Click the images below to enlarge them and view the disgusting condition of the elevators.
This blog is intended to allow residents to make their opinions known about the upkeep of the building and grounds. The Marina Center is located at 14,255 Gouin West H8Z 3C2, corner of Saint-John's boul. and Gouin boul. West on the West Island of Montreal (borough of Pierrefonds). This ~30 year old, 16 level building, has 16 apartments per floor totaling some 250, including studios, 1 & 2 bedroom.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Dirty Disgusting Old Elevators!
The elevators of the Marina Center have gone from bad to worse in the last few years. Besides the vandals who occasionally perform deliberate acts of belligerence, the building management simply does not seem to see the need to keep them in good working order. As old as they may be, they should be maintained and kept clean