. For how long, we don't know. Perhaps she'll come back in September as she did a few years ago. That time, as well, she didn't apprise anyone of her sudden vacation. No notice was posted on the co-op office door. She just left for the summer. I then posted on my blog 'Ten Tips for Survival' - a road map for emergency use.

It was really strange seeing the co-op office seemingly open for business this week. We await further word as to the status of our co-op.

Time of the Month

Elections should be held this month, yet we've received no news from the office. Subsidy renewal applications were submitted in mid February. This is late June and no one has received their subsidy confirmation letters. Members continually come up to me with complaints that they can't get in touch with the Office Co-ordinator; their letters and/or requests are ignored.

If and when an election is held, the idea of running for the Board of Directors has crossed my mind. This is out of desperation, not out of desire. My niche in co-op living has mostly been in the maintenance area. I have very good organizational skills with a lot of attention to detail. I'm not sure at this time in my life though, that I'd like to spend it being consumed by co-op issues. We'll see ...

This up-coming week will be family oriented and gardening.

In Lawyers We Trust

People who live in housing co-operatives cannot get Legal Aid even if they qualify, as Legal Aid no longer funds civil cases, so over the course of the past few years we've hired two separate law firms to act on our behalf. We were extremely pleased with the integrity of the female lawyer regarding subsidy and privacy issues. Our lawyer spoke only once by telephone with the Office Co-ordinator who had promised to forward to her pertinent documents. The Office Co-ordinator never did follow through and all attempts by our lawyer to communicate with her again either by email, telephone calls and/or FAXes were ignored. Our lawyer had no choice but to close our file. However, our lawyer's two letters to the co-op are worth their weight in gold, as she meticulously documented the various times and methods in which she attempted to communicate with the Office Co-ordinator and noted the Office Co-ordinator's failure to provide the requested documentation. My husband and I continued on with our case with the Privacy Commissioner's Office and they ruled in our favour.

Some time later the co-op was intent on transferring us to a unit with a leaky basement (see my previous posts in 2010). We had to find another lawyer, as the previous lawyer had taken a leave of absence. I emailed over a dozen law firms, but received a telephone call from only one. A female articling student, or a newly minted lawyer, acting on behalf of a law firm sounded very kind. I made an appointment to see them at their office downtown. This woman interviewed us, with the lawyer sitting off to one side. The lawyer asked us, 'How do I know you have the money to pay for all this'. I said that I had brought $200.00 cash and would give him an $800.00 cheque. We signed a contract with the lawyer.

The only thing that this lawyer's office did was FAX a quick letter to our co-op stating that he was our lawyer. In addition, the lawyer missed a crucial deadline. Our file was then passed on to a law student. I realized then that the law firm was just leading us on, so I told the law student that we'd handle our case from then on.

It didn't feel right that we never did receive a Statement of Account, as they are legally required to do, so last week I assembled our email communications, so that I could see the picture as a whole. As I was waiting for a bus earlier this week I picked up one of those free newspapers. I turned the first page and I couldn't believe my eyes. There, in black and white, was a photo of the lawyer we had hired and a heading that that he had bilked his clients for over $300,000. Here are links to those articles:

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Society+seeks+missing+300K/4916037/story.html

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Lawyer+denies+claims+bilked+clients/4924895/story.html

We will be registering a complaint with The Law Society of Upper Canada. It's not that we're expecting a return of our retainer, although that would be very nice, but knowing that the Law Society is on to this lawyer, gives us a feeling of justice - that it's simply criminal to take advantage of vulnerable people.

Flushed!

On June 1st I wrote the Office Co-ordinator informing her that our toilet flusher had broken and would the maintenance man kindly install a new one for us. That was seven days ago and still no flusher - or even a response from the Office Co-ordinator. We rigged up our own flushing device, but after a few days we purchased one ourselves. Perhaps I should send a follow up email to the co-op and sign it 'Un-Flushed'. I wonder if that would have any effect.

Full House

Well, summer-like conditions have indeed arrived. Children are everywhere. We have a resident groundhog living under a step in our row. It can be seen sunning itself in the presence of squirrels, pigeons, two mated ducks, and the occasional cat - all getting along with each other. The scene is right out of a Bambi forest book. But the biggest bonus of all is the glorious canopy of mature Linden and Maple trees. Oh, how they are alive. Evergreen and lilac trees share their graciousness as well by providing privacy between units and members with green thumbs have worked their flower magic. The landscaping, although very scruffy in places, is the Saving Grace in this co-op.

Yesterday, my daughter and I planted a flower garden and began to chop down wily bushes along the side of our unit to allow the lilies buried underneath and around them to breath again.

Ah, summer!

