BOARD REFUSES SERVICE TO OUR MOST ELDERLY RESIDENT
On Friday morning, April 29th, one week prior to her 100th birthday, our most senior resident having returned home the previous evening after a stay in hospital, found her two bathrooms flooded as a result of a plugged drain below her unit. She immediately called neighbors who immediately assisted with the cleanup and arranged for a plumber to attend the unit.
The plumber arrived about noon, but the caretaker or property manager made no attempt to attend the unit, even though they were informed of the problem immediately. Finally, the caretaker stopped by for a few minutes later in the afternoon, but when the contractor attempted to seek his assistance, he was reached by phone at about 4 PM and advised that he had left the building and would be gone for the weekend.
With the contractor unable to obtain authorization from either the caretaker or management to access the problem through an adjacent wall in another unit, the contractor who was prepared to stay until the problem was resolved, was prevented from proceeding and was advised that as a result, he would have to come back on Monday. Immediate emergency access is by law to be provided for such access in condominiums. Our caretaker, management and the Board, all refused to permit such access.
So for four days, our friend was left without use of both her bathrooms. She found it necessary to spend three nights with a friend in the building. With all of her family arriving over the next few days for her birthday celebrations, she found the experience to be very disrupting and frustrating, to say the very least.
The caretaker stopped by briefly on Monday, the contractor returned and was finally able to resolve the problem. The property manager did not attend the unit until the days following, nor did a single Board member stop by to review this serious emergency situation.
The Board has since refused to respond to ongoing requests of them to cleanup and repair the damage that occurred during the contractors work. This includes the obvious need for cleaning and shampooing the carpets where foot traffic during the work period, had been tracked through the residence. This contamination is a very serious health hazard.
Such incidents have continued to happen in the building over the past several years, yet nothing has been done about it. The Board has been advised for many years now, that preventive maintenance measures must be taken immediately to prevent such issues which continue to be deferred. Until such measures are taken, the unit owners will continue to face unnecessary disruption and the Corporation will continue to incur the substantial costs of such unnecessary incidents.
As for this current issue, the Board has simply refused to respond to requests made of them over the past week, let alone act upon them in any way. Such neglect is most appalling and certainly most disrespectful to of all people, our most elderly and dear resident! Once again, it is time for residents to speak up and remind their Board of what common courtesy and respect for their neighbors is all about!
Spadina News Center 2016-05-17