Co-opcracy

Grounded!

2012-01-31T17:35:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, I notified the co-op that our son had moved out of our home. In October and November, 2011 I emailed our Property Manager asking for a stairlift funded by CMHC's Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP). I again emailed her twice in January asking for an update. Being a tad frustrated I contacted CMHC and asked for an application for a similar program - Home Adaptations For Seniors' Independence (HASI).

Today, I finally heard back from our Property Manager. She stated that because my husband and I are subsidized, that we would not qualify for the RRAP program. She also stated that she asked the woman at CMHC where she could find this clause in writing; the woman stated that it wasn't on the web site, but that our application would be returned with the reason for the denial. Is it a co-incidence that the day after I notified the co-op that our son had moved out, i.e. that we are presently overhoused, that we could not possibly qualify for a modification, or is this really a CMHC policy?

The Property Manager has placed us on a waiting list for an accessible unit. This is completely useless to me as it could be years before a unit becomes available, in addition to which I could not possibly move with my feet in this condition.

I cannot be expected to sleep on our sofa for months on end, never be able to take a shower or to be independent in any way. So what would our alternatives be? We http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifcould rent a stairlift, which would cost $1,000. for 3 months, and $150. per week thereafter, which expense should be paid for by the co-op. If I don't get a stairlift, I will have to go into a residential rehab hospital for several months and my husband will have to be placed in residential care, as I am his caregiver. Not only will the cost to the government be enormous, but it will prove to be the most discriminatory grant program ever devised and I will publicize it as so.

I am in the midst of investigating to find out whether CMHC's RRAP or HASI programs disqualify people who receive housing subsidies, or if it's the co-op that is preventing me from getting a stairlift.

Here's a link to the type of operation I will be having:

http://achillessurgery.blogspot.com/

Lock & Leaks

2012-01-26T11:35:00.005-05:00

We had been asking the co-op to fix this lock and door frame since before we moved into this unit in October, 2010. It finally became so bad that we couldn't even lock our door, so I wrote the co-op again and said that it was urgent. A few hours later a locksmith came by and assessed the situation. He couldn't understand why the unit had been rented out like this - that the lock was completely useless. He confirmed that the door had once been kicked in and pointed out a section of plastering beside the frame. He installed a large metal plate and secured the lock in other ways. The frame, however, should be replaced by a maintenance repair man. The next morning two workmen rang our doorbell. When I answered the door, they said they were there because of a 'leak'. I was taken aback a bit and said that we had two leaks - a deluge of water which had poured out of our upper bathroom fan, now reduced to a trickle and large cracks in our basement floor which were water stained. I proceeded to show them the basement floor. The workman took photos with his cell phone and noted water staining on the lower basement wall, the large open cracks, efflorescence and the mounding in the middle of the floor. He stated that the problem was coming from underneath the floor slab. A few days later I met a member who said that his neighbour had had a basement floor leak, was waiting for workmen to show up, but they never did. When I told him about workmen coming to our unit to assess a 'leak', we figured that they had juxtaposed our unit numbers and came to our unit instead. Will the co-op bury this workman's observations in our unit? Maybe I should have taken photos of the workman taking photos of our basement. Still, the situation has a ring of humour to it.

Shambles!

2012-01-21T08:41:00.008-05:00

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2012/troubleforrent/

TransGlobe has a terrible reputation. They bought our shopping centre and ran it into the ground. The townhouse profiled in this Marketplace segment is next to the mall. The City of Ottawa received more complaints about this project in one year than for any other development. Last year TransGlobe blamed the deficiencies on the property management company, changed management companies and started anew. Unfortunately, as we can see from this Marketplace story, not too much is new.

Memories

2012-01-17T19:55:00.010-05:00

Machine Sewn - Hand Appliqued - Hand Quilted

This is a snapshot of a quilt I started for my daughter in 1992, which I finally finished this Christmas. This prompted me to take a one-day quilting course a few weeks ago. I have just completed a Batik quilt top, have sewn the backing and soon I will baste it together for another 'grand' project. I am leaning towards hand quilting this quilt, as the experience is very satisfying, soothing and tactile. There is, however, a quiet discontent about not practising what I learned in my course - to machine quilt it. My mind is telling me that I could only do this if I had one of those spiffy computerized, programmable dream machines. Is my heart trying to tell me something else?

My F1 Code

2012-01-12T14:27:00.006-05:00

In the Queue

We have a problem with our stove - the oven does not have a consistent temperature throughout the baking cycle, nor is the buzzer accurate. The buzzer will sound indicating that the oven is at 350º, but it's not - it's only at 175º. The higher you go, the worse it gets. Also, when decreasing temperature, we can't rely on the stove's buzzer to let us know if the thermostat is at the right temperature. We use our own thermometer to check the oven temperature because of many inadequately meals.

On December 7, 2011 after our All Members Meeting, I had a chat with a member who used to live in our unit. She stated to me that she was never able to cook French Fries in this oven. She is now on the Board of Directors. The next day I emailed the office and stated that I'd contact the City if the co-op didn't fix our oven. Aside from the fact that it's the co-op's responsibility to provide us with a reliable oven, it is even more important due to the fact that my husband has diminished eyesight and relies on the buzzer to tell him what the oven temperature is. That morning an appliance technician, who was repairing other appliances in the co-op, came by to check our oven.

The repairman stated that there is a discrepancy between what the timer says and what the temperature actually is. He stated that in more expensive models one can adjust this discrepancy. Our stove, however, is a basic model and would require a new board. He didn't know if the co-op would approve same.

The Property Manager emailed me and said that she had spoken to the technician and that he had said that there was nothing wrong with our stove. I told her what the technician had told us and she said that it wasn't true - that he had said if he put in a new board, the same thing would happen. (Pray tell then - why would someone put in a new board?) Then the Property Manager emailed me to say that she had been informed that we use two oven thermometers. She asked for the model number of the thermometers and where we placed them in the oven. I replied that they were Accutemp thermometers bought at Canadian Tire and that this whole interrogation was absolutely ridiculous and asked that this matter be brought to the Board of Directors. The Property Manager must have been miffed by my accuracy about the oven thermometers as she did not reply to my email.

That night we experienced an F1 code on the oven read out and then the temperature dropped drastically. We cleared the read out and reset the oven. The F1 code denotes a problem with the control board.

Prior to the technician's visit, another repairman had tested our stove, confirmed that the thermostat was not working properly and wrote it up in his report. I asked the Property Manager to look up his report.

As far as our other outstanding work orders go, the Property Manager stated that we'd be in the queue like everyone else. I wrote back that it was nice to know, but that we have been in the queue for over a year.

Punishing!

The Experiment

2012-01-05T15:56:00.007-05:00

One of our external Directors decided to leave her post. We don't know when it happened, as our Property Manager did not tell us at our All Member's Meeting. If it happened around the same time as our other external Director decided to become our paid Property Manager, who was looking after the fort? The 3 resident Board members take direction from the external Board Members; they are not decision makers. Does this mean that the Property Manager has been directing all the affairs of the Co-op? If so, for how long?

It seemed so crystal clear when the Co-op voted for these external people to serve on our Board of Directors. They were 'experts' who were parachuted in to save our Co-op from bankruptcy. They knew what they were doing; they were financial wizards with lots of experience in how Co-ops should work. They were going to take action, bring our Co-op up to standards, secure financing and within 3 years the Co-op would right itself.

Well, we're almost into the 3-year time frame. One of the external Directors resigned after the first year. The Office Co-ordinator parted ways with the Co-op, the maintenance man as well and our external Board members are no more. There was an indication at the meeting that an external Board member was being recruited; whether that materialized or not, we don't know. What we do know is that all the muster and bravado which came with these 3 external Board members, have dissipated without a trace, as if it had never happened in the first place. What about the 'accountability' and 'transparency' that we were promised? Nowhere to be seen or heard.

The concrete plan which was sold to us does not appear to be working. Did the Co-op movement really know what they were doing in the first place?

Hangin'Ten

2012-01-03T20:07:00.001-05:00

I've been a tad busy these days, but I will return tomorrow.

Coming in the New Year?

2011-12-29T19:34:00.002-05:00

Minuit Cretien

2011-12-21T16:36:00.003-05:00

This is such a lovely rendition by Rufus Wainright.

From Our House To Yours

A Very Merry Christmas

L i g h t

2011-12-19T11:48:00.008-05:00

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

2011-12-17T20:28:00.008-05:00

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

2011-12-10T09:00:00.005-05:00

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

2011-12-08T08:54:00.017-05:00

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

2011-12-01T09:44:00.003-05:00

On April 7, 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

2011-11-27T14:34:00.004-05:00

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

2011-11-24T09:12:00.007-05:00

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!

2011-11-17T19:12:00.004-05:00

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

2011-11-10T10:05:00.004-05:00

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

2011-11-05T11:19:00.008-04:00

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

2011-10-29T10:53:00.008-04:00

THEN

THEN AGAIN

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

2011-10-25T12:13:00.003-04:00

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

2011-10-15T08:01:00.011-04:00

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

2011-10-12T09:40:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-06T11:18:00.003-04:00

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!

2011-09-24T12:46:00.005-04:00

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

2011-09-19T10:09:00.008-04:00

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

2011-09-10T09:37:00.009-04:00

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

2011-09-04T10:04:00.011-04:00

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

2011-09-02T15:36:00.005-04:00

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

2011-08-29T10:03:00.002-04:00

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

2011-08-22T14:30:00.001-04:00

Jack Layton: 1950-2011

A Filler

2011-08-18T10:12:00.002-04:00

No Rush

2011-08-13T10:17:00.006-04:00

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

2011-08-09T17:06:00.003-04:00

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

2011-08-05T12:27:00.003-04:00

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...

2011-07-30T09:38:00.004-04:00

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

2011-07-25T09:53:00.018-04:00

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

2011-07-21T09:15:00.015-04:00

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

2011-07-13T08:09:00.005-04:00

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

2011-07-08T09:50:00.005-04:00

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

2011-07-03T09:43:00.005-04:00

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

2011-06-18T08:52:00.004-04:00

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

2011-06-11T10:13:00.008-04:00

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!

2011-06-07T17:09:00.002-04:00

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

2011-06-05T10:00:00.006-04:00

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

2011-05-30T10:15:00.005-04:00

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?

2011-05-26T09:57:00.003-04:00

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?

The Rapture

2011-05-20T18:25:00.006-04:00

Two Birthdays This Weekend ♥♥

Persistence

2011-05-16T10:50:00.003-04:00

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

2011-05-10T15:51:00.008-04:00

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

2011-04-30T10:32:00.007-04:00

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.

The Soul Inside

2011-04-21T15:46:00.003-04:00

I can think of nothing more beautiful than the lyrics to this Leonard Cohen song, and how Judy Collins sings it. I'm from Montreal - the ambiance of the French people, the era, the flowing of the St. Lawrence River, the chapel - all are timeless, like the song itself. It's as though Judy Collins, through her Grace, is 'Suzanne'.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

The Dumping Grounds

2011-04-17T15:21:00.004-04:00

A.K.A. The Gravel Pit

The snow removal contractors came by recently to clean the streets. The supervisor instructed a driver to dump the road debris into 'the gravel pit'. Finally, it has been confirmed that what a Board of Directors created three or four years ago was indeed a dumping ground. The 'platform' consists of tons of rock pebbles at the end of one of our side streets to allow the snow removal contractors to stock pile snow.

The rocks spills down our landscaped hill, spreads itself over a large area and contravenes our site plan with the city. The platform also spawned a duel purpose from the day of its inception - illegal parking spots for gangs.

This sanctioned spot, created by a Board of Directors, grew exponentially this winter. The snow removal contractors trucked mounds of snow from other areas in the co-op and packed it in all around the sides and back of a row of units next to the gravel pit. Spring melt completely surrounded the units igniting panic in members, so the snow removal contractors hauled the snow away - away from our co-op!