In The Offing

In April 2009 our co-op was semi-taken over by three outside Board members to stave off bankruptcy. Two members from our membership were elected as well, but the real power lay in the hands of one of the outside Board members. In 2010 one of these Board members was replaced by a co-op resident. This year one more Director from the co-op will be elected - the election should be held in June.

Committees have been stayed during these past two years. Our only mode of communication has been through the Office Co-ordinator and therein lies the problem. Members are bewildered - how come they can't get through to her? They try by phone - the voice mailbox is either full or the phone is on FAX. They drop off notes in the office mailbox, but they never hear back. They go to the Office - she's never there. Members are left in the lurch dealing with leaking basements on their own and repairs that never get done.

Favoured members get new windows and flooring - no protocol is required. As I've been posting on this blog, we have been submitting the same work orders from the day we first moved into this unit seven months ago, including the need for a new front screen door. Our neighour just got his screen door replaced - the Office Co-ordinator won't even acknowledge receipt of our work orders.

Members have nowhere to turn - no one can get past the Office Co-ordinator. Will things change with the upcoming election? The Old Guard seems to be rallying for re-election and they were very tight with the Office Co-ordinator. Maintenance perks work well.

One Good Thing Leads to Another?

The flooring contractor and his assistant came by yesterday and glued the seams down in our kitchen/hallway linoleum. They also injected glue into many air pockets, then rollered them flat. They were very conscientious in their work and I am pleased with the result.

I tried for seven months to get this work order done. It is not the fault of the contractor - the responsibility belongs solely to the Office Co-ordinator. And now for ALL the other outstanding work orders?

Persistence

Fix This!

Emails to Office Co-ordinator:

Hi ____ - In October, 2010 and on January 26, 2011, I sent you the following email. Next week please have the linoleum contractor come by our house to fix the multiple air pockets in the linoleum and to glue the seams down.

None of the below listed work orders have been done. Please have [maintenance man] drop by our unit next week.

Also, the basement floor is further corroding because the cracks weren't attended to. [Maintenance man] had merely painted over the efflorescence, which is now pushing up all over the basement. The repair costs to this basement will be significant.

*****

Hi ____ - Here's an email I sent you on October 20, 2010. We never received a response from you.

The kitchen linoleum has huge air pockets and the seams are not glued down. In October I tracked down the flooring contractor and he came to see our unit. He said that when he installed the flooring, the temperature in the unit in January was too low for the glue to adhere. He said he would come back the following week to repair the floor. [Maintenance man] also saw the floor about three times and said that he'd bring the contractor in. No one has been by to repair same. I've used packing tape to tape down the seams to prevent the linoleum was ripping further and also because it's a very dangerous situation for [husband] with his poor eyesight.

We need new weatherstripping on the front door. It is old, dirty, tattered and torn. The front door jam is smashed in. There must have been an attempted break in at one time. [Maintenance man] said that he'd come by and fix that. He never showed up. I'm attaching a photo of the door frame again.

We had to put plastic up over the living room window to try to warm up the place. The back door though has proven to be next to impossible to fix. We bought new weatherstripping - that didn't work. We had to duct tape the bottom of the door where cold air was pouring in and we had to stuff plastic bags in between the door and the frame to try to prevent cold air from pouring in there.

We bought a new sliding door track for the upper bathroom to replace the rusty, disgusting, filthy track left in place in this unit.

Please have [maintenance man] come by to do these work orders.

Thank you.

*****

Hi __ - Here is a list of deficiencies we have encountered in Unit __. We are still very concerned about the basement leaks documented in photos we took prior to the basement floor being painted.

Humidity

• The unit is extremely humid at all times. Humidity in our son's room reads 88%. His window is dripping with moisture on the inside. He has developed pneumonia. We are monitoring and recording humidity levels throughout the house. Humidity in homes should be between 30 - 50%. Ours is constantly at 80% and over. This is absolutely unacceptable and is proving to be a health hazard.

Front Steps

• [Maintenance man] made a wooden temporary step. He will fill in space under precast cement stairs and improve on wooden step.
• Need safety handrail installed.
  

Dryer Vent

• Crushed/bent - new one required to allow for efficient drying.

Screen Door

• Needs replacing - bottom panel kicked in exposing sharp edges and open to the elements. Hydraulic closure broken.
  

Door Lock, Frame & Weatherstripping

• Door lock almost impossible to open. {Maintenance man] will give us the locks from Unit __. Door frame severely damaged - lock on frame pushed in - mangled. Weatherstripping needs replacing - ripped.
  

Kitchen/Hallway/Powder Room

• New linoleum has air pockets all over. Seam lifting - have placed a box over part of it. [Maintenance man] must call contractor.
  
