THE 3 R'S

We received a Tax Receipt letter dated February 22, 2014 from our Property Manager for our housing charges paid in 2013.  As the calculations didn't appear to be accurate, I did the calculation.  It turned out that the amount stated in the letter pertained to the housing charge we paid in 2010.  

The co-op submitted an incorrect housing charge calculation pertaining to 2010 in our Human Rights case.  The document was not signed or dated and I stated at that time that the document had been fabricated for the purpose of our Human Rights case.  I, therefore, submitted the correct calculation, along with a signed and dated document from the co-op substantiating same.  My calculation was re-used in the letter we just received for the year 2013.  

I wrote the Board of Directors indicating my concerns with the integrity and trustworthiness of our Property Manager as she had signed the letter.  Shortly thereafter I received quite a threatening email  from our Property Manager.  She claimed that this was an error on the part of the bookkeeper and warned me that this was the final time that she was going to ask me to cease and desist from talking about her.

Firstly, let me say that it is very difficult to bypass the Property Manager because she "manages" everything in the co-op.  If you fail to fill out one line in the multitude of documents one is required to fill out, the document will be dropped back into your mailbox any time of day or night.  Members are not allowed to talk to contractors.  In many instances if you have a concern which you would like to refer to the Board of Directors, you will receive an email back that she, the Property Manager, has been given the ultimate authority to deal with this and that.

The bookkeeping company has been lauded for their wonderful detailed work and has just been re-hired by our co-op.  The bookkeepers are the fall-back people should a discrepancy be challenged by a member.  However, when it comes to thousands of dollars in chargebacks, or arrears, our Property Manager is never wrong.  You pay up or you get evicted.  If you are evicted and wish to dispute the facts, the ex-member can hire a lawyer.  The Property Manager is fully protected by the co-op's lawyer, for which the evicted member is then charged.  And for further protection the Property Manager will take out a No Trespassing Order.

The Property Manager is not overseen by the Board of Directors.  She is given full control of everything, including them.

Receipts, Reprimands, Retaliation - works everytime!

The Invasion

The Property Manager is no doubt at this exact moment sitting down at her desk and wondering whether FiFi or FouFou has had their shots and knowing instinctively which members did NOT declare their pets.  Add to this knowing exactly who is parking where - even though the yellow pavement parking signs are covered in snow.  Surely she must be taking note of a member's commercial vehicle which had been parked illegally in a vacant unit's driveway for months.  Both infractions warrant fines, warnings, hearings before the Board of Directors and last but not least, being towed at member's expense.

The Annual Inspections (which aren't Annual at all) also have to be followed up on.  The inspections were verbally recorded by a contractor - these will now have to be typed up and given to each member who may decide to challenge some of the findings.  It is to be noted that on many occasions the Property Manager marches into units on her own and takes photos.  In those cases who watches the watcher?

All Members Meetings are recorded on smart phones and almost certainly when members attend Board meetings.  The Property Manager transcribes those recordings - all with a special twist.

One busy woman!

Group Therapy

http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1972981,00.html