What money are we saving when we paid the contractors to re-haul all the snow mounds to dump it in and around the row of units and then pay them to remove the snow once and for all?

The enhanced gravel pit now borders our kiddie park and has contaminated the entrance with massive amounts of garbage and road debris. Much of our landscaping has been destroyed, as evidence by the ripped off evergreen branches in the above photo.

There is not a private resident or a condo corporation which would allow for this sort of destruction. And here we are - our co-op has created a permanent eyesore, which keeps growing every year. It boggles the mind!

Privacy Commissioner's Report

2011-04-13T12:03:00.003-04:00

Preamble:

In 2008 we hired a lawyer to assist us in obtaining documentation from our co-op with regards to the calculation of our subsidy. Part of our concerns was the demand from the co-op for a copy of our ODSP Drug card. We asserted that the drug card had nothing whatosever to do with the calculation of our subsidy and we, therefore, refused to give the co-op a copy of same. Our lawyer agreed with our assertion and wrote the following to the co-op:

On the subject of the new Housing Charge form, we discussed on July 7th that requesting proof of prescription drug coverage is not necessary for the purpose of calculating housing charges and should not be a required document. I have discussed the new form with the Privacy Commissioner's Office and we are justified in questioning whether it conforms to the privacy law. Do you want to go ahead and readjust the form to meet privacy law requirements? If the form is left as is, I have instructions to proceed with a formal privacy complaint.

Our lawyer never did hear back from our Office Co-ordinator either by phone, fax or letter. My husband and I filed a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner's office in January, 2009.

In December, 2009 our housing co-operative wrote us the following:

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 were delighted to learn yesterday that the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has ruled in our favour. Here is the report:

Complaint under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (the Act)

1. The Complainant alleges that [co-op] ("Respondent") requires the collection of more personal information than is required to support his family's rent subsidy.

2. Specifically, he states that the Respondent has asked for a copy of the Ontario Disability Support Program Drug Card ("Drug Card") as verification of the number of people residing in his residential unit.

3. The Complainant alleges that the Drug Card does not provide the information the Respondent believes it does and it is therefore a collection of more information than is necessary. In other words, the Drug Card does not contain information about the number of people living in a residential unit.

Summary of Investigation

4. The Respondent provided submissions that it was their "duty" to obtain information for subsidy verification purposes, as part of the application process to reside in their residential co-operative.

5. The application form the Complainant was required to fill out makes reference to the need for Social Assistance Recipients to submit copies of benefits statements and dental/medical cards, as they indicate the number of household residents.

6. There are references on the application form that are outdated social assistance legislation that was replaced 12 years ago.

7. The Respondent provided an excerpt of an Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing pamphlet entitled 'Rent Geared-to-Income Handbook'. The pamphlet states that "Copies of the Notice of Assistance Stub and the Drug Benefits Eligibility Card should be used as verification for tenants/members on social assistance".

8. The pamphlet further states: "The Drug Benefits Eligibility Card identifies the number of beneficiaries in the household and the cheque stub will provide ... [further information].

9. Our investigation uncovered the fact that the pamphlet has been updated several times and the version the Respondent was relying on was out of date. Importantly, the newest version of the pamphlet makes no reference to the Drug Card, or the need to collect a copy of the card for any reason.

10. Lastly, the Respondent indicated that it was relying on the pamphlet solely based on the instructions from the Agency for Co-operative Housing (the "Agency") - not because of any legal requirement to apply the procedures in that pamphlet. The Respondent understood that the Agency had provided the instructions to collect the Drug Card from tenants.

11. However, the Agency informed us that they do not require the Respondent to collect the Drug Card. Rather, from the Agency's perspective, the Respondent must collect only information which verifies a tenant's income.

12. The Drug Card is a social benefit administered by the Ontario government. Its purpose is solely to identify to pharmacists those individuals eligible for assistance in having their medication paid for through social assistance programs. It does not provide verification of income or confirmation of the number of people in any one residence.

Application

13. In making our determinations, we applied Principles 4.4 and 4.4.1 of Schedule 1 of the Act.

14. Principle 4.4 states:

"The collection of personal information shall be limited to that which is necessary for the purposes identified by the organization. Information shall be collected by fair and lawful means."

15. Principle 4.4.1 states:

"Organizations shall not collect personal information indiscriminately. Both, the amount and the type of information collected shall be limited to that which is necessary to fulfill the purposes identified."

Findings

16. The Respondent has been operating under the misapprehension that the collection of the Drug Card was necessary to verify the number of people living in a residential unit.

17. The misapprehension appears to have arisen because of their reliance on an outdated Government of Ontario pamphlet and a misunderstand as to the instructions the Respondent received from the Agency.

18. Moreover, their application process is out-of-date in that it makes reference to out dated legislation. This suggests that the Respondent has not recently examined their application process.

19. As part of this investigation, the respondent indicated that it will cease to collect the Drug Card as part of the application process.

Conclusion

20. Accordingly, the matter is considered well-founded and resolved.

*****

The co-op is still using subsidy application forms 13 years out of date with, of course, a demand for social services drug card. The Agency, CHASEO, CHF and Office Co-ordinators will not likely be informed of the Privacy Commissioner's ruling. If our co-op does not update their subsidy application forms, we will have no choice but to apply to the Federal Court of Canada to force them to do so. The intransigence and arrogance of it all!

Findings Of Privacy Commissioner To Be Posted Soon

2011-04-12T18:29:00.001-04:00

We won our case!

Deal With It!

2011-04-05T12:47:00.002-04:00

Notice from Office - October 2010:

Editorial:*

Member/staff/board relations: A Business Point of View.

It is time to clarify [co-op's] relationship with its members. If you were renting, or in public housing you would not bring your daily problems to the directors of the company you would contact the property agent by mail or telephone (in this case 'Office Co-ordinator'). If you had a problem such as fire or crime, you would contact the appropriate emergency service. A Co-operative Housing Corporation can be no different!

Let me clarify - it is impossible to get in touch with the Office Co-ordinator. Whether one slips a letter into the mail slot, or writes her an email - the response is the same - NOTHING! The co-op's telephone voice mail is always full. She doesn't work on Fridays, leaves early on Thursday afternoon, arrives past 9:00 a.m. on the other days. When she is here - and we can only tell by turned on lights in the common room - she doesn't answer the door. So I've been wondering all the while what inspired this cryptic message.

Then I got it.

If you're tired of drug dealing in the co-op - call the cops. If you're tired of seeing trailers full of junk, piled up tires in front of units, muddy tire ruts because of double/triple parking - close your eyes. Whatever you do, DO NOT express your concerns to the Board or a Board Member and DO NOT pester the Office Co-ordinator - she's too busy.

So that leaves one thing and one thing only: 'Deal With It' in order to 'Get Over It'.

Neat!

* No one knows who writes these notices, or who the 'Editor' is.

Tweeties à la Blog

2011-04-03T19:56:00.004-04:00

No news from Office Co-ordinator re renewed subsidies which were to have been effective on April 1st - a joke?
Guns & Gang police cars are in the co-op often - close to where we live.
Snow plow contractor destroyed co-op's landscaping - a melted snow mountain now a lake surrounding a unit.

Co-opcracy

2011-03-22T08:58:00.002-04:00

A committee of our Members of Parliament have concluded that the Conservative Government is in contempt for not producing documents requested by the Opposition. This finding could lead to a vote of non confidence later this week.

Housing co-operatives are governed by the same principles as our Parliament, with a Board of Directors elected by the Members. The current jargon used by our Office Co-ordinator (in rare updates) are the terms 'transparency' and 'accountability'. We are being told that our co-op excels in these areas. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Our Office Co-ordinator has apparently been on vacation since around the 10th of March, due back tomorrow - Wednesday (leaving again early Thursday afternoon because she doesn't work on Fridays). I know this because I read a note taped on the door of the office building. Members did not receive individual notification that she was on vacation. The note indicated that if problems were to arise, members could get in touch with two Board members. This in itself could result in very unpleasant circumstances, such as being told where to go.

The co-op is extremely trashy looking - tires piled up outside units, trailers filled with junk in member's driveways, cars doubled or tripled parked on grass - the list is endless. This place has become 'tough' with a gang-like atmosphere. But that's alright with the Board of Directors, because they're filling units. I never thought that I'd ever say this, but I am embarrassed to live here.

Members complain to each other about their request for repairs being ignored, not being able to get in touch with the Office Co-ordinator, not receiving updates from the Office and having no where to turn to.

This is what we live with - a perverted twist of 'Democracy' spelled with a capital 'C'.

Japan

2011-03-12T09:28:00.002-05:00

We are one world - interconnected with one another. We hold our breath hoping that Japan is not going to face a nuclear disaster, in addition to the devastating earthquake and Tsunami. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Japan.

Betwixt and Between

2011-03-06T10:18:00.008-05:00

The Conundrum

On this wet, blustery and snowy weekend, I'd love to hunker down in a place we could call 'home'. Home is where you feel comfortable, where you know every nook and cranny and allow the walls to envelope and embrace you. A fireplace would be nice, as well as a gorgeous view of the ocean, or a lake. Add to that a project and I'd be all set.

I tried that this weekend, minus the fireplace and the ocean and so far, my quilting project hasn't been going so well. But the thing that kept nagging me was the co-op. The darn co-op! What would it be like to not be affected by where I live?

I'd rather not be reminded of All Members Meetings, or be beholden to the co-op in any way. On the other hand to protect ourselves, it is necessary to attend at least some of these meetings to keep abreast of what is transpiring in the co-op.

Spring will soon be upon us. People we haven't seen all winter will be coming out of hibernation. One upside of gossip in the co-op is that it can be our source of news. On the other hand, it can exacerbate anxiety with the resultant effect of keeping one inside their unit.

Should We Stay, or Should We Go?

We're so used to co-op living - that is all that we've known since living in rent-geared-to-income housing. We feel closely connected to where we live - grassroots so to speak. It would feel strange paying rent to a landlord, but in a way, that is what the co-op has become. We do have unit upgrades, which I'm sure is a tad better than in city run non-profit housing and we're not infested to my knowledge with cockroaches and other vermin. There used to be a comfort zone living in a co-op - a certain 'ownership'. That feeling of belonging is no more. Should we apply to city run non-profit housing? We are contemplating just that. That would be a sad commentary on co-op living.

The Switch

2011-02-24T09:27:00.008-05:00

A part of the history of this co-op not to be forgotten:

A previous Office Co-ordinator assigned a 2-bedroom unit in Phase II of this co-op to a member. The member was in the process of cleaning the unit, when the Office Co-ordinator informed her that she had changed her mind and was going to rent the unit to someone else. The Office Co-ordinator then assigned her a 2-bedroom unit in Phase I. The excuse was that a single person could not occupy a 2-bedroom in Phase II. We have no 1-bedroom units in this co-op. This sounded absolutely preposterous and so we began to investigate. The Ministry of Housing's half-hearted response to my letter was that it would make better use of the housing stock. I wrote back and said how could this be in light of the fact that the co-op was transferring a member from a 2-bedroom unit to a 2-bedroom unit, incurring maintenance costs as well. To substantiate her first decision, the Office Co-ordinator took it upon herself to transfer two other single member households from 2-bedroom units in Phase II to 2-bedroom units in Phase I. In order to placate one member, the Office Co-ordinator had the unit in Phase I upgraded with new linoleum and thickly padded wall-to-wall carpeting. After the switching of these units, the Office Co-ordinator produced a letter to the Board of Directors indicating that she was so stressed out she could no longer work and demanded a $40,000. buy out. The Board of Directors promptly agreed and immediately issued her a $40,000. cheque without the consent of the membership.

