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Management Company not doing their job!!!

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  • 04-09-2005 9:00pm
    #1
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,968 ✭✭✭✭


    I moved out to a new apartment complex in Balbriggan with my GF about 5 months ago. We came from a flat on the southside to our new place. This is the first time I've experianced living in a complex run by a property management company.
    It's really starting to annoy me as I don't think it's being run properly. I know the company who run this place used to run a large block of apartments in the city centre but were let go for incompetance. A mate of mine lived there and told me the story, and how they were replaced etc.

    Anywhoo, over the last few weeks we've been woken up about 3 times early in the morning, around 3am by the fire alarm going off. This thing is LOUD, really loud. It rings for several minutes and then goes off for maybe 20secs, before it comes on and goes off again a few more times. I dunno who sets if off, I think it's kids with nothing better to do. I believe that as they can be heard in the general area when things go quiet again.

    There is a secure entry into place, you have to enter the passkey to get it, but on more than one occasion the door just doesn't seem to work and it's left open, so anyone can come and go as they please.
    Today on the way back from the shops there was a whole bunch of kids in the stairwell near the door, sitting and smoking, where they shouldn't be.

    A few months back when the door wasn't working properly kids got in and ran riot in the place, they ran up and down the corridors ringing people's doorbells and any post that wasn't collected was torn up and thrown around the place, it was a complete mess. After that they changed the login, but with the door not working that doesn't make any difference.

    Before I fire off an email giving them hell, I was just wondering what you good folk thought? Is it them I should complain too? I'm really annoyed, is there any point in giving them loads??

    Feedback appreciated.


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    #2
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,968 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Anyone?


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    #3
    homeOwner
    Closed Accounts Posts: 779 ✭✭✭homeOwner


    eo980 wrote:
    but on more than one occasion the door just doesn't seem to work and it's left open, so anyone can come and go as they please.
    After that they changed the login, but with the door not working that doesn't make any difference.

    Its the management companies job to come and fix the door, but they wont know to do so unless you call them and tell them that it is broken. You should tell them about the kids on the stairs etc.... and ask them to mail a circular to the residents telling them to close the door when they come in and if possible they should post a notice on the door to this effect. We have had a similar problem in our complex with people not shutting the door and our management company did this for us. It has worked well.

    Regarding the fire alarm, it is supposed to be loud to let people know there is a fire. I suspect that kids smoking on the stairs are setting it off. If you see kids inside the building you should call the police, they are tresspassing and I suspect breaking the law by smoking in an area where smoking is prohibited. I assume they dont live in the building.

    There is no point in giving out to the management company unless you have already told them about the problem and they have done nothing, in which case give them hell. One suggestion is to find out who in your building is on the director's comittee and get after them to do something about it. They will be the ones meeting with management company face to face on a regular basis (or at least they should be), and can bring up these issues at the next meeting. Try and get yourself elected to the committee (if you own the apartment). Good luck.


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    #4
    AndyWarhol
    Closed Accounts Posts: 223 ✭✭AndyWarhol


    eo980 wrote:
    I moved out to a new apartment complex in Balbriggan with my GF about 5 months ago. We came from a flat on the southside to our new place. This is the first time I've experianced living in a complex run by a property management company.
    It's really starting to annoy me as I don't think it's being run properly. I know the company who run this place used to run a large block of apartments in the city centre but were let go for incompetance. A mate of mine lived there and told me the story, and how they were replaced etc.

    Anywhoo, over the last few weeks we've been woken up about 3 times early in the morning, around 3am by the fire alarm going off. This thing is LOUD, really loud. It rings for several minutes and then goes off for maybe 20secs, before it comes on and goes off again a few more times. I dunno who sets if off, I think it's kids with nothing better to do. I believe that as they can be heard in the general area when things go quiet again.

    There is a secure entry into place, you have to enter the passkey to get it, but on more than one occasion the door just doesn't seem to work and it's left open, so anyone can come and go as they please.
    Today on the way back from the shops there was a whole bunch of kids in the stairwell near the door, sitting and smoking, where they shouldn't be.

