Remain Calm and Don't Be A Dick

This building sometimes feels like a group of individuals who just happen to occupy the same space, but like it or not, by living here, you are part of a community.
When you live in a community there is give and take. You are not living in a shack in Montana where you can do whatever you want, at any hour, without consequence. With 39 units crammed into a fairly small building and a wide variety of owners, tenants, schedules and lifestyles, it is no great surprise that there are conflicts. Conflicts between neighbors, conflicts between owners and tenants, conflicts between tenants and Markwood Management.

Now most of these are minor, and involve either sound disturbances, minor violations of the condo association bylaws, or both. Many times these conflicts are resolved through dialogue and communication between the parties involved, simply talking to the person and explaining the situation. Concessions and adjustments are made. Most people are rational, reasonable, and wish to avoid problems rather than exacerbate them. A little courtesy goes a long way.

However, every now and then you get a tenant who for one reason or another, digs in their heels and escalates issues to the point of legal action. This is often characterized by open antagonism, mild vandalism, and/or threatening behavior. Maybe they have an ongoing grudge against Markwood, or are angry at some perceived slight, maybe they think highly of themselves and have an unnaturally enlarged sense of entitlement, maybe their mommies didn't love them enough as children, maybe they even have a legitimate gripe...who knows..the point is, that kind of anti-social behavior is totally unacceptable.

The law provides tools for dealing with these kind of people, however the effectiveness of those tools are limited if these people"dig in". The law works best when people are reasonable; when they are unreasonable, the effectiveness of law diminishes in direct proportion to how unreasonable the offending person wishes to be.

Markwood uses fines and/or civil action to enforce the condo bylaws. The bylaws are not arbitrary. They have evolved over the last 30 years in dealing with the issues of many people living in a small space in an urban area. They are there for good reason and need to be enforced so that we can all live here in comfort and safety. Enforcement takes time, effort and money, and most importantly, participation. People get away with bad behavior for years when people don't get involved, call them on it, or stick to their guns when it gets difficult to do so.

It is only through communication, persistence and community that we keep this building a decent place to live. If you have an ongoing conflict with a neighbor that you can't resolve and it is getting uncomfortable, please contact Markwood immediately and inform them of the situation.
Don't ignore it, or hope it will go away. Don't try taking the law into your own hands either.
Chances are if you are having a repeated problem with a particular tenant, others have had it too. You are not alone, you have an ally, and if we work together, we can make this building a not just a good place, but a great place to live.