The ink had barely dried on the cheque when the Office Co-ordinator started her new job at another co-op the following week. The President of the co-op shortly thereafter bought a house and moved out.

A new Board member soon after found documentation in the office which confirmed our assertion that the transferring of members from a 2-bedroom unit in Phase II to a 2-bedroom unit in Phase I had been a scam from the start - a contrivance by the Office Co-ordinator to give the 2-bedroom unit in Phase II to a 'preferred' member.

Single people are once again peacefully occupying 2-bedroom units in Phase II. The corruption on the part of the Office Co-ordinator and the Board member has never been resolved. My husband, who sat on the new Board of Directors, was advised by a lawyer that it would cost the co-op more to pursue reclaiming the money from the Office Co-ordinator than the buy out itself. The matter was dropped.

Housing Charge Assistance Renewal

2011-02-17T11:54:00.004-05:00

Our letter to the Office Co-ordinator & Board of Directors:

_____

Enclosed please find our Housing Charge Assistance Renewal Application, Family Composition & Income Verification Housing Charge Supplement and Service Canada documents regarding our income.

I would like to point out the following:

1. A question on the Family Composition & Income Verification Housing Charge Supplement asks whether the member has over $2,000.00 in their bank account. If we had more than $2,000.00 in our bank account, would we be denied a subsidy? If so, and here is the crucial point, what is the legislation governing your demand? How would you know if we had over $2,000.00 in our bank account? We’re certainly not giving you permission to peer into our bank account.

2. You have failed once again to provide members requiring a subsidy a list of Exemptions - money NOT TO BE INCLUDED as income. This knowledge is vital for subsidized members to secure their rights.

3. ‘Social Assistance Recipients must submit copies of FBA/GWA Profile (Benefits Statement) and dental/medical cards as they indicate the number of household residents’. Family Benefits was disbanded in 1998. The drug card does NOT indicate how many people are in the household. All the drug card does is indicate how many people are on the drug card. When a child turns 18 yrs. old, they no longer receive a drug card, but can remain on the benefit unit. Please update the co-op’s forms as previously requested by our lawyer.

4. Members on ODSP/OW are paying over 50% of their income for their housing charge. This does not include their utilities. We are now in receipt of OAS, receive approximately $600.00 more each month, and we pay less in housing charges.*

Please provide us with a copy of the legislation you are using to administer housing charge assistance.

Yours truly,

_____

* The co-op is deliberately pilfering the pockets of those on ODSP/OW. If the member falls into arrears, social services will pick up the tab - no questions asked. A perfect scam!

The Key

2011-02-17T09:14:00.004-05:00

At last we received a key for the Office Bldg., so that we might have access to the washer/dryer. We had emailed the Office Co-ordinator on February 9th and again yesterday, February 16th, requesting same. This is in addition to asking for a key last summer.

The co-op is owned by the members. The washers and dryers belong to the members. Using the washers and dryers brings money into the co-op coffers. Why had our previous requests been ignored? It is so strange to have been denied access to the Office Bldg., in light of the fact that I was Chairperson of the Maintenance Committee for 3 years, co-chair for 2 years, was the Secretary of the Maintenance Committee prior to these posts, was the Secretary of the Finance Committee for a time, was the Unit Inspection Co-ordinator for many years and did a stint as a Board Member. I've done thousands of unit inspections, met with dozens of contractors, in fact, I did most of the Office Co-ordinator's job. I practically lived in the Office Bldg. Is receiving the key progress in our attempts to communicate with the office? We'll see.

MOVE!

2011-02-11T16:41:00.006-05:00

Last year at the All Members Meeting, before the semi-take over of our co-op, a member passionately expressed his opinion about the well-being of members. The representative of The Agency looked at this man and said, 'Perhaps a co-op isn't for you'. This representative was put in her place by another member of this co-op, who responded by emphatically stating that this member will be here long after the representative of The Agency. Since then members have been told by the outside Board members to 'move out'. Is not a co-op 'for the members and by the members'? How did co-op living get so twisted?

Where to move to? For subsidized members, a move is next to impossible as The Registry's waiting list is over a decade long. I'd like to explore this topic in more depth. I've been busy lately with other matters, but what is apparent is that the dysfunction in housing co-ops lies with The Agency and trickles down to the local co-operative agencies. Members will move out on their own accord - not as a result of being bullied.

Omissions & Exceptions

2011-02-02T08:43:00.008-05:00

Subsidized members received their renewal applications for Housing Charge Assistance and as usual, a list of exemption income was not included. Members receiving the same source of income have been (and are) assessed differently. This is Omission by Design. The co-op consistently, and knowingly, overcharges subsidized members.

By the same token members also received a fact sheet to update their files. The information requested includes whether or not a member has a second parking space. A member's large, unsightly wooden trailer chock-a-block full of garbage, however, will continue to grace his driveway, as will his SUV, which is now parked on the roadway - a fire lane. This is an Exception by Design.

Omissions & Exceptions . . .

RING RING

2011-01-29T14:29:00.006-05:00

Me:
Hello ...

Co-op's President:
Hi B., it's __. Did you know that you are in arrears for $l,060.00?

Me:
We're in arrears? For what?

Co-op President:
Arrears of Housing Charges . . . but don't worry the Board will waive your arrears.

That conversation happened in May, 2007. Now here's the background to our fictitious arrears. In July, 2005 we had requested a breakdown of the Shelter Component variables from ODSP. ODSP informed us in writing that ... "There are no specific components (breakdowns) like you were requesting on your letter". ODSP gave us a maximum of $729.00 for rent and utilities. They didn't give a whit about how it was broken down.

I, therefore, wrote the co-op informing them of this fact and submitted a cheque to them for our housing charge. Instead of submitting three or six post-dated cheques to the co-op, I dropped off a cheque for each month fully believing that the co-op would provide us with a subsidy confirmation. At one point I asked the Office Co-ordinator if our subsidy had been verified, she stated that it had been handed over to CMHC. Again we waited. Unbeknownst to us, the Office Co-ordinator had been putting us in arrears, but never informed us in writing, or otherwise.

And then came the phone call - two years later!

Well, the same thing seems to be happening again. I've been calculating our housing charge for Three (3) months now in light of the fact that our source of income has changed and the co-op has not yet recalculated our subsidy. Not to worry though. The Office Co-ordinator has just advised me that subsidies will be recalculated effective April 1st and if there's a credit, we will be credited, if there is a shortfall, the Office Co-ordinator's stance is that it should be waived.

I just hope the phone doesn't ring.

Warmth

2011-01-23T12:05:00.002-05:00

I developed Achilles Tendinitis in both feet during our move to this unit and it has worsened over the past two months. I am undergoing physio therapy and must rest my feet. It's a perfect time to quilt and plan for my next quilt. Creativity warms the insides and is a wonderful renewal project. What a beautiful thing to do on such a chilly day.

Inequities

2011-01-20T09:18:00.006-05:00

There is a rationale behind my blogs, albeit a frustrating one. There is nowhere for members to turn to for help, so I write. Our community legal clinic won't represent members, because co-ops are supposedly democratic entities and any problems incurred should, therefore, be dealt with by our Boards of Directors. Legal Aid only funds criminal, immigration and family law - no civil suits. With new eviction legislation coming on stream in the co-op sector, members' rights will be non-existent. I've coined this 'Turnstile Evictions' - it will just be a case of rubber stamping eviction notices. No need for appeals by members, no costly legal suits for co-ops to contend with. When I write my blog, I use my own personal experiences, but in essence, my blog also conveys what other people are going through in this co-op.

Most particularly grating is the fact that some subsidized members are paying over 50% of their income for their housing charges and that doesn't include utilities. It doesn't matter how outrageously wrong a subsidy has been calculated, the Board of Directors is always right. A Board of Directors will never admit that it has erred or has acted inappropriately, there's no need to, because there is no accountability requirement to do so.

Our co-op used to be the bedroom community for the co-op sector's movers and shakers; that is until they earned enough money to buy their own homes. The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF) and their ilk have very secure funding with virtually no oversight. CMHC has downloaded Federal co-ops in PEI, Ontario, Alberta and B.C. to The Agency for Co-operative Housing (The Agency). These employees take care of each other, often moving from branch to branch. Office Co-ordinators are rarely fired, they are merely transferred to other co-ops, so they too are very secure in their jobs. The co-op movement is a pyramid-type arrangement - those at the top of the heap set their lucrative salaries and then there are the very well paid Office Co-ordinators, (now elevated to the status of Property Managers). 'Property Managers' and the term 'Good Governance' are synonymous with each other. The co-op sector proclaims that they only hire the best and this establishes the sector as being credible at the local, provincial and federal levels of government. It's a rather incestuous affair to say the least - and virtually impenetrable.

The Board of Directors is the next level down. Board members very often receive special perks, such as unit modifications or transfers, with subsidies, to other co-ops. If you are on a Board of Directors, you are safe from persecution. If you are not on the Board, you are extremely vulnerable. Board members, without conscience, have attempted to evict members for the same reasons they themselves once contested.

Members are at the bottom of the heap. I once read Dr. Seuss' Yertle The Turtle to Board Members. Here's an extract from the Wikipedia article:

The titular story revolves around a Yertle the Turtle, the king of the pond. Unsatisfied with the stone that serves as his throne, he commands the other turtles to stack themselves beneath him so that he can see further and expand his kingdom. However, the stacked turtles are in pain and Mack, the turtle at the very bottom of the pile, is suffering the most. Mack asks Yertle for a respite, but Yertle just tells him to shut up. Then Yertle decides to expand his kingdom and commands more and more turtles to add to his throne. Mack makes a second request for a respite because the increased weight is now causing extreme pain to the turtles at the bottom of the pile. Again Yertle yells at Mack to shut up. Then Yertle notices the moon rising above him as the night approaches. Furious that something "dares to be higher than Yertle the King", he decides to call for even more turtles in an attempt to rise above it. However, before he can give the command, Mack decides he has had enough. He burps, shaking the stack of turtles and tossing Yertle off into the mud, leaving him "King of the Mud" and freeing the others.

Members are the peons, without power and most often, without a voice, even though they are co-owners of their co-ops. It's how you play the game in co-op living that is the reality. And that is not democratic, nor is it equitable.

$98,019.00

2011-01-19T09:30:00.006-05:00

Financial Statements generally are difficult to decipher for many of us. In the past maintenance budget lines were clearly delineated. One could see at a glance what we were paying for new flooring, interior painting, etc. Included in that budget were our maintenance contractor's fees. We've only had one staff member over the years and that was (is) the Office Co-ordinator. So, it came as a shock to me to see that $98,019.00 was budgeted for 'Salaries and benefits' for 2010. What on earth does this mean? Is this the Office Co-ordinator's salary, or are our maintenance contractor's fees included in this figure? A figure of $135,229 is budgeted under 'Maintenance - grounds and units'. What does this cover? Are the maintenance contractor's fees included in this line? Flooring, appliances and furnaces are included under Capital Expenses. Are we, therefore, paying $135,229.00 solely for our maintenance man's fees? If so, the $98,019.00 would be the Office Co-ordinator's salary. There are other veiled entries in the Financial Statements. Members will never know, for instance, where the budget line is for the numerous long distance taxi fares our Office Co-ordinator incurs.

What is clear is our Vacancy Loss for 2010 - $80,035.00, down from $122,196.00 for 2009. Perhaps some of that $98,019.00 should be re-allocated to repair units, in order to cut our vacancy losses.

Timeline

2011-01-16T11:50:00.004-05:00

The office distributed a newsletter simply dated 'November' to the members, wherein we were notified that our water heaters would be replaced from January 3rd, 2011 to January 24th, 2011. No details were provided to the members as to the rental costs, contract details or the EnerGuide ratings of these water heaters.

