Following Up with Markwood

MESSAGES
There have been several complaints recently that Markwood has not been getting back to people in a timely fashion when they leave a message. One mitigating factor may be the message itself. If you are calling from a cell phone, especially if you are in a car, the basement, or other area where reception is poor or there is a lot of metal and cement, consider that your message may not be intelligible. We recently had a call from someone in the laundry room that was so garbled, it could not be understood at all. Markwood had no idea who had called or why. All that had was a partial phone number and a very hard to understand name. It is also important that when you leave a message, besides giving your name and phone number to also give your unit number. Sometimes the unit number is the most important piece of information, especially since some tenants have non-local area codes, and it is not always clear if the caller is an owner,a tenant or somebody else.
It is also a good idea to follow up any phone call with an e-mail to Markwood. They can be sent to either Kim Lord at kim.lord@markwoodmanagement.com, or to Carol Kenney at carol.kenney@markwoodmanagement.com.

ATTENTION UNIT OWNERS
Markwood has noticed that there seem to be many new tenants in the building who have never received a copy of the condo documents, which include the bylaws sound, and other regulations, from the owner (their landlord). It is the unit owners responsibility to provide a copy of the condo documents to their tenant, or to make sure that the tenant has access to them. Although these documents are available for download here on this blog, it is not the responsibility of Markwood Management to make sure that your tenant has received them.
Another owner responsibility is keeping Markwood informed and up to date of any changes in tenancy. If you have neglected to inform Markwood of a new tenant please follow up immediately.

New Tenant Welcome Sheet

Markwood has developed a New Tenant Welcome Sheet that contains useful information for people just moving into the building including contact information for Markwood Management and it's trustees, as well as some basic condo rules and policies. A version PDF can be downloaded by clicking  here.

Basics for Living at 24 Norman Street

We have a fair number of tenants renting or subletting units at 24 Norman Street, and therefore a pretty high turn-over rate, so it is sometimes beneficial to post some Norman Street basics.
As a trustee, I hear the complaints about building issues. Here are three common issues that come up again and again. If you pay attention to these issues and the solutions, you will avoid 99% of the difficulties associated with living in a compact, 39-unit building.

1. Excessive noise
This is the biggest complaint among owners and tenants in the building. The condo rules state no excessive noise between 9 pm and 9 am. That could mean anything from loud TVs and music to loud talking. Please note: Because of the age of the building and the way it was converted into condos, there is not much sound buffering between floors. In most cases, the ceiling of one unit directly abuts the floor of the unit above it. Sound carries very easily between units, more than you may be aware of, especially if you live on the 2nd or 3rd floor. Also, because of the layout of the lofts, most unit's sleeping areas are directly below the entry and bathroom of the unit above it. This also amplifies the effect.  
Solution: Be quiet between 9 pm and 9 am.
Curtail any loud activities. If you cannot avoid activity during that time, do your best to keep it as quiet as possible. People can hear you. If you are not quiet, and your neighbor lodges a complaint with Markwood Management, the owner of the unit may be fined until the situation is corrected.

2. Parking
This is the second biggest complaint from owners and tenants in the building. Besides griping about the restrictions and general lack of on-street parking, the next biggest issue is the misuse of the side drop-off area on the north-east side of the building. It is intended as a drop-off area for residents loading and unloading from their cars. It is not intended as an auxiliary parking lot, or as a personal work area. It is for short-term use. If you are parking your vehicle there for more than 30 minutes, you are abusing the privilege.
Solution: Don't park your vehicle in the side lot for more than 30 minutes
If you park there any longer than that, your vehicle may be towed at your expense.

3. Building Maintenance
Last, but not least, is building maintenance. This is a broad category which covers everything in the common areas of the building, the hallways, entryways, laundry room, roof, dumpsters, drop-off area and grounds and includes activities such as painting, landscaping, carpeting, cleaning.
Many complaints about maintenace have to do with the quality, appearance and even the smell of the property.
Some people have a tendency to treat anything outside of their individual unit as a kind of dumping ground for anything from shoes and unwanted household items to cigarette butts and trash. Random acts of vandalism have also been known to occur.
The common areas are just that, common areas, held in common trust by every owner in the building. We pay for its maintenance, which means when you abuse the common areas, you are taking money out of your neighbor's pocket. 
Solution: Don't use the common areas as your personal trash bin/smoking lounge/anger management tool.
Abuse of or vandalism of the common areas may mean fines and/or prosecution.

Courtesy, respect and consideration go a long way.

Condo Rules and Regulations

We had a request from tenant Curt Shulz to post the 24 Norman Street Condo Rules and Regulations. Since we often discuss the condo rules (and the breaking thereof) we thought it might be a good idea. Curt has created a link here to a site where you can download a PDF version of the official condo rules.
Now if you have any questions about what is allowed and what is not, you can read them for yourself.
If there is any other document that you would like to see posted, such as the master deed, please let us know and we will do our best to get it posted. (Thank you Curt for the link)

Window Air Conditioners

Markwood Management is about to send letters to those people who have installed window AC units to let them know that the units are not permitted at 24 Norman. They will also be posting the building. Check your condo documents, nothing is allowed to hang out of the windows or from the sills, including air conditioners. If you are subletting, let your landlord know that they will need to get this fixed. If you take a look at the left hand side of the building you can imagine what it would look like if there were more window units. Markwood presumes that the window units have been installed because the in-the-wall AC units are no longer working properly. They suggest using Preferred Air (978-750-8282) and recommend them, but any licensed HVAC vendor is acceptable.