• Need new sink strainers - both were broken. Ones from Unit __ don't fit.
• There are long plastic toilet paper holders (?) in each washroom which we'd like [maintenance man] to remove. They are eyesores. We would also like the walls touched up where they were mounted.
  

Sump Pump

• The sump pump was on when we first entered the unit and it didn't turn off for over a week. A sump is supposed to turn on and off - not to run continuously at full tilt. This will cost us hundreds of dollars a month to maintain. The sump is so noisy that one wouldn't be able to listen to TV upstairs in the living room or enjoy peace and quiet. The noise would also interfere with one's ability to sleep.

Sewer Maintenance

• Basement intermittently smells of sewer gases. The sewer lines need to be cleaned from inside the units out to _____. Failure to maintain regular maintenance on the sewers will result in sewer back ups and damage to the units, personal property, as well as health and safety concerns. The co-op must provide us with a basement floor drain back up valve.
  

Basement Top Landing

• Detached from basement supports - big gap - can see directly into basement - also slants in corner. Dangerous!

Basement Door Warped

• Had to struggle to open door. Getting better now that heat is on.

Basement Window Safety Bars

• We would like [maintenance man] to remove old padlock on window bars.
  

Thanks a lot.

*****

It irks me to see the maintenance man casually going into a Board Member's unit with four cups of Tim Horton's coffee and over a period of a day replacing her patio door, whilst I, and others, can't get any work done whatsoever in our units.

Trailers, Tires & Trash

A few weeks ago I wrote an email to the Office Co-ordinator with the above heading. I said that it was time we dealt with the large wooden trailer in a member's driveway. I described it as 'dripping with garbage' and that it was by far the worst eyesore in the co-op. The Office Co-ordinator asked if she could forward my letter to the member in question. I said sure - for the member to clean it up for the betterment of the co-op. The trailer isn't there anymore; I wasn't the only one who had complained about this problem.

Other members have been busy raking up leaves and picking up garbage. Parts of the co-op are looking a whole lot better.

April and May are very busy months in our home with birthdays and all.

It is very pleasant for Spring to have arrived at last.

This just in: The trailer has found a new home- in the parking area near the back row of the co-op. Better, but quite out of sight!

A Follow-Up

Our letter to the co-op:

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada has ruled in our favour that the Drug Card for ODSP/OW recipients has nothing whatsoever to do with the verification of income and, in fact, does not stipulate how many people reside in a member's unit. The drug card only indicates who is covered under the drug card.

What is most disturbing about the process we went through is the fact that it took an outside organization to effect change in the co-op movement. In your letter to us dated December 3, 2009 you stated:

Your concerns regarding privacy issues and the request to provide drug eligibility verification was specifically addressed with Co-ordinator's in the City of Ottawa, with CHASEO, and also with ___, Manager of Co-op Services, CHF Canada. All inquiries were anonymous and did not reference any Co-op or member. All inquiries have led your Board to the conclusion that the request for this information is justified and, in fact required to confirm household composition. To further emphasize this, CHF Canada has informed us that the Co-op has a "duty" to obtain this information for subsidy verification purposes. The issue of Privacy of Information does not preclude this request. The Co-op's responsibility is to ensure that all such information received is treated with the strictest of confidence, and the Board ensures that such information will not be disseminated or otherwise disclosed, without explicit written consent. The information will be safeguarded in your file as with all member information.

We informed the co-op over and over again that the drug card had nothing whatsoever to do with the calculation of one's subsidy, but our 'voices' were not heard. The co-op, CHASEO, CHF and as you indicated, the Office Co-ordinators across the city were intransigent in their 'demand' for the drug card - common sense did not prevail.

The Agency, when questioned by The Privacy Commissioner's office, stated that they do not require the collection of the drug card. It's incredible to us that CHASEO, CHF, or any of the Office Co-ordinators in the City of Ottawa, never brought our concerns to The Agency, which receives millions of dollars each year to administer and govern housing co-operatives. The Agency's auspices is cited in every demand letter we receive from the co-op. An oversight, or collusion on the part of The Agency?

The co-op must now inform CHASEO, CHF and the Office Co-ordinators in the City of Ottawa of The Privacy Commissioner of Canada's ruling with regards to the collection of the drug card and, in particular, to members of this housing co-op.

The co-op's subsidy forms are thirteen years old. The Agency stated to The Privacy Commissioner's Office that they have new subsidy forms. As such, please forward same to us as soon as possible.

*****
I personally feel that The Agency knew about this the whole time and protected themselves when contacted by The Privacy Commissioner's Office. There are millions of dollars in government funding at stake. To appear to be other than competent would not bode well for The Agency.