Don't Try This At Home

It was brought to Markwood's attention recently that a tenant of 24 Norman Street was working on their car in the side driveway for several hours. Although we generally applaud the do-it-yourself approach, we are compelled to point out that this type of activity is completely prohibited in the side driveway. There are several good reasons for this:

1. The driveway is primarily for short-term usage only. Things like dropping off and loading of groceries, luggage, etc. Also, the driveway is for everyone to use, so if you are using as your own personal repair shop, that keeps others from using it. Also, the driveway is our only access point for the trash removal. If you have your car up on a jack and the trash truck comes, that's going to be a problem. A good rule of thumb is, if it's an activity that is going to take you longer than 20 minutes, then don't plan on doing it in the driveway.

2. We are not equipped to deal with the spillage of fluids such as oil, transmission fluid, anti-freeze, detergents, etc., in the driveway. Clean up of these kinds of hazardous fluids is not something we want to be paying someone to do.

3. Liability. If your car rolls, catches fire, or falls on or in any way damages condo property or a person (including you) it could mean a lawsuit against you, the condo association, or both.

So in short, don't plan on doing things like oil changes, brake jobs, tire rotations, tune-up, washing and waxing etc. In the side driveway. There are plenty of service stations, car washes and other facilities for doing that kind of thing.

Fence Installation Completed

  The new fence between the Heritage Plaza Condominiums, 10 Norman Street from 24 Norman Street has been installed. The work was completed last Thursday by the Olsen Curtis Fence Company of Salem, MA. http://www.olsencurtisfence.com/. New trees to replace the three that were removed, should be planted soon.

Fence and Tree Work Scheduled

The property next door, 10 Norman Street, is in the process of replacing the fence that runs between our two buildings. As part of this work, three of the six maple trees, that are unhealthy and losing branches were taken down this week. The stumps have be ground down, the soil will be re-graded and leveled, and once the fence has been re-built, new trees will be planted to replace the ones that were taken down. Those units that are located on the driveway side, may notice a lack of shade, and an increase in visibility, and sunlight-generated heat. The fence replacement is currently scheduled for the end of June.

The First Rule About Trash Days

Unless there is a holiday, our trash collection is regularly scheduled for Tuesdays. Early in the morning, usually between 7:00 and 9:00 AM, a large truck backs into the side parking area and empties the dumpster. If there is a vehicle blocking access to the dumpster when they arrive, they will sometimes beep their horn, but more often than not, they move on, (they have a strict schedule to keep) and we miss our trash disposal for the week.
This can be a real problem as the dumpster will often be overflowing before they come the following week. This leads to an increase in pests (like seagulls and rats) and in the warmer months, flies, maggots, and bad odors, not to mention that it just looks plain ugly.
So remember, the first rule about trash day is: Never park in front of or block access to the dumpster. The second rule about trash day is: NEVER PARK IN FRONT OF OR BLOCK ACCESS TO THE DUMPSTER.  If you do,  you will not only cause problems with the trash, but your car may be towed as well.

The Driveway is Fixed!

Good news for those of you who like to use the side parking lot for picking up and dropping off, (as well as those of you who like to park there like it's your own personal spot)!
Markwood Management recently completed repairs on the cobblestone entry ramp from the street as well as the large pothole that lay at the head of the driveway. Hopefully these will survive the winter!