MORE WATER PLAGUES 4th FLOOR RESIDENTS

The above photograph was taken on September 28 and shows that water is still in the fourth floor hallway that was supposed to be cleaned and disinfected the week prior.

According to one resident, the hallway “smells like a litter box.”

BOARD MEMBER IGNORES RESIDENT’S CONCERNS, PASSES THE BUCK

The following conversation reportedly occurred in the halls on September 18 between longtime board member Fran Carroll and a resident affected by the flooding that was happening on the fourth floor (see September 25 blog, “STANDING WATER ON 4TH FLOOR”):

RESIDENT - "Uh, Fran, please come up to the forth floor to see what's going on."

FRAN CARROLL - "I just got off work."

RESIDENT - "Well you are a board member and I want you to see what's going on up there."

FRAN CARROLL - "Call Vista if you have a problem. I don't need this, I just got off work."

RESIDENT - "Fran, you are a board member. You come upstairs with me to see what is going on."

FRAN CARROLL - "I have groceries in my hand and I just got off work. Call Vista if you have a problem."

RESIDENT - "Shame on you, you are a board member, you should care of what's going on here."

FRAN CARROLL - "Don't cuss me. Shame on you."

SATIRE

CONDO PROPERTY MANAGERS IN ILLINOIS FINALLY REQUIRED TO BE LICENSED

Kudos to Illinois state lawmakers for passing the Community Association Manager Licensing and Disciplinary Act. According to a summary prepared by Kovitz Shifrin Nesbit, “While the Act is effective July 1, 2010, the licensing requirement will not be effective until 12 months after adoption of the rules providing for licensure. The rules have not been adopted, and that could take a year itself.”

My short time here at 2000 St. Regis is case study enough to know that such regulation is necessary. I’m reminded of the meetings where impassioned homeowners told the board and Vista that they could not afford the $1.2 million assessment, and that another construction plan needed to be considered. Vista’s Jennifer Ranieri told the owners if they didn’t have the money then to withdraw it from their retirement funds, get a home equity loan, or borrow it from family and friends.

Perhaps Ms. Ranieri would not have been so casual about people’s homes and financial struggles, would not have been so married to the singular construction plan, had her livelihood depended on the high standards state oversight would ensure.

STANDING WATER ON 4th FLOOR

The above is a photograph of the standing water that remained in the 4th floor hallway for four days this week before management finally sent the building’s janitor... to place a fan in the hallway.

One resident compared the smell to “a dead body” and is worried about mold issues that might arise in the wall and carpet.

On Thursday, September 23, Jennifer Ranieri of Vista promised the hall would be cleaned and disinfected, but according to available information, that has not yet happened.

2000 St. Regis has a long history of water leaks, which will be detailed in future posts.

SATIRE - MINUTES FROM A BOARD MEETING

MINUTES FROM A RECENT 2000 ST. REGIS BOARD MEETING

Board members in attendance:

Judy Weismann

Mary Theodore

Fran Carroll

Tom Mull

and one or two others.

I. New Business:

The board wanted to order a pizza for themselves and the 90 residents who attended tonight’s meeting. A call was made to a pizza delivery service the board assured everyone was reputable.

The phone call went as follows:

WEISMANN: Hello, Pizza Man. Of the over 90 people in attendance tonight, only a few of us are hungry, and only about four of us absolutely need to eat.

PIZZA MAN: So how can I help you?

CARROLL: Well, since everyone needs food to sustain themselves, and since everyone here is going to have to eat again eventually, just send over 700 pizzas.

PIZZA MAN: How many?

CARROLL: 700. And tell your driver to hurry up, because I want to get this meeting over with so I can watch Dancing With the Stars!

THEODORE: Shut up, Judy.

CARROLL: You shut up, Mary!

WEISMANN: Yes, 700 hundred pizzas sounds reasonable.

PIZZA MAN: Are you sure? I hear a lot of objection in the background.

WEISMANN: Those are just the residents we’re ordering this pizza for.

THEODORE: And we’re going to have some, too, don’t forget!

CARROLL: But it’s mostly an emergency, for those four or five who really need to eat, so just send over the 900 pizzas.

PIZZA MAN: I thought it was supposed to be 700?

WEISMANN: Other things came up.

PIZZA MAN: All right. Let me give you a total.

CARROLL: You can do that?

PIZZA MAN: … um, yeah. It’s a pretty standard business practice to know how much something is going to cost before you agree to pay for it.

Silence.

THEODORE: Clearly, someone does not have any experience serving on a condominium board!

PIZZA MAN: And you ladies do?

WEISMANN, CARROLL, THEODORE: Years and years worth!

PIZZA MAN: Then you’re sure everyone can afford this?

Silence.

DICKLER: If they can’t, they don’t deserve to live here!

WEISMANN: That’s our attorney.

PIZZA MAN: You pay him to talk to your residents that way?

MULL: Is this meeting over yet? Because I need a smoke.

WEISMANN: Just start working and delivering the pizzas and we’ll worry about how we’re going to pay for it later.

CARROLL: It might save money if we picked it up instead of having to tip a driver.

THEODORE: I nominate Mark J. Ranieri!

RANIERI: I accept! I’ll be happy to pick up the 975 pizzas. And instead of having to tip a driver, you’ll only have to pay me a percentage of the final cost of the 999 pizzas!

WEISMANN, CARROLL, THEODORE: Agreed!

PIZZA MAN: I’m sorry. This is wrong. I can hear the residents objecting to this even if you can’t. I can’t be part of any business transaction like this. I don’t know anyone of conscience who could. Goodbye, St. Regis Board.

WEISMANN: Now who are we supposed to order the pizzas from?

RANIERI: I know somebody!