I emailed the office on November 19th informing the co-op that water heater rentals had nothing whatsoever to do with the co-op; that it was a private arrangement between Direct Energy and the individual members and that the co-op does not keep records in this regard. I emailed the office again on November 22nd informing them of the door-to-door scams reported on the news, whereby people ended up paying triple their rental costs and a $1200. fee to the new contractor if they wanted to opt out of the contract.

Apparently, this instigated a few emails back and forth between our outside Board member and the new contractor. On November 23rd the contractor emailed the Board member addressing some of her concerns (rental costs, contracts, etc.). This is clear evidence that the Board of Directors had not done any research at all prior to hiring the new contractors. It was only after my emails and feedback from irate members did the Board of Directors begin to negotiate and confirm with the contractor the details of the contract. And guess what? Miraculously, the rental rate came in $1.00 under what the members are presently paying to their present contractor. Pretty sneaky management on the part of our Board of Directors. From now on we shall rightfully refer to them as the 'Teflon Board'.

We Know What's Best - GODDAMMIT!

2011-01-09T12:00:00.005-05:00

Notice from Office:

OUR CONTRACTOR, _____, HAS COMMENCED WATER HEATER REPLACEMENTS AND HAS ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTIES WITH MEMBERS INDICATING THEY WERE NOT AWARE THIS WAS OCCURRING AND QUESTIONING THE REASONING BEHIND THE BOARD'S DECISION TO IMPLEMENT SAME.

INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE LETTER OF PROPOSAL WHICH WAS FULLY AND CAREFULLY CONSIDERED BY YOUR BOARD IN MAKING THIS DECISION FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE CO-OP AND MEMBERS.

The housing co-operative has never had anything to do with members' water heaters since the inception of this co-op. The contract is between the members and Enbridge Gas and now Direct Energy. If one were to encounter water leakage, or rusty water from their tank, they'd call Enbridge or Direct Energy and have their water heater replaced - for free. No records have ever been kept by the co-op with regards to the replacement of these water heaters.

Dozens of water heaters have been changed in this co-op, some as recently as last month. Ours was changed two years ago and then the unit sat empty for over a year. The competitor company which has garnered the contract with our co-op has vouched that they will return members' current hot water tanks to Direct Energy. Really? How environmentally friendly is it to remove a water heater with the same EnerGuide rating as the one this company is installing and what is really happening with the tanks they're removing?

The co-op has not provided a detailed schedule to the members for water heater replacement and seeing that the co-op has also provided keys to these contractors, they can enter units willy-nilly. Some members have large dogs and this poses a danger to the contractors. Conversely, with the doors left wide open to allow for passage of these water heaters, family pets will be let loose. Members have not been consulted about the bulk removal of our water heaters, nor have they been shown any respect or consideration as to the process involved.

This sudden 'caring' on the part of the co-op management for its members' well-being is rather suspicious. For the most part correspondence with the office is rarely acknowledged, work order repairs in units are non-existent, if you are locked out, or have a flood in your basement, you are on your own. So why now? Is the co-op getting a kickback from the company, or a tax credit of some kind? The co-op is forcing members to sign up with a contractor not of their choice and any benefit accruing from same will not go to the members.

We have said 'NO' to having our hot water heater replaced and BRAVO to other members who are also speaking up.

The Unit

2010-12-03T09:50:00.010-05:00

GAP ON BASEMENT STAIR LANDING

ANYONE HOME?

Imagine yourself running in a meadow on a beautiful sunny day, arms outstretched joyfully soaring like an eagle, tilting sideways one way, then the other. Well, that's the way it is here, except that we're not in a meadow and we're not exactly joyful. Our unit, you see, is sinking.

One can eyeball a perfect example of this by sitting in the living room and looking into the doorway of the kitchen and then the hallway with a wall partition in between. Both areas of the floor dip dangerously towards each other by several inches. The arches of the doorways follow suit. Walking can be a challenge, especially in stocking feet. It's difficult to get a grip to walk 'up' the floor angles. And it doesn't stop there. Just when you think you've got the knack, the kitchen floor dips down in the other direction towards the outer wall and slip sliding you go.

The hallway on the upper floor also slants towards the middle. When we use the washroom at night, we have to take extra precautions. In order to balance our 'balance,' we brace ourselves with the half wall and cling tightly to the other in order not to fall down a flight of stairs. Then as we continue to live in this 'Crazy Kitchen'* we notice that there is not a straight wall in this place. The window frames warp down into deep curves, walls are also curved, the kitchen counter dips down on either side, kitchen cupboards are slanted and what's really disconcerting is that it appears to be sinking more on a daily basis. So much for the building consultant's expertise!

The basement cracks which the maintenance man painted over are revealing themselves again in all their glory. The efflorescence has been flaking off leaving huge pitting (spalling) damage in the concrete. The humidity in this unit is very high sometimes going up to over 95%. With the heat being on, the humidity is now reading between 70% - 80%. In the springtime and summer though it will soar back up into the 90% range. Indoor humidity should be between 30% - 50%. The unit is uninhabitable as is.

We had disconcerting incidents of being dripped on when we used the upstairs toilet. When we investigated, a torrent of water came pouring through the fan cut out in the ceiling. I wrote the Office Co-ordinator on November 16th reporting this water leak and also enclosing photos of unit deficiencies, like the ones above shown. She wrote back and said that she'll have to take our concerns to the Board of Directors.** To date we have heard nothing.

Also of note, the platform we step onto to descend into the basement is detached. It's just propped up on the posts below. We can see clear down to the basement. It's kind of like stepping out into thin air. Where will I land?

Our kitchen linoleum has huge air pockets all over and the seams are lifting. The maintenance man has seen this three times. Each time he has stated that he'll bring in the contractor - to no avail. I subsequently tracked down the contractor who was working in another unit. He came by and said that he'd return the following week to fix the problem. I told him that the unit had been unoccupied for a very long time. He said that it had been too cold in this unit for the glue to stick. He, too, has not returned.

In my email of November 16th, I also reported smelling sewer gases, as did my neighbour. I notified the co-op that it is the co-op's responsibility to clean out the sewer lines from each unit out to the main roadway. 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. I asked the co-op to install a one-way valve in our basement. To date we have heard nothing back from the co-op. We have installed our own one-way valve.

We are arranging our belongings and trying to call this place 'home', but it is not home, it's a warehouse. We are being merely being stored until next Spring, when, the Co-ordinator has warned, we'll be reassessed once again.

* Museum of Science & Technology gravity exhibit.
** Members have been notified by 'The Editor' (name unknown) not to bother the Board of Directors; that our Office Co-ordinator is the person in charge.

Illegal Meeting!

2010-12-01T09:09:00.008-05:00

The All Members Meeting held on November 9, 2010 had no quorum, so another AMM was held last night. A scattering of members showed up - no quorum again. Not to worry though, because the outside Board Member promptly declared a quorum. She emphatically stated that The Co-operative Corporations Act R.S.O. 1990 stated that a quorum of 10% of the members was all that was needed.

The Co-operative Corporations Act says NOTHING at all about this. The only thing that is mentioned under the heading 'Quorum' refers to Directors being present at their own Board meetings.

Where the 10% quorum is mentioned is in our By-laws:

3.9 ...If a quorum is not present at the adjourned meeting within one hour of the time for which the meeting was called, then the quorum for the adjourned meeting shall be reduced to ten percent of the members entitled to vote and the business and motions to be considered by the meeting shall be limited to those referred to in the notice given under 3.07.

The Board did not wait for one hour before reducing the quorum to 10%. They immediately called the meeting to order citing the 'non-existent clause' in The Co-operative Corporations Act. There is NOTHING in The Co-operative Corporations Act which gives a Director the explicit right to make things up. We have been lied to once again!

What Is Missing In This By-law?

2010-11-23T09:25:00.007-05:00

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.

What is missing in this By-law is the fact that our By-laws were NOT suspended. The only action that this By-law incurs is to bring in an outside Board of Directors. Note the words: 'If there is any conflict or inconsistency, this By-law governs'. If our By-laws were suspended, there could not possibly be any 'conflict or inconsistency'.

The rest of By-law No. 31 deals with the effective date of the By-law, authorization to borrow and sign agreements, replacement of non-resident Directors, qualifications to be a Director, etc.

Board Report

2010-11-21T10:49:00.006-05:00

Staff and Board Members are back to work
Over-housed subsidized residents have been relocated.

That's us! Yup, the Board is now back to work after dealing with US. Now isn't the Board very busy. Nothing like broadcasting the news that the trouble makers have been relocated, and, of course, we're the only overhoused members in the co-op!

Let me respond to their attempt at humiliating us.

While we may have been 'relocated',

We have not, as yet, been 'Re-purposed'.

To reiterate. The Occupancy Standards in this co-op apply to full fee and subsidized members alike. There is no differentiation between the two. If we were to have 13 other people living in our unit, it would not be permitted, same applies to full fee members. The units are all subsidized - below market rent. Overhoused full fee members should also downsize to allow for larger families to move in - affordable housing is a tight commodity.

This announcement by the Office Co-ordinator goes against our Privacy Policy and has branded us as less deserving than full-fee members. Now when I rake the lawn I feel exposed to the world as if I'm wearing an coloured arm band denoting my ranking in this co-op. And to top it all off, it was done on purpose.

The World's Longest Move

2010-11-20T10:01:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm back - sort of. I feel discombobulated, alienated from my familiar surroundings and partitioned off from Phase I of our co-op. How disconcerting that is. How to reintegrate myself - that's the question. I think it's happening little by little. Our pictures are now hung, the bathroom ceramic floor still needs scrubbing, but I've been able to knit a few dishcloths in my micro-creative moments. Raking leaves and picking up garbage around my unit has been therapeutic and fun as two other members were as equally enthusiastic in cleaning up this place.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank a wonderful neighbour and friend who cooked scrumptious meals and tasty desserts for my family for two weeks during our move. Not only was the food delicious, but we also savoured the complete generosity of our friend. Food is not only a tummy-filling commodity, but eating food made with love also warms the soul and our table discussions conveyed that.

I'll soon be commenting on the co-op's management style - a must as one must stay attuned and speak up when necessary.

The Volunteer

2010-08-31T20:19:00.011-04:00

Today my husband and I saw Unit __, but only in the presence of our Office Co-ordinator, a Board member, our maintenance man, his son, and a new contractor - a building inspector. I was not allowed into the unit myself, as the Office Co-ordinator stated that due to our concerns with the basement and other issues, it would be best to have all these people present. I wrote the Office Co-ordinator and stated that given all that my husband and I have been through in this co-op, it is evident that the co-op does not care two whits about our 'concerns'.

I kept being reminded, prodded and scolded that we were there just to look at the basement. The maintenance man seemed perplexed as to what to do with the broken vegetable bin I pulled out of the refrigerator. I heard him mumbling about having to order another.

But the biggest visual was not the basement, but the outside Board member, yanking off a black garbage bag apron covering her white semi-office attire. Yes - she had arrived maybe fifteen minutes before us, saw the toxic waste dump site yard, and right then and there, decided to mow and hack the gigantic weeds down with a weedeater - in her high heel shoes - unbeknownst to the newly hired housing inspector. By the time we all stood on the somewhat rotten deck, the outside Board member proclaimed that she volunteered like this in 'many' co-ops. She then went on to ask our Office Co-ordinator how many volunteers have helped her, whereupon our Office Co-ordinator promptly replied that in the two years she's been here, that no one has come forward to help. OH, the shame of it all! The outside Board member obviously failed to take note that when the semi-takeover of our co-op happened last summer, our committees were disbanded. Here, I'd like to point out that our Office Co-ordinator earns $62,000.00 a year, plus benefits, for work which she does not do.

