URGENT Building Security Issue

The back door of the building is not latching properly and we had an intruder. Locksmiths have been called and should be here later today, however this has been a recurring problem, especially after heavy rain. The door is wood, and will sometimes swell after rain, making it harder for the latch to work properly.
We cannot over-stress the importance of checking to make sure the door is securely latched each and every time you go in or out of the building, and not propping the door open.
Why? "What's the big deal?" you say. Well this is the big deal. We end up with this:

This photo was taken today. If you can't tell what it is, it's basically a hobo-encampment under the back staircase.
The door was not latched securely, and one of the many homeless people we have living in the area took the opportunity to slip into the building and homestead in our basement, complete with bedroll, liquor bottles and bags of junk.
The homeless person was noticed and removed yesterday, and maintenance is coming to clean up the mess, but this is a huge security and liability issue. This has happened before, and will probably happen again unless you remain vigilant. All the locks and cameras in the world aren't going to do any good if you leave the damn door open.
Most homeless people are harmless, but we don't know that is true in every case. Do you want a homeless person in the building? Lurking in the basement where you do your laundry? Urinating in some corner? Probably not. This is why you need to CHECK and make SURE the DOOR is latched behind you. It will take five seconds, and may save yourself and the building a lot of trouble.
By the way, if you notice a homeless person hanging out in this space, do not confront them, call the police immediately, then call Markwood. Calling Markwood first just ads an extra, delaying step to the process. thank you for your cooperation.

Door Replacement

A tenant who was considering replacing their damaged and worn-out door, recently asked me if I could recommend someone for the work. If you are considering replacing your front door I would like to recommend Donald Rose of North Shore Home Improvement. He recently replaced the door on Unit 202 after it was damaged by firemen breaking it open in response to a faulty smoke alarm.
Mr. Rose Replaced the entrance door which included staining and painting the new door as well as drilling and installing a new deadbolt and pass lockset. He also moved the door numbers to new door. A new solid wood-core birch door, 32 inches x 80 inches will cost you about $200. Unless you are handy and have the tools to do it yourself, the labor for painting, lockset and door installation will cost you about about another $400.
The unit owner was very pleased with the work. You can contact North Shore Home Improvement by e-mailing to donaldarose@gmail.com, or calling 781-710-7002.

A Recommendation From the Fire Department

Sunday night there was a bit of excitement on the second floor of 24 Norman Street. About 10:30 a smoke/carbon monoxide alarm in unit 202 started going off. The alarm was loud enough to hear clearly in the hallway and in other units. No one was occupying the unit at the time and efforts by Markwood Management to contact the owner were unsuccessful. As a result, the fire department was called, and arrived shortly thereafter to investigate. As there was no key available to unlock the door, the firemen (after trying to gain access through an outside window) were required to break the door to gain access. They quickly determined that there was no smoke, and CO levels were normal. The alarm was apparently faulty. No fire, or leaks..that is the good part. The bad part is that the unit owner now has to replace the door and the lock.

I mention all of this for several reasons, one being that if you hear an alarm going off inside the building, or smell smoke, you need to pay attention, and call someone. Don't just go in your unit and pretend that everything is fine. If this had been an actual emergency or fire, critical minutes could have been lost in getting people out of the building.
Another, is that bad things happen. Even if your unit is fine, what happens in units above and and below you can affect you. Leaking water heaters, overflowing toilets, smoke, various alarms going off, these things can all lead to unpleasant surprises for tenants and owners.

If you are going to be away from your unit for any length of time, or are generally unreachable, and don't want the fire department breaking down your door, you may want to consider providing the fire department with a spare key to your unit. They keep them in a locked box here in the building so that in the case of an emergency, they can actually access the units without having to smash up the place. You can contact Markwood Management to find out how. At the very least you may want to consider giving a key to a trusted neighbor. This is completely voluntary, but which would you rather pay, $3 for a duplicate key, or $200 for a new door?

The Back Door

In the past few weeks it has been noticed that the door at the bottom of the back stairwell has frequently been left unlatched. The locking mechanism can stick, and keeps the door from closing completely. Markwood Management had Secure Lock out last week to investigate. They could not duplicate the problem but lubricated the latch. It was noticed again yesterday that the door was again not latched.
We just want to remind residents who use the back door to be sure it has closed completely. The door seems like it has enough weight behind it to close on its own, but the lock sometimes sticks, and if you close it gently, it will sometimes not latch. It also can looked closed from the outside, but still not be latched. (see the picture)
Many residents, when dropping off trash, recycling, going out for a smoke or other errand, find it convenient to leave the door ajar, however, if you are leaving the grounds for any length of time, please make sure the door is closed. This is a potential security issue. Markwood will continue to keep an eye on it and call Secure Lock again if we continue to have problems.