    A few months back when the door wasn't working properly kids got in and ran riot in the place, they ran up and down the corridors ringing people's doorbells and any post that wasn't collected was torn up and thrown around the place, it was a complete mess. After that they changed the login, but with the door not working that doesn't make any difference.

    Before I fire off an email giving them hell, I was just wondering what you good folk thought? Is it them I should complain too? I'm really annoyed, is there any point in giving them loads??

    Feedback appreciated.


    Ah yes. Disgruntled apartment owners giving out about the property management company. Join the club.

    If you could be bothered getting yourself on the grand democratic process that is an apartment complex committee, go for it, but you'll find that even then you won't have much power to do anything.


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    #5
    Andrew Duffy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 540 ✭✭✭Andrew Duffy


    Electronically locked doors are interlocked with the fire alarm - the fire alarm trigger nearest the door on my building is currently held down with masking tape to allow the door to lock.
    Although the management company has an absolute obligation to fix the fire alarm and door, I wouldn't instantly assume that it is being set off maliciously (although the neighbourhood kids sound like right bstrds) - anyone in the building who interferes with the heat sensor in their hallway will cause the alarm to go off if it resets for any reason. There was a stage when residents in my building were just overriding the alarm from the console when it triggered - it had cried wolf at four in the morning too many times.


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    #6
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,968 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    If I owned the apartment rather than merely renting it, perhaps it would be a good idea to join the committee, but as I rent it's not an option.

    I guess I shall point out a few concerns, rather than going off full tilt at them.


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    #7
    homeOwner
    Closed Accounts Posts: 779 ✭✭✭homeOwner


    eo980 wrote:
    If I owned the apartment rather than merely renting it, perhaps it would be a good idea to join the committee, but as I rent it's not an option.

    I guess I shall point out a few concerns, rather than going off full tilt at them.

    Since you rent the management company will not even deal with you. You will have to talk to your landlord.


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    #8
    Andrew Duffy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 540 ✭✭✭Andrew Duffy


    homeOwner wrote:
    Since you rent the management company will not even deal with you. You will have to talk to your landlord.

    That's not my experience; every management company will be different of course.


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    #9
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,282 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Andrew Duffy wrote:
    Electronically locked doors are interlocked with the fire alarm - the fire alarm trigger nearest the door on my building is currently held down with masking tape to allow the door to lock.
    Tell the management company to sort it or you will be making a complaint to the Fire Brigade (with a view to them prosecuting).
    eo980 wrote:
    If I owned the apartment rather than merely renting it, perhaps it would be a good idea to join the committee, but as I rent it's not an option.
    Your landlord is legally responsible to you for the behavior of the other tenants / occupiers. Tell him to sort it or your are going to small claims court and or www.prtb.ie

    Have the kids **arrested** for trespassing.


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    #10
    Andrew Duffy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 540 ✭✭✭Andrew Duffy


    Tell the management company to sort it or you will be making a complaint to the Fire Brigade (with a view to them prosecuting).

    Definitely, but until the glass is replaced I prefer having the door locked than the trigger working.


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    #11
    resassoc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9 ✭resassoc


    As a member of an active residents association I would suggest that you get on to your own residents association and ask them to make lots of noise. The reality is that individual residents complaining to a management company has little effect, you need strength in numbers. How active is your association? How visible is it in its activities?

    You might have to consider employing security to do patrols. If there are local residents associations why not pool resources and get security out to do patrols for all the blocks.

    A simple question: are many owners paying their fees? If you are a tenant you are also entitled to this information on the Private Residential Tenancie Act. Without money, your management company wont have money to carry out services... no matter urgent

    A lot of the time, kids in a complex need just a gentle reminder that they shouldnt be there and move on. If they get the idea that they arent welcome they more.

    Declan
    www.resassoc.com
    www.tramyard.com


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