The yard, the outside Board member commented, was 'not a problem' - that she could get volunteers in here to rehabilitate it in a flash. Count on those high school students who need volunteer hours, for example. I rather doubt that this Board member is as altruistic as she says she is. Rather, she is scoring brownie points as she climbs the co-op sector ladder and is honing her controlling skills carte blanche. She knew absolutely everything that one needed to know about co-op living - volunteerism, maintenance and how to dish out sarcastic jabs and put downs. She knows what's best for us!

The basement? The building inspector looked at the white walls in the basement and commented that if there was mold, one would see a 'dusting' of black mold around the top edges of the dry wall. 'They were painted in March', I said. I didn't get a chance to inspect the basement floor slab, other than to show the inspector photos I took of the unpainted floor. He didn't comment on the water stains evident in the photos, but did utter a big 'OH-H-H'. When the basement door was opened a dank, nostril-searing pungent mold odour cut into my lungs. 'It's nice and cool in here', uttered the building inspector. Not a word about the pungent lung-collapsing odour.

He stated that the unit looked like it was in good condition. I stated that repairs were only done to the unit after I had sent the Board and the Office Co-ordinator photos of the deficiencies. I pointed out the new upstairs bathroom sink as an example. The Office Co-ordinator then said, 'Oh did we change that?' This confirms to me that she does not have a clue as to what she is doing - nor cares.

The building inspector, while standing in the living room, commented that it appeared that the unit had good insulation, implying that this would be found throughout the co-op. 'You'll see', I said, at which point the Office Co-ordinator tried to shut me up. He asked the maintenance man if he found insulation to be in place when he changed windows. The maintenance man said yes. I interjected, 'Ah, but we have rotten windows - in fact, we've had rotten windows just plain fall out.' I told the gentleman that our entire window frame had been eaten away by army ants, whereupon the Office Co-ordinator tried to put the clamps on me. The outside Board member struggled to look busy with her cell phone in a Holier Than Thou manner. The Office Co-ordinator jumped on board to let me know who was in command.

I managed to get an opinion from the Building Inspector regarding the gouges, scratches and scrapes of the oak parquet living room floor, which was also devoid of varnish throughout. He said that the floor could certainly be refinished, at which point our Office Co-ordinator burst out, while taking refuge in the kitchen: 'Anything you say __, I'll do what you say'. This was said in a most frustrated, angry fashion as refinishing the floor has been a contentious point between the Board, herself and us. In fact, we were told in no uncertain terms at a Board meeting, that the floor would not be refinished as it was 'BEAUTIFUL' - with emphasis.

So, how do I rank as someone who is listened to in this co-op? All the volunteer work I have done over the years has absolutely no value at all. All our letters we've written to the co-op about our concerns regarding this unit have been ridiculed. Today I volunteered my expertise with regards to maintenance of units in Phase I and Phase II of this co-op and was treated with utter contempt and ignorance - to the point of being annihilated as a person and as member.

We were treated like children by a know-it-all outside Board Member and a completely dysfunctional Office Co-ordinator, who time and time again is proving to be one gigantic liability to this co-op.

The Lucifer Effect

2010-08-24T14:08:00.005-04:00

How the co-op has transformed itself:

*****

The Lucifer Effect
http://www.lucifereffect.com/lucifer.htm

Who was Lucifer and how did he become the Devil?

The “Lucifer Effect” describes the point in time when an ordinary, normal person first crosses the boundary between good and evil to engage in an evil action. It represents a transformation of human character that is significant in its consequences. Such transformations are more likely to occur in novel settings, in “total situations,” where social situational forces are sufficiently powerful to overwhelm, or set aside temporally, personal attributes of morality, compassion, or sense of justice and fair play.

Evil is the exercise of power to intentionally harm (psychologically), hurt (physically), or destroy (mortally or spiritually) others.

According to various scenarios of early Christian Church Fathers (from Cyprus, Armenia, Greece, and France), Lucifer was god’s favorite angel, referred to as the “Morning Star,” as “Light,” as the “Prince of the Power of Air,” or of the Atmosphere. His sin, and the origin of his transformation into the Devil, stems from his envy of man and disobedience to God. Lucifer resented God’s command that all of the angels should worship the image of God in the newly created Adam. When Archangel Michael ordered all angels to worship this image of God, Jehovah, Lucifer refused. Allegedly, he said, “ I will not worship one inferior and subsequent to me. I am prior to him in creation. Before he was made, I was already made. He ought to worship me.” Other angels subordinate to Lucifer similarly refused to obey this command despite Michael’s warning that God will be wrathful with them. Apparently a cosmic battle ensued in which Michael’s legions ousted Lucifer’s and the fallen angels were cast out of heaven into Hell (paradoxically to a place created by God.) Lucifer is transformed into Satan, the Devil, following his fall from grace. The Devil then plans revenge against Adam to expose his weakness of spirit. He blames Adam for being sent out from the glory of heaven, expelled into the world, “…we were pained to see you in such bliss of delights [in Paradise]. So with deceit I assailed your wife [Eve] and made you to be expelled through her from the joys of your bliss, as I have been expelled from my glory.”

Thus, “The Lucifer Effect” represents this most extreme transformation imaginable from God’s favorite Angel into the Devil. My work has focused on lesser transformations of human character not as dramatic as this one, in which ordinary, even good people begin to engage in bad deeds, for a short time or longer, that qualify as “evil.”

THIS UNIT HAS ...

2010-08-11T20:26:00.007-04:00

...NO LEAKS!

COLLUSION

2010-08-03T08:50:00.010-04:00

Cover-up Painting of the Basement Floor

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 no 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)

I was Chairperson of the Maintenance Committee for three years and co-Chair for two. Prior to that I was Unit Inspection Co-ordinator for three years and I've done at least 1,000 inspections in this co-op. I have NEVER seen a concocted report like the one above quoted. CMHC, The Agency and the co-op got the report that they wanted.

We notified the co-op yesterday that we will take Unit __ under protest, in light of the fact that the building inspector ignored the photographic evidence which we provided him with. The co-op is blackmailing us: Take the unit, or lose your subsidy. We will proceed to take action against the co-op by way of a Human Rights action and/or litigation.

The previous resident(s) in Unit __ did not live in the unit for six years. They lived there for approximately 18 months. Then the unit sat empty for another 6 months.

What Leaks?

2010-07-24T09:24:00.010-04:00

My husband's letter to the inspector:

19 July 2010

Dear Mr. __:

We have just now received a copy of your report for __ Housing Cooperative Inc regarding the the foundation of Unit __. Given that you apparently did not have benefit of all the facts, we ask you consider the following.

We note that your report does not mention the evidence of water intrusion through the unpainted concrete basement floor slab as evidenced by the photographs emailed to you by [my wife] on 21 June 2010. Other photographs included in that email show that the floor was painted some time after the first photos were taken & efflorescence is clearly visible under the paint. You stated in your report that the floor paint was bubbling and peeling revealing the efflorescence underneath. Of course the paint will peel where the cracks are. The floor was painted over wet cracks. When we store our belongings in the basement, the continued moisture problems will create mold. And it will just get worse.

Note also, that Unit __ has been unoccupied since mid 2009. The previous occupants lived there for about 18 months, not the 6 years as stated in the report. Note, also, that the previous members apparently did not experience any problems with water intrusion or a wet floor. Given the evidence of a wet floor obvious in the photos sent to you & to CMHC by [my wife], the question then arises of when it first appeared & why?

The Coop incurred a vacancy loss of some $5000- while Unit __ remained unoccupied for some 6 months prior to being offered to us. Had the Coop acted on our explicit concerns about the basement when we first mentioned them - Dec 2009 / Jan 2010 - it would not have incurred an additional $6000- vacancy loss. Even modestly competent property management would have had the unit rented out as soon as possible after it was last occupied. The question remains - why was the unit left unoccupied for so long, at such a cost? The answer is obvious: The co-op knew all along that the basement had active water intrusion and were waiting for it to dry out. When was this particular sump pump installed in the unit?

The report does not mention the evidence that was provided to you, the Coop & CMHC, ie photos of wet patches, cracks & efflorescence on an unpainted basement concrete floor. The report reflects only incorrect & incomplete evidence provided by the Coop. Additionally, your report does not reflect any of the evidence & warnings about such problems as it appears on CMHCs own web site, in addition to any number of similar sites on foundation problems.

In conclusion, the report does not satisfy our concerns with respect to the health, safety & property damage hazards presented by the wet floor we viewed & photographed in the basement of __. We are writing to our insurers to ask their opinion with regard to this matter.

Thank you for you consideration of the above. We request & look forward to receiving your reply.

*****

Office Co-ordinator's email to us:

Hi __ and __:

I just accessed your e-mail to the Engineer retained at your request. I would like to respond to a couple of your points given your pointed remarks about the "property manager". I will do so on my return from much needed holidays.

However, I would like to suggest that this Board has taken all steps to ensure that ALL of your concerns have been addressed, at Co-op time and expense. Personally, the Co-ordinator has spent countless hours dealing with Engineers, maintenance staff, CERA, your lawyer(s), and other government agencies enlisted to act on your behalf. An entire Board meeting was devoted to your unit. I can only re-iterate that you were quite abusive to our VOLUNTEER Board members at that meeting. I can only suggest that the Co-op has done everything to address your concerns regarding this move, and can only come to the conclusion that you simply do not want to move.

I cannot speak for the Board of __, but I am at a loss to see what else can be done to satisfy your demands.

Thank you,

Today I Saw ...

2010-07-21T20:19:00.004-04:00

A drug deal go down. I was going down to the outer edge of the co-op to see if I could get a clear passage out back to see the back of a unit which I believe is becoming available. And right before my eyes, the druggies, one short Somalian dealer with dyed orange hair, was counting his wad of money, the other a skinny white kid, car waiting with a chick behind the wheel. Not a care in the world - doing everything in the open. This was kitty corner to the unit we were being ordered to move into.

I remember saying to the Office Co-ordinator that I didn't think it was a good idea to move into a unit with so much gang activity around it. She said: 'Don't worry, nothing will happen - we have a Police Officer living in the co-op now'.

Think I'll dub this row 'Drug Dealer Alley'.

Hidden Agenda

2010-07-21T17:22:00.003-04:00

We were apprised by an inside source that the Board has a hidden agenda for us. We've known this for quite awhile, but it didn't become quite clear to me until now exactly what it was.

The Board knows and we know that there is a problem with this 'unit'. The Board knew that we wouldn't take the unit and refused to show us another. They fed the inspector disinformation about the history of the unit and got the inspection report they wanted - their ammunition if you will. If the inspection had been an honest one and the problem fixed we would have moved. But that wasn't what the Board wanted.

We will not move into that unit because of the high humidity level, basement leaks and inevitable mold growth. The Board will then retract our subsidy and we will get kicked out of this co-op.

What a sick, sick place!

OUTRAGE!!

2010-07-21T13:56:00.002-04:00

There is nothing that makes my blood boil faster that an outside Board member lying about my husband, saying that the reason why she kicked him out of the Board meeting was because he was shouting at her, yelling and being belligerent. These people are corrupt to the bone! This lie was revealed to me by an advocate working on our behalf.

The Office Co-ordinator also fed the 'expert', who inspected the leaky basement, misinformation about the history of the unit. The previous member had not lived in the unit for 6 years, they had lived in the unit for approx. 18 months. Then the unit sat empty for at least 6 months. The inspector's words:

We understand the previous occupants of Townhouse no. __, resident for six years, had not experienced water penetration into the basement. Nevertheless, Mrs. XX (me) wrote in her email to CMHC that there is active water leakage, potential for electrocution, mould growth, etc.

That is akin to saying before the BP well explosion in the Gulf, there was no oil leak. No kidding. Like maybe it happened after the explosion?

