Our latest newsletter is upon us. Drinking and drugging night crawlers have been seen again - advice is to call the police. Parking in designated snow removal areas is not permitted at any time, however maintenance contractors do it ALL the time. A word about the snow removal area - it used to be a landscaped burm until a Board of Directors had a gravel truck pour tons of stone chips on and down the hill. Once this eyesore had been established, the evergreen trees at the bottom of the hill took the brunt of the snow piling. What remained after the snow melt? Dead, broken branches of the crippled, dying trees and all manner of garbage. This Spring the garbage was only cleaned up moments before media showed up for the play park announcement.
The newsletter stated that "City of Ottawa's bylaws requires cats to be leashed". That is not true. The City's bylaw states:
The Animal Care and Control By-law No. 2003-77 regulates cats in the City. Cat owners may not be required to keep their pets leashed or indoors, but they are expected, under the Animal Care and Control By-law, to be responsible for their pet’s outdoor activities such as preventing damage to or disturbance on another resident's property.
The newsletter stated that satellite dishes are not to be installed on units or fences and that any damage resulting from such installations will be charged back to the members. The fences are dilapidated - some completely rotted out. This may be the co-op's way of introducing new fencing in the co-op.
A note in the newsletter stated that our Property Manager will be away from June 4th - 6th (she doesn't work on Fridays). CHF is holding their AGM in Calgary on June 5th - 8th (which includes the weekend). I notified the office that I wouldn't be able to go - to ask the alternate delegate. I later asked the alternate delegate if she would be going - she said 'no' - that the co-op has no money. If our Property Manager is attending CHF's AGM, I would hope that the co-op is not paying for her expenses, as she is a Contractor. And in no case shall there be double billing!
The newsletter ends with a quote:
Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.
Clarence Thomas
It seems that our Property Manager has turned over a new leaf. That is such a relief.
Who is Clarence Thomas anyhow? I guess we all can benefit from a good education.
Thomas is justice of US Supreme Court --- very conservative. His nomination hearing back in early 90s almost derailed over sex harassment allegations
ReplyDeleteYou ask whether Co-op is paying PM's way to Calgary?
Better question is, "Can you cite a case where a PM/coordinator ever paid to attend CHF AGM out of their own pocket?
Cats have enjoyed privilege of not being controlled or confined since early medieval times in England. Presume it had something to do with keeping down the rat population and controlling plague.
As for satellite dishes, co-op or any housing provider can dictate how or where they're installed. They don't want them put up unsafely or in some cases, even when they'd be an eyesore.
If fences are that bad, maybe they won't have choice about cost of replacing them if City's Property Standards happened to come by. Co-op would prob consider it a capital expense and dip into reserve funds for that --- assuming you have any left.
Yes, when I looked up Clarence Thomas, I remembered who he is and the scandal involved, but our Property Manager picks these quotes from the web and I can guarantee that she doesn't know who the authors are and doesn't care. The quotes serve as jabs to particular members.
ReplyDeleteOur PM is supposedly away for personal health reasons. Coincidental about the timing of this leave of absence and CHF's AGM.
The co-op is attempting to crack down on people who care for the feral cats left behind by prominent members of the Board who moved out, in that dogs on leashes have the perogative to kill these cats.
Many years ago a Board member wanted satellite TV, so the BOD engaged a company to come in and install antennas on the roofs of every row. The company soon went bankrupt, therefore the antennas were never used. Our roofs had recently been replaced at the time - the installation of the antennas invalidated our warranty with the company.
Yes, housing providers can dictate where satellite dishes may be installed. However, it is preposterous to say that any damage caused to the fencing will be borne by the offending member, in light of the fact that the fences are completely rotten out and are extreme eyesores. The newsletter goes on to say that members can only install satellite dishes on tripods. Perhaps the tripods will help hold up the fences.
The newsletter tidbits are copied and pasted most of the time from one year to the next and show just how hypocritcal and nonsensical co-op management is.
I'm sure these selected quotes are contained in some CHF/CHASEO master manual to be readily trotted out when needed. They use them here and I have my doubts --- actually it's nearly impossible --- that the ones using them know who they're quoting, what it means and whether it's being used out of context (which it usually is)
ReplyDeleteAs for the vagabond felines, maybe they were left behind on purpose with little hidden transmitters to spy on residents and report back to PM? As for herding cats ... we know what that's like.
As for CHF AGM, why not phone their hotel and ask for her room. If they put a call through, you'll know. But hang up before it's connected or adopt a fake accent and say, "Sorry, wrong number.".
These are the same kind of quotes that our Office Co-ordinator used in the 1990s. At that time Office Co-ordinators had monthly meetings to exchange tidbits about what worked and what didn't.
DeleteFunny about the cats. The newsletter also stated that the co-op is spending thousands of dollars "on pest control and landscaping repairs due to the wild animal problem". The reason why ground hogs, skunks, etc. are making their homes underneath front steps is because the driveways have sunk leaving huge gaps under the steps.
When we lived in our previous unit, I saw a 2 ft. wide long column of squirrels stream across our roadway. It seemed as though they had nested in an accessible unit's roof or walls. The abundance of squirrels in our co-op is not because members are feeding them as the newsletter alluded to - it's neglect on the part of the co-op.
No, I won't phone the hotel to find out if our Property Manager is attending the AGM, but she is my employee - I pay her salary and therefore, have a right to know the facts. How things get reversed in co-ops!
I live in a co-op! Do we all have the same problems?
ReplyDeleteWe are sending someone to the convention that does not live here and says she is not an employee, but a freelancer. Our president informed us at the last A.G.M. we will be paying $4,600. to send this person to the convention, after all she is here and she needs an education...
You might wonder why I would want to remain anonymous. Reason is this is not a co-op where freedom of speech and expression are seen as a good point, in factual matters will get you in a lot of trouble. It will start with a warning from the lawyer and maybe an eviction notice will be taped to your door. Keep up your good work it is needed
ReplyDeleteWelcome "Anonymous"
ReplyDeleteThe only "education" such individuals receive is indoctrination and training in how to shape a co-op (and thus the movement) acc. to their whims. Since many co-ops aren't exactly flush with cash, it shows where their priorities are --- esp as I mentioned above when the individual is getting a freebie min-vacation.
If co-ops really wanted freedom of speech and active debate and member involvement, there wouldn't be need for blogs such as this. Intimidation is the way to keep everyone in place. Tho last time I checked, expressing one's opinion is not grounds for eviction --- lawyer's letter be damned.