Madder than me!

[susandennis]

We have a system here at the condo. All packages are delivered to a giant locked closet next door to the manager's office.  All delivery services - ups, fedex, etc. have been thoroughly schooled by Scott, the resident manager.  They all have a way to get into the building and have had the rules drilled into them.  So, yesterday, when I checked my tracking and saw 'First delivery attempt failed', I was quite surprised.  UPS, I know, has a key and is one of the best for knowing and abiding by Scott's rules.  They should be able to deliver here anytime they want.

Before I called UPS to bitch, I went down to see if Scott knew anything.  And boy, did he ever.  One of my neighbors had, by chance, found the 'we tried to deliver' notice on a very little used back door.  It said there were 14 packages that we could pick up from the warehouse.  Scott had just gotten it when I got to his office.  I thought I'd have to get the fire extinguisher, he was spitting nails.

So I came back up here no longer stressed about my package but now a little worried for the UPS manager that got Scott's call.  I checked the tracking number I think once yesterday afternoon.  No change.  This morning I checked it and see that the package was delivered at 4:45 pm yesterday.  Hope the driver isn't too wounded.

There is a lot about living in a condo which is a royal pain in the neck but mostly it is wonderful to have someone to fight your battles for you!  I think I'll wait until I'm dressed to go get my package.

And I have another package going to Texas.  Dropcam has a new, better, webcam it just announced.  I sure don't need a better one here but I love watching the one at my brother's shop and have often wished for better there so I bought me one to put there.  Maybe he'll put the old one somewhere so I can have two views.  I love my computers, and my smartphone and my tablet, but I swear, the Dropcams in my life have given me some of the greatest technological joy of any of them.  That is one sweet product.

Today is a trip to the grocery. I'm so ready for tangerines to come into season but, apparently, they aren't as ready as I am yet.  I have library holds waiting.  Happily the grocery and the library are right on the way to the pool.  I'll bet there and ready for a swim at 11.

There was a chore I was going to tackle this afternoon but now I can't remember what it was. Must not have been too important.  Oh well, bears to knit, etc.

Comments

[venta.livejournal.com]

I noticed the lift in our block was broken the other morning - I don't really use the lift, being only on the second floor (or third floor in American ;) but there a few elderly people in the block who rely on it totally. I called the management company when they opened at 9 (we're a smallish block, so don't have an on-site manager) and by midday someone had turned up, fixed the lift, and come and told me they'd done it.

So much simpler than living in a house where you have to sort everything yourself!

[susandennis]

No kidding! I often get annoyed at the stupid rules or at some of the idiots who live in the building. And the monthly dues seem so high when I pay them.

And then I remember stuff like the elevator or the roof or the other maintenance things that get routine upkeep and fixes and I never even know it.

It's all totally worth it!

[thnidu.livejournal.com]

IF -- and only if -- it gets done and done right.

A friend of mine and his family live in the first-story apartment of a two-family building. His 9yo (!) daughter is an avid craftsperson and carpenter. Their landlord is ... well, let's just say he's a real ██████████.

One "repairman" sent by the landlord didn't have tools and had to borrow her electric drill!

Just the other day the boiler for the upstairs apartment, which is really too old and beat-up to repair, sprang a leak and was dripping. My friend took pictures, edited labels and descriptions into them specifying exactly which boiler it was, and emailed them to the landlord with his complaint. He also put a sign on the busted boiler. So, of course, the "plumbers" replaced his boiler instead. He now has a nice new boiler, but the upstairs neighbor's one is still leaking.

If and ONLY IF.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Of course - no one wants a rubbish landlord. I was thinking of the situation that susandennis and I are in, where you're in a larger block and the residents choose and pay for the management. So if the management isn't good, you sack them and get in someone new (as my block did a couple of years ago) [*].

Living in a smaller building where you're probably dependent on your landlord and have no choice is a totally different situation and can suck mightily.

[*] Am I right in thinking that this is what is meant by "condominium"? I don't think we (in the UK) have a special term for it.

[susandennis]

Actually, a condominium is a building which is comprised of units - residential and/or retail - each of which is owned by individuals. I own my unit. In addition, the common areas are owned by all of us - I own a percentage of these areas.

All the owners pay monthly dues to the homeowners association and the associations hires the management. And yeah, turds are sacked. We've sacked several over the years.

[thnidu.livejournal.com]

I believe so.