The inspector completely ignored the photos I sent him. Instead he photographed bubbling paint showing efflorescence underneath and exclaimed that it was dry. Of course the white powdery stuff is dry. Peel away the paint inside the rim of the efflorescence and you'd see and feel the wet surface.

The report stated that the sump pump water level was quite low in light of the fact that it had been a dry summer. Then they rushed back into the unit after a thunderstorm which ended the heat wave and lo and behold the water in the sump was a bit higher. AND the unit hadn't leaked. WOW!

The report skirted around issues quite nicely to give the co-op what they wanted to hear. Perhaps an honest report would have been better - one which would have examined the weeping tile system around the unit. Weeping tile drainage systems get plugged. In that case most water wouldn't reach the sump pump, it would come up through the floor slab.

This is a malicious, disgusting and vile co-op.

The Parting Shot

2010-07-19T16:04:00.006-04:00

Sure enough the parting shot came today. The Office Co-ordinator sent us a letter ordering us to move into the unit with the leaky basement and enclosing the report of the 'expert' who inspected the basement. The expert did not mention 'water' clearly evidenced in the photos we sent him, but merely that the paint was bubbling exposing some efflorescence. He stated that the previous tenant had been there for 6 years and had not reported water leakage. The members lived there for approx. 18 months. If the leaks are not 'current', pray tell when did they first appear? The unit had been unoccupied for 6 months when we viewed it, including the rainiest month on record - last July. The co-op knew darn well that the basement had active leaks and they were waiting for it to dry out before they tried to foist it on us.

We notified the 'expert' that we are not satisfied with his report. That he willfully manipulated the facts and omitted others with complete disregard to the photos we sent him. We will contact the co-op's insurance company and our insurance company to apprise them of the situation. We are seeking a firm commitment from the co-op's insurance company to pay for damages to our belongings and health related problems as this will occur.

The Office Co-ordinator said that the Board 'will try to muster up volunteer support to assist you in keeping with the Co-op spirit'. This is so insulting and done, of course, on purpose. The Office Co-ordinator is a 'player'.

For Your Enlightenment

2010-07-17T17:33:00.008-04:00

The other day we received a newsletter of sorts. It brandished the name of our old propagandized newsletter and it was signed by The Editor. No one knows who The Editor is, but our Office Co-ordinator has written the newsletters over the past year or so, referring to herself in the third person, praising her accomplishments and saying how hard she works. The newsletter says that we should not 'harass' the Office Co-ordinator; that if we are not satisfied with the goings-on in the co-op, that we should drop a note at the office so that the Board could 'consider the matter and reply'.

Now this sounds all very nice and cozy, but the problem is that the Office Co-ordinator rarely, if ever, takes member's concerns to the Board. The co-op's voice mail is always full. The Office Co-ordinator said that this was caused by a new telephone system. This 'problem' in fact has been going on for two years! Last summer she disappeared for two months. Members didn't know where to turn, so I wrote a blog entitled 'Ten Tips for Survival' to help guide members. The question asked most often amongst members in our co-op is, 'Is she in today?'

The newsletter states that we'll have yet another 'expert' to contend with - a person who's going to 'spend a few hours every two-four weeks to ensure the books are in order.' A third party may be called upon to do unit inspections. This in itself is an improvement as our Office Co-ordinator did 5-minute walk throughs at the best of times and has been renting out 'As Is' units which are in deplorable states of disrepair.

This newsletter paints a very rosy picture of just how this Office Co-ordinator and the Board have turned things around in this co-op. On the ground level, however, we see the stark reality. Units are being rented out to pretty well anyone who will take them, the place is unkempt, groups of drug dealers hanging out at night, people swearing at length at their children. It looks and feels like a ghetto.

The newsletter praises the consistency with which the Office Co-ordinator abides by our Operating Agreement. The only thing consistent is her lack of consistency in managing this co-op. 'Transparency' is also high on the list of accomplishments. It is a veil so thin that it can make the unbelievable - believable - to the credit of the Office Co-ordinator, of course.

The Office Co-ordinator is going on vacation again, not on Monday, but on Tuesday. Monday might be her letter writing day. If so, who will receive her parting shots?

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

2010-06-30T11:09:00.001-04:00

Request Denied

2010-06-21T10:03:00.008-04:00

When we attended the Board of Director's meeting last week, the outside Board member said that the co-op will definitely not refinish the oak parquet floor in the unit we are being ordered to transfer to. She said that the floor was 'BEAUTIFUL', that there were merely a few scratches.

When I asked how much I would have to pay to get the floor refinished - for damage and/or wear and tear I did not cause - this provoked much anger from the Office Co-ordinator. I then asked how much the co-op paid to have an ex-Board member's floor refinished. More hissing and seething anger directed as us.

We are not one of the favoured in this co-op.

PRONOUNCEMENTS

2010-06-19T15:33:00.004-04:00

'Yup, Yup, you're outta here. You're done! LEAVE!' Meeting over!', the outside Board Member blathered on and on. The Office Co-ordinator jumped up and viciously yelled to my husband, 'I'M FINISHED WITH YOU'. She then reeled her rage on me and lashed out, 'AND I'M FINISHED WITH YOU.' She topped that off with: 'I'M GOING TO TELL THE AGENCY'.

This was in response to my husband telling the outside Board member that since the new Board took over, it has gotten worse in here. At one point in the meeting when we told the Board members that the co-op has a carpenter ant problem, I was astonished to see the Office Co-ordinator make fun of us by pretending to see ants on the floor and childishly stomping on them, then plucking a phantom ant off the clothes of a Board member.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the condition of the basement in the unit we were being ordered to transfer to. The Board had previously emailed a science building inspector, who stated that the co-op was situate on a high water table and that there 'may' have been a problem at one time. (Pray tell - when might that have been?) The Board member said that there is nothing wrong with this basement - that it is dry as a bone, but that the co-op will have the building inspector come and do an on site inspection to appease us.

There is a peculiar saying in this co-op. It goes like this: 'That Was Then, This Is Now'. This saying is utilized when one questions the perks that Directors and a favoured few have received in the past. Well - That Was Then, This is Now. Or when questioning long standing corrupt practices in the co-op. The Board member inasmuch called us liars by our assertion that this basement has active leaks. The strategy is simple: By denying that a problem exists, the co-op doesn't have to fix it. When the basement floods again, the co-op will not accept responsibility for not having dealt with this problem previously. After all: That Was Then, This is Now!

When I asked them what their insurance agent would think of all this, they were conspicuously silent.

The outside Board member feigned being insulted, so she could boot us out of the meeting. The co-op had no intention to bring in a building inspector. To quote the Board member: 'Why, bring in an inspector? They'd just want our business.' Her sarcasm, her parroting our words back to us, her refusal to listen to what we had to say, was a tactic - a sadistic game to intimidate us.

The co-op will retract our subsidy. It was a fait accompli right from the start.

Tragedy On The Commons

2010-06-04T10:47:00.004-04:00

We are all in shock with the tragic news that a woman remains were found in the forested trails area behind our co-op. We are a relatively small community, interconnected if you will. We appreciate the dedication of all the police officers to bring justice and dignity to the woman who died. Our sincere condolences go out to her family.

Damage Control

2010-05-29T09:30:00.010-04:00

May 27, 2010

Dear Members:

Further to our previous letters, most recently May 5, 2010 and April 22, 2010, the Board has again requested that I correspond with you regarding your intentions with respect to accepting Unit __.

As previously advised, the Board members personally attended at the unit to inspect same. (Board members were taken on a tour after the maintenance man painted over the cracks in the basement floor.)

The Board also took the added initiative of contacted Mr. X of XX to address any concerns you may have with respect to flooding. His opinion was that the efflorescence "may" be an indication of wet conditions beneath the floor slab. These are not determined as current, but may have been in past situations. As I advised you earlier, I spoke directly with the previous members, (X) and she indicated that there had been no flooding at the unit during her tenure. (This is a moot point. The unit sat empty for months after the previous member moved out. Mr. X, if he did view the unit, would also have seen the cracks painted over. He said that the floor slab might have been wet in the past. The cracks and wetness are there as evidenced in our photos. Once water has penetrated a unit, it will only get worse and will affect the integrity of the whole row of townhouses. This unit has a sump pump. The problem must be addressed and fixed.)

Mr. X indicated that any concerns regarding electrocution should be allayed. In his words, '"The water would have to be pooling on the floor slab so that a person would have to step into it, and then touch a switch, receptacle or an energized electrical appliance of some type was immersed in the water. (There was water pooling on the floor. It is our assertion that the co-op knew about the flooding and waited for several months for the basement to dry out. Dampness can also lead to electrocution.)

Mr. X also suggested that the entire Park is located in an area with a high water table. Our first step would be to examine the outside grading and determine if remedial work is required, including examining the weeping tile. As you are aware, these activities would be located, by and large, outside the unit. Another suggestion was examination of the existing eavestroughing, and I have requested the [maintenance man] take a look at same to determine if this may be an issue. (We all know that the co-op was built on swampy land - all the more reason to recognize a leaky basement. The basement would also have to be repaired on the inside after the remedial work is done on the outside. The co-op will look at the grading and the eavestroughing and say that it is fine. If we move into that unit, anything we store in the basement will become moldy and the risk to our health will increase exponentially.)

The Board has stressed that they have explored all possibilities in order to best balance your interests with the mandate imposed by CMHC regarding over housing. Members have met with the Social Housing Registry to seek advice on how we can help a family in your situation. It would appear that (co-op) has made a more than reasonable compromise given your current family composition and the size of the unit offered. (We have written the Office Co-ordinator several times asking for a copy of the CMHC Directive concerning over housing. To date she has not forwarded same to us. How could the Social Housing Registry possibly advise regarding our family? It's just a waiting list. This is just plain silly! We have the legal right to turn down two (2) units before being forced to accept the third. We didn't turn down Unit __, we said 'to fix the basement'. The offer of Unit __ was not a legitimate offer as the unit is uninhabitable 'As Is'.)

They certainly appreciate any concerns regarding your health situation. However, given that the first notice of a required move was given in December 2009, we are now 5 months past. (We didn't get to see the unit until late December. On January 4th I sent photos of the state of unit, including photos of the leaky basement. We didn't hear back from the co-op for over two (2) months. On March 15th we received a letter telling us to move in two (2) weeks. The co-op didn't give us any indication what repairs had been done to the unit. Upon revisiting the unit, we noted that the co-op had painted over the active leaks in the basement. We continued to say 'fix the basement'. On April 22nd, the co-op again wrote us denying that there was any problem with the basement. I sent them the CMHC Fact Sheet on basement leaks which clearly concurred with our assessment of the basement leaks in Unit __. A member of the Board wrote us and said that she had instructed a building science inspector to contact the Office Co-ordinator. We never received a copy of that report. Instead on May 5th we received notice that the co-op was going to 'market' this unit and that our subsidy would end on July 1st.)

I acknowledge receipt of your e-mail dated yesterday requesting copies of all Board Minutes over the last 12 months, plus excerpts from an in camera minutes with your unit. All Board minutes that have been approved are posted on the office bulletin board.

There are 2 sets of Board minutes which have not yet been approved by the Board (we had 2 meetings in 2 weeks), and once those are approved will, of course be posted as well. The board's next meeting is currently scheduled for the week of June 1st, and these will be available at that time. (What about the In-Camera Minutes?)

It is unfortunate that a move is required, however, it must be appreciated that affordable housing must be allocated equitably, thus the over housing policy.

