This is Not Your Frat House

We have another WTF? winning moment.
This last weekend there were not one, but two large, very noisy parties on the second floor of 24 Norman Street. One was on Friday night, the other on Saturday night. They were so large, that they spilled out into the hallway, where people were found to be drinking, smoking, and making enough noise to wake people in the adjacent units, if not the entire floor. This would have been bad enough during early evening hours, but this party was in full swing at 2:30 a.m. Several complaints were logged by Markwood Management, from residents on all three floors of the building. There were also cigarette butts as well as other various items of trash strewn throughout the stairs and hallways.

It cannot be stressed enough that this is a serious violation of condo bylaws, (as well as just common consideration for your neighbors), and there will be serious consequences for anyone, owner or tenant, who violates these laws. There are prohibitions against making any loud noise or disturbance between 12 midnight and 9 a.m. There are also prohibitions against smoking or drinking in common areas (i.e., hallways, stairwells, laundry room, outside of your unit, but inside the building) at any time.
If you lack the sense or consideration that would tell most people that having a loud party at 3 a.m is a bad idea, know this: this is not your frat house or college dorm. This is not your friend's house in the suburbs. This is a tightly-packed, small building in which sounds and smells travel easily down the halls and through the floors. In short, this is not a building suited for late-night parties.

If you are an owner, re-read your condo documents. If you are subletting to a tenant, it is your responsibility to inform them of the bylaws governing the building. "I didn't know" is not a viable excuse. If you live in the building, you should be aware of the bylaws.

If that isn't enough for you, remember that your careless behavior and "F*ck you" attitude is not engendering any good feelings or generosity from your neighbors.

Markwood Management has the right and the will to levy stiff fines for these violations.

And last, you may be subject to a visit by the local constabulary if it happens again.

Remember, a little consideration goes a long way.

About Getting Towed

Recently I had a conversation with a resident who had his car towed from the side lot.
He was understandably upset about it, especially since the car was stuck there because of a dead battery. He asked what the policy was. The policy is clearly stated on the bulletin board and in the condo documents, however, here it is. The side lot is intended for temporary parking. Many people seem to have varying ideas about what temporary means. That means drop off and pick up, most commonly for things like groceries, packing for a trip, things of that nature. Think of it like the drop off area at an airport. You don't park so much as hover. You should really try to limit your time there to no more than 20 -30 minutes. Obviously, many people do not appreciate this or stick to that timeframe.
The time limit is not arbitrary. We have 39 units in the building. Some residents have more than one car. It is small space. If you hog it as your personal parking area, it is generally going to be an inconvenience to somebody else. In short it pisses people off, and you are begging to be towed.

There are some exceptions. Vendors doing work in the building (cleaners, carpenters) sometimes park there for several hours. People moving into the building obviously will be there longer. People with health issues that limit their mobility, or people with disabled cars. However these things are not a free pass to abuse the parking area. It is that person's responsibility to call Markwood Management and inform them of these issues before the tow truck arrives.

Generally as trustees, we look for people who are either habitually abusing the privilege, (you know who you are) i.e., parking in the area for several hours repeatedly over several days), or have left their vehicle parked there for more than a day. We also are especially stringent on Tuesdays, when we need the side lot open for the trash pick up to access the dumpster.
If you are parked out there late on a Monday night, or early Tuesday morning, you will probably be towed. We also look for people who use the area their personal driveway, without regard for the people living in the building, people who say, park there and play their vehicle radios at high volume.

As with most of the building issues, a little thought and a little courtesy go a long way.

Parking Meeting

Some of you may be aware that trustee Nate Gravel has been spearheading an initiative to reduce the parking fee we pay to the city of Salem. There is a Parking Board meeting on this subject being held at the Salem City Hall annex at 120 Washington St., Room 314 Washington Street this Monday, February 7th at 4:30. It is open to the public. If you can make it to the meeting, please do. The presence of more owners and residents at the meeting may lend our argument more credence. If we pay less for our parking, (which comprises almost half of our total annual budget)
we may be able to avoid raising our condo fees.