No post yesterday since I ran into the exterminator while putting out garbage and things got hectic.
Dashed a note off to everybody's favorite unlicensed property manager, Mara Feldman-Fox...
Told them of what we've heard (and smelled).
He agrees that the rats (whom Mara surprisingly claims are not in the building; Quote your "News You Can Use" flyer : "There has been an increase of rodents in the area") are getting into the building via the pipes.
Since he can't access the pipes through the void under the front stairs due to a brick firewall, he set up an appointment to check through our bathroom wall (which faces the stairs and the void).
As the problem is beyond our drywall (and thus not our concern per se), and, according to A.N.D., there is no infestation in our unit, (as opposed to other units on our line) our allowing this is voluntary, not manditory, since the same result can be achieved by cutting thru the brick firewall.
But I will be billing for my time at Mara Feldman-Fox's stated rate of $75 per hour.
To quote Mara: "My time is valuable".
If you don't like it, you're free to have A.N.D. Exterminators cancel the appointment with me and have them cut thru the brick firewall instead.
If the exterminator comes for his appointment on Friday at 9am, it will denote acceptance of my terms.
Plus, as usual, failure to respond will be taken as tacit acceptance and consent.
Apparently, where money is involved, Mara responds, and fast!
She dashed off a note stating that it was my duty, according to the Declaration of Condominum Ownership to allow access for free since I was a member of the Association.
Wrong, as usual, Mara.
As I pointed out...
Interesting to see someone who disregards the Declaration of Condominium Ownership when it's inconvenient, attempting to use it to advantage.
Except it doesn't cover me.
I'm not an Association member, nor am I a unit owner.
The Declarations don't apply to me.
You're being billed for my time.
You can choose to ignore it, rack up late fees, and then have that fact posted on the Internet for the world to see.
You've done that before, too.
Mara then whined that I was, indeed, covered by the Declaration (Incorrect. "Her facts are uncoordinated" as Norman the android said in "I, Mudd"), but that if I didn't want to consider myself subject to them, I shouldn't correspond with her.
Except, if I
am subject to the Declaration, I
wouldn't have the option of choosing whether I was or not, and that my correspondence with her was as M's representative, not as myself,
per se!
Her fallacy is revealed!
(BTW, the Declaration covers unit owners and tenants of the owners
only.
I'm a resident,
not covered by the Declaration and under no obligation to provide free services.)
She then called M (my wife and the owner of the condo)
at her place of business and whined about how unfair it was that I'm charging for my time and that I wouldn't allow access to the unit.
I contacted Mara again by e-mail...
M requested I, her representative, send this confirmation of intent.
This is to confirm that A.N.D. Exterminators will be granted full access to '60 N Claremont Unit GE on Friday, Feb. 10th, 2012 at 9am to attend to a common element problem (Rodent infestation in the foundation/walls/plumbing).
PS: The only authorized e-mail contacts are my (or M's) personal e-mail accounts, which you have on file.
(The office e-mail account is a work e-mail owned by her employer and to be used only for work-related matters, not for personal (including condominium) business.
I also mentioned that, if Mara called M's workplace again, I'd call her on her unlisted cellphone number, instead of the Fox Management answering machine.
Mara then sent an e-mail requesting M confirm the appointment.
I, of course, responded...
Mara:
You already have M's confirmation from her representative, me.
What's the problem?
Just as you speak for the Board, I speak for her.
Unless you don't actually speak for the Board...
As of this time, almost 24 hours later, I still haven't heard from her.
BTW, The "little visitors" continue to wander overhead, primarily late at night...
Wednesday's total for
Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill from
July, 2008 (
over three years ago!)...$443,921.67
from an original $75!Thursday's total for
Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill from
July, 2008 (
over three years ago!)...$448,360.89
from an original $75! They've broken the $400,000 level!Now that the 1% per workday cumulative late fee is over $4000, it's really mounting up, at a rate of $20,000+ a week!
It's over 800(EIGHT HUNDRED) late charges, and now the amount (with late fees) is over 2600 times the original bill...
Isn't that just pitiful?
But then, what can you expect from Mara Feldman-Fox,
someone with only a bachelor's degree in accounting and
NO other accreditation, whatsoever?
She's not even registered as a property manager, as required by law!
I hope for her sake Mara's better with her library books and DVD rentals!
But I doubt it... ;-)