The Board, in compliance with CMHC Directives has made the most reasonable compromise within their abilities to balance your needs with CMHC directive and social policy. You remain at liberty to continue to occupy your current unit on the proviso you are required to pay full housing charges effective July 1, 2010. Given the options that have been provided and the willingness of the Board to provide the best available "accommodation" within the Co-op's abilities, the Board is very concerned that you may make a decision that would put you in financial hardship. (The co-op hasn't been forthcoming at all. The only reason why any repairs were done in that unit was because we had taken photos of the deficiencies and sent them to three (3) of the Board members and the Office Co-ordinator. The co-op only addressed the basement leaks in April and then ridiculed us by putting the words 'basement leaks' in quotes. The co-op is now saying that WE might be putting ourselves in financial hardship by not taking the unit. In reality, it's 'Do What We Say, or Lose Your Subsidy'. The co-op has manipulated and twisted the situation around to transfer responsibility from the guilty party, themselves - to us.)

As per my letter of May 5, I would again request that you provide the office with your written intentions regarding accepting unit __. It would be appreciated that you provide a written acceptance or refusal by no later than Monday, May 31, 2010. If we do not receive this letter, we have no choice but to allocate this unit to another family. We have kept this unit on "hold" for your family in order to provide a compassionate amount of time for you to make arrangements for your move. We may not have another option for you to move to for quite some time. (Nonsense - the unit has been sitting empty for almost a year. Why didn't the co-op rent this unit last summer? Could it be that they were waiting for the basement to dry out?)

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact myself.

We thank you for your co-operation.

Sincerely,

__ on behalf of
the Board
__ Housing Co-op

Planned Obsolescence

2010-05-19T19:35:00.004-04:00

Definition:

Planned obsolescence or built-in obsolescence is the process of a product becoming obsolete and/or non-functional after a certain period or amount.

Business practice of deliberately outdating an item (much before the end of its useful life) by stopping its supply or service support and introducing a newer model or version.

*****

WE are 'Planned Obsolescence'. It is by no accident that our subsidy was retracted and that my husband and I will be evicted shortly thereafter. It is a deliberate maneuver by the co-op to force us into arrears. This is abusive in the extreme. Commit the crime and then blame the victim.

And Then...

2010-05-14T20:13:00.005-04:00

"THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

THEN THEY CAME for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up."

Martin Niemöller (1892 – 1984)

*****

If this can happen to us, then it can happen to anyone in the co-op.

Notice of Annual Meeting

2010-05-12T09:29:00.009-04:00

The outside Board Member and Chairperson only read a partial reading of The Co-operative Corporations Act as follows:

Notice

(2) The articles or by-laws of the co-operative shall not provide for fewer than ten days notice for meetings of members and in no case shall notice be given fifty days before the date of the meeting and the articles or by-laws shall not provide that notice may be given otherwise than individually. R.S.O. 1990, c. C.35, s. 75 (2).

The Co-operative Corporations Act goes on to state:

General meetings

78.The directors may at any time call a general meeting of the members for the transaction of any business, the general nature of which is specified in the notice calling the meeting. R.S.O. 1990, c. C.35, s. 78.

Our By-laws state:

(a) Notice of each annual or other general meeting of members shall be given to the members not less than ten nor more than thirty days prior to the date of the meeting. In computing the time for the giving of notice, the day of giving the notice shall not be counted and the day of the meeting shall be counted.

(b) The notice shall specify the time and place of the meeting and shall set out or be accompanied by a statement of the business to be considered or transacted at the meeting. In the case of the Annual Meeting, such notice shall be accompanied by a copy of the financial statement and auditor's report for the previous fiscal year ...

(c) No business may be transacted, and no resolution or by-law adopted or confirmed by the members, unless the general nature of that item of business was set out in or with the notices mentioned above ...

The meeting was, indeed, illegal in that a statement of business was not distributed ten days prior to the meeting, nor was it accompanied by a copy of the financial statement and auditor's report.

In Good Faith

2010-05-08T08:52:00.016-04:00

Further to our previous letters, most recently April 22, 2010, given that you have not provided the office with any indication of your acceptance or refusal of unit __, we have assumed that you wish to remain in unit __.

Please be reminded that effective July 1, 2010, your housing charges will increase to full market rent.

We have held unit __ vacant in anticipation of your decision to move, however, given our mandate to cut vacancy losses, this unit will be actively marketed as of today.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact myself.

We thank you for your co-operation.

Sincerely,

XX on behalf of
the Board
XX Housing Co-op

*****

This unit has been empty for almost a year. Why didn't the co-op rent it all this while? The only renovation that had been done to the unit when we saw it in January, was that it had been painted. I've done hundreds of unit inspections in this co-op, as I was Unit Inspection Co-ordinator for many years and Chairperson of the Maintenance Committee for three years. I did an inspection of this unit and sent my observations to the Office Co-ordinator. She was not pleased and wrote me an email stating that she considered the unit rentable 'As Is'. We then took photos of the unit and sent them to the Office Co-ordinator, as well as the other Board members. We didn't hear back from the co-op for over two (2) months.

We received a letter on March 15th telling us to move in two weeks. The letter contained the following two (2) paragraphs:

a. We will accept unit __ with a projected move in date of April 1, 2010 with our move out of unit __ to be completed by no later than April 15, 2010.

b. We do not accept unit __ and understand that given our over housing situation we will find alternative accommodations effective June 1, 2010 and in which case, this shall be our formal notice of cessation of membership at [co-op] as of May 31, 2010.

We did not sign the duplicate of this letter indicating our preference, as we viewed the letter as blackmail. We continued to ask the co-op to repair this basement.

Now the co-op is engaging in a more sinister tactic. Instead of 'us' giving notice to the co-op that 'we will find alternative accommodations effective June 1, 2010', the co-op is 'merely' withdrawing our subsidy. As acknowledged by the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF) with regards to senior citizens, eviction will ultimately follow. The process is simple - take away a senior's subsidy, the senior will not be able to pay their housing charge (rent), the senior citizen goes into arrears and the co-op evicts the senior Two (2) months later.

A Board member wrote me an email saying, in essence, that I should be so lucky to potentially live in such a nice unit. The only reason why repairs were done to that unit at all was because I had documented the defects and sent photos of same. The co-op should be thanking me for doing an inspection of that unit, not abusing me.

'In Good Faith', the co-op has not replied to our letters dated February 4th and February 24th, wherein we requested an adjustment to our housing charges based on the actual cost of our utilities, as the co-op suggested we do in their letter dated December 3, 2009. We have also written the co-op on several occasions asking them to give us the Directive from CMHC concerning the overhousing situation in our co-op. To date we have not received same.

Below is an exchange of emails between the Office Co-ordinator and myself, which looking back, has an ironic essence of comic relief:

*****

Dec 8, 2009 at 11:21 AM

Hi - We'd like to pick up the key to Unit __ to see the unit.

Thanks -

Dec 8, 2009 at 11:35 AM

Hi __,

[Maintenance Man] is just finishing up some work at the unit and he expects to be done by Thursday latest, I'll give you a jingle when done,

Thanks,

Dec 14, 2009 at 2:25 PM

Hi - Is Unit __ finished yet? If so, can I get the keys to view it?

Dec 15, 2009 at 12:35 PM

Hi __.

I haven't had the unit cleaned as of yet after the work, but I will get the key from __. Does tomorrow (Thursday) work for you???

Let me know,

Thanks,

Dec 15, 2009 at 1:06 PM

Hi - Tomorrow is Wednesday : ) I'd like to see the unit some time this week. I'm way behind in my Christmas shopping and now [husband] developed a complication. We're waiting to hear from the doctor and most likely we'll have to get him seen to up at the General Hospital.

We need more flexibility if we move - the notice was not adequate and it's in the middle of winter. [husband] can't lift boxes, so I'm mostly it as [son] is in school. If the unit is OK, I would like to transport books, and anything I can put in Rubbermaid totes to move by hand as we don't have a car. We'll only get a small moving allowance from ODSP, so I'd like to move portable stuff so we can get an estimate from a moving company for the larger pieces.

Having a downstairs washroom is essential for [husband] so when [son] moves out, it is imperative that we stay in this unit. Please confirm this aspect of our potential move.

I'm to undergo a medical procedure on January 29th with a follow up on the 30th. Moving on February 1st is not possible. However, if we do take the unit, we will endeavour to do our best to complete the move as soon as possible.

Thanks a lot.

Dec 15, 2009 at 1:41 PM

HI __.

You are right, the week seems long, my clock still says it is 8:25.....

We'll arrange for Thursday, [maintenance man] is around the Park now and I'll get his keys.

I will do whatever I can to help with the move, I'll take a drop over tomorrow and arrange to have cleaners in asap. After they are done (I'll try and arrange for early next week), I'll have [maintenance man] change the locks and have not problem with giving you the keys so you can take time to move. I'll have you sign a "temporary"agreement re: move in purposes.

I can't comitt to the "final move" stipulation. I had a direct "order" from CMHC that [co-op] HAS to address its overhousing situation.... bottom line is from my understanding, the "waiting list" is 10 years long so it may be a moot point, but as you can appreciate those holding the purse strings must be obeyed.

Lets take it one step at a time. Let me know what time is good for you on Thursday...

Thanks,

Dec 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM

OK, around noon on Thurs. is good. Thanks!

*****

Dec 17, 2009 at 12:12 PM

Can we see the unit today around noon? Thanks.

Dec 21, 2009 at 2:09 PM

Hi __ & __

Sorry about last week, can we make it around noon tomorrow (Tuesday)?

Thanks,

Dec 21, 2009 at 2:45 PM

OK - noon tomorrow. Do we go straight to Unit __ or do we pick up the key at the office?

Dec 22, 2009 at 10:47 AM

Hi __,

I was hoping to go with you at noon, so I can drop over. However, I have an "urgent" matter that must be attended to. Call me around 11:30 and if I am still tied up you can pick up the keys here, otherwise [maintenance man] and I will meet you there.

thanks,

*****

Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 12:53 PM

Hi __

Further to our conversation, please view the unit at your leisure.

As I indicated, it has not been professionally cleaned as of yet. You have the only key to the unit at this time.

If you and [husband] are agreeable to accepting this unit with effective move in of Feb 1 2010, then please confirm with me. I can be reached here at the office for a little bit, but then you can reach me at my cell __ or my home e-mail __.

As discussed, the office will be closed until the 4th of Jan. Our President, XX in unit __ and our Secretary XX (unit __) are to be contacted with any EMERGENCIES during the closure.

If you let me know that you would like the unit, I can try and arrange to have our professional commercial cleaners come in to do the job prior to your move in. We currently use __, and my contact is __, I could set this up and have him contact you at __ to arrange for pick up of keys from you at unit so they can clean.

Let me know,

Wishing you and yours the very best for the Holiday Season, if there anything else I can do let me know.

Dec 22, 2009 at 2:16 PM

Hi __ - We went to see the unit and did a walk around with XX with whom I used to do unit inspections. Here is a preliminary list of what we observed:

* The kitchen/hallway tiles are chipped. The powder room tiles are disgusting. Requires new linoleum.

* Stove hood needs replacing - rusted, full of grease.

* The living room parquet flooring needs refinishing. It is really scoured and bare in places.

* There is no lock on the living room window.

* Both bathroom fans need replacing.

* There is a black toilet seat in the upstairs bathroom. The sink upstairs needs to be changed - completely rusted out. Downstairs powder room sink needs new seal.

* The basement walls are full of graffiti.

* Basement floor has white crystal condensation over cracks in the floor. We are asking that the floor and walls be painted.

* There was no heat on at all in the unit - we turned the thermostat up to 15c.

We would like to take the unit. However, we couldn't move in by Feb. 1st. The unit should be cleaned, even over the holidays if possible. We are around a lot and could make the arrangements with XX.

It seems as though [maintenance man], or a co-worker of his, left a pair of jeans and a t-shirt in the powder room.

*****

Jan 3, 2010 at 11:52 AM

Hi __ - [Husband] and I did one more walk around in Unit __. I'll combine our observations from the first inspection and the latest one:

* Exterior window frames rotting - devoid of paint.
* Front concrete step deteriorating - large gap between step and driveway. Presents a hazard.
* Downstairs powder room sink needs new seal.
* The kitchen/hallway flooring need replacing.
* Fridge veggie basket needs replacing.
* Stove hood needs replacing - rusted, full of grease.
* Stove burner liners need replacing.
* Please check living room window lock - we found part of it on the floor.
* The living room parquet flooring needs refinishing. It is really scoured and bare in places.
* Bathtub needs regrouting - new toilet seat required.
* The sink upstairs needs to be changed - rust approx. 3" across, bulging & bubbling inward.
* New floor track required in linen closet.
* New upper bathroom door handle needed.
* Both bathroom fans need replacing.
* Pellet gun hole in window of Master bdrm.
* Lock on right side of window of Master bdrm. is broken.
* Window glass in 2nd bdrm. broken in two.
* All floor vents are filthy. Vents need to be professionally cleaned. A volunteer should be in attendance when this work is done to ensure that the proper method is employed.
* Kitchen floor vent mounted on baseboard needs replacing.
* There is a lot of graffiti in the basement which is difficult to paint over. It needs to be sealed first and repainted.
* There was no heat on at all in the unit - we turned the thermostat up to 15c.

There is, however, a structural problem with the unit and that is:

* The basement floor is cracked all over showing water staining and efflorescence (white powder). This is caused by hydrostatic pressure under the floor. There is a sump pump in the unit, therefore the weeping tile around the unit should be inspected by a qualified engineer. This structural problem also creates a damp moldy basement - a health concern for the whole unit.

The co-op has had weeping tile/foundation problems in the past. The co-op office building's basement floor heaved and flooded because of hydrostatic pressure. The foundations of Units __ and __ were excavated to upgrade the weeping tile system. XX oversaw this work. These three units have sump pumps. Our unit was excavated on two sides to fix two large cracks in the walls of the foundation.

The interlocking floors upstairs are a great improvement over carpeting from a sanitary point of view. As well, they are very pleasing to the eye. The unit is very cozy in light of the work that has already been done in there.

Thanks a lot - be in touch soon.

Jan 4, 2010 at 2:17 PM

Hi __ & __,

I haven't heard back from you and when I tried to call earlier today your line way busy.

Can you please advise at your earliest whether you are accepting __???

Best for the New Year,

p.s. I will be leaving office shortly to do Jan 1 deposit,

Jan 4, 2010 at 3:11 PM

Hi __ - I wrote you two emails. They in the bundle of emails we wrote back and forth before Christmas. My emails are dated December 22nd & Jan. 3rd. In any case, here is a copy of the email I sent on Jan. 3rd sent to __ c/o gmail. [Emails follow]

Jan 4, 2010 at 3:21 PM

Hi __,

Obviously you have some difficulty with taking over the unit effective Feb 1; I have forwarded this on to our Board, for as you know, we have been advised that we must address our over housing situation. I felt that the unit was rentable as is but it does need some attention as all units do in the Co-op. I will take your comments as you do NOT accept the unit for your occupancy as of Feb 1. I will ask the Board what the next step is from here.

Thanks,

Jan 6, 2010 at 3:47 PM

Dear __ - Here are some photos we took of Unit __. I'll send a few more in another email.

We never received notification from the previous board to downsize. In fact, we notified the co-op that [son] had moved out and that when [husband's] health permitted, we would move.

We have the key for Unit __. You can contact us at any time.

Thanks

*****

Jan 6, 2010 at 3:56 PM

Dear __ - Here are two more photos. We didn't take photos of the oak parquet flooring, but it is severely pitted, scoured and needs refinishing. There is a large gap between the concrete front step and the driveway which presents a hazard. We were unable to do a complete outdoor inspection because of the snow. The basement floor has dozens of cracks with active evidence of water and the resultant efflorescence.

Strangely enough, we did like the unit - mostly upstairs I guess and the layout of same. I might add that the linoleum is very discoloured as you can see in the bathroom vent photo.

Sincerely -

*****

After we sent the photos, we didn't hear back from the co-op until March 15th - over two months later!

*****

Mar 18, 2010 at 12:53 PM

Hi __ & __,

I am going down to unit __ now. The only remaining thing that XX needs to do is to refinish the parkay. He expects to have this done tomorrow latest,

He will drop off the keys for you tomorrow and you can return them to the office mail slot when done,

Thanks,

Mar 22, 2010 at 12:36 PM

Dear __ - We are pleased for the most part with the repairs done to Unit __ and we thank the co-op for that. You stated in your email dated March 18th, that XX was going to refinish the oak parquet floor on Friday. The floor has not been refinished. We attach photos of same. The living room floor must be professionally sanded and refinished, not just a coat of varathane applied by our maintenance man.

We note that the cold air return vent on the upper floor had not been removed, therefore we conclude that while the top part of the ducts were vacuumed out and the sleeves painted beige, the duct work had not been professionally cleaned.

The kitchen cupboards have not been cleaned. The doors are sticky and the shelves crumbly. The broken vegetable basket in the fridge has not been replaced.

The front door weather stripping needs replacing as do the plastic transition plates for both the front and back doors.

The leaky basement has not been repaired. In writing, please advise us when the co-op will do this work.

Thank you.

Mar 22, 2010 at 2:58 PM

Hi __ & __:

Thank you for your response. As I indicated previously, this is a difficult decision for your Board to take. I note that you have sent your concerns regarding unit __ to the Board and I will co-ordinate a response with their input.

Again, I would like to apologize should you have viewed my letter of March 15th as bullying. In this respect, I would like to clarify one point brought to my attention by a Board member. There was not an intention to "evict", the Board's mandate is that any member is at liberty to remain in occupation of their unit, provided however, overhousing is addressed and the members are agreeable to paying full market for their unit to alleviate our subsidy shortfall.

I will await the Board's reply to your concerns and advise you accordingly,

*****
Apr 22, 2010 at 2:45 PM

Dear __ & Board Members - [Husband's] having cataract surgery on May 12th. He will not be able to lift anything for 6 weeks after the operation. In addition, he is awaiting major surgery in Kingston. I am recovering from surgery myself and await pathology results which could result in more surgery.

The basement in Unit __ has not been repaired. __ (maintenance man), merely painted over the efflorescence and water stain marks. The efflorescence is showing through - we took photos of same.

The unit has been unoccupied since last summer. Since that time there has been a lot of water accumulation from cracks in the basement foundation. You have not indicated to us when the basement will be repaired. If the co-op does not repair this basement, it will affect the integrity of the whole row of houses.

Aside from the chances of being electrocuted, we will not be able to store anything on that basement floor. Anything which comes into contact with this damp, wet surface will develop mould and the problem will expand exponentially affecting our health and our belongings. We sent the photos of the basement leaks to several foundation repair contractors and they have confirmed that this basement needs immediate repair. CMHC's site also confirms this.

In my email to you dated March 22, 2010, I asked you for a copy of CMHC's Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Guidelines giving the co-op direction to deal with the over housing situation To date we have not received a copy of same.

We wrote the co-op on February 2, 2010 [correction - 4th] and again on February 24, 2010 asking for an adjustment to our housing subsidy based on our actual utility costs. We also asked that our subsidy be reviewed once [husband] transitions to Old Age Security at the end of May, 2010. To date, we have not received a response to either of those two letters.

You stated to us that we will lose our subsidy by May 31st, if we do not accept Unit __, which is presently sub-standard. We have no plans of being homeless once [husband] reaches the ripe old age of 65 and in the midst of medical treatment.

Please indicate, in writing, when the co-op intends to fix this leaking basement. Once the basement is fixed and the living room floor refinished, we will negotiate a move in date taking into account our medical interventions.

Photos of active water intrusion in Unit __ attached.

Sincerely -

*****

The co-op decided that there is and never has been a problem with active leaks in the basement and has tactically chosen to retract our subsidy and inevitably evict us.

All in the name of GOOD FAITH!

'As Is' Floor

2010-05-04T09:43:00.005-04:00

These are photos of the oak parquet floor in the unit being foisted upon us. The co-op has chosen not to refinish this floor, yet has refinished floors in other units, including a Board member's. The onus would be on me to pay for refinishing this floor - for wear and tear and/or damage which I did not cause.

'As Is' Yards

2010-05-03T16:59:00.006-04:00

These are the back yards of the units which we, and another couple in the co-op, are being ordered to move into. You would think that the co-op would have had the decency to clean out the back yards and to fix hazardous decks and/or stairs.

CMHC Fact Sheet - Basement Leaks

2010-04-30T10:14:00.010-04:00

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.

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

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

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.

This Is A Crooked House

2010-04-25T18:18:00.015-04:00

April 22, 2010

Dear Member (s):

Re: Internal Move Request

The Board of Directors met last Thursday to address governance and management issues as XXX Co-operative.

One Issue on the Agenda was the Board's request that in order to address the directive of over-housing, they do require your definite response to the offer to move to Unit ___.

The first letter from this Board regarding this matter was delivered to you on or about December 3, 2009 at which time you were requested to verify your acceptance and to complete the move by February 1, 2010.

As evidence of good faith, the Board permitted you with an opportunity to view the unit and also to provide you with access by no later than January 15, 2010 to assist in an easy transition move.

During your initial viewing, you advised the office of a number of concerns. The Board again met to consider your concerns with the move and directed the office and maintenance staff to address issues outlined in your letter. The Board did attend the unit to view same and also had our maintenance staff investigate the issue of "basement leaks." I personally contacted the previous member and was advised that during her and her family's tenure, there were no issues as to leaking in the basement and there was no moisture detected during our recent inspection.

The Board acknowledges that you have now advised that [wife] was scheduled for surgery during mid-April. The Board certainly appreciates your current situation and have looked at how to best balance your requirements as members and the CMHC overhousing situation.

The Board has delayed your move on a number of occasions to address your concerns and your health situation but is in the position of having to address this mandate at this time. If there is anything that the Board of Co-op can do to assist in this process please let the office know.

Unfortunately, however, the Board is left in the position of having made the initial offer to yourself on or about December 3, 2009, they do require a decision on your acceptance of unit ___.

Your acceptance or refusal should be delivered to the office by no later than Tuesday, April 27, 2010. The offer for the internal transfer is to be effected by May 15th (Saturday) 2010. Keys to the unit would be made available to you on Monday May 3, 2010 to give you additional time to effect the move in an orderly fashion.

To clarify, you are at liberty to continue occupancy of unit ___ until May 15th, 2010. Also, we wish to be clear that you are at liberty to continue occupancy of unit ___, provided however effective JULY 1, 2010, full market rent would apply to the four (4) bedroom unit.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact myself.

We thank you for your co-operation.

Sincerely

XXX on behalf of
the Board
XXX Housing Co-op

And We Are Forced To Walk The Crooked Mile

The Cover Up

2010-04-22T16:44:00.005-04:00

BEFORE

AFTER

The Co-op is emphatically stating that there has never been a problem with this basement floor. That is after the maintenance man painted over the active leaks. The basement has active leaks like this all over.

This is a sub-standard unit. Aside from the possibility of being electrocuted, if we place things on the basement floor, our possessions will become mouldy and the risk to our health will increase exponentially. Who will pay for the damages? Not the co-op! Our insurance company will not pay for damages in light of the fact that it was a 'pre-existing problem'.

The Co-op is giving us an ultimatum - take the unit by May 15th, or you will lose your subsidy on June 30th. Does this sound like blackmail to you? I am recovering from surgery, my husband is scheduled to have surgery in May. He will soon become a senior citizen and we might well be homeless shortly thereafter if we lose our subsidy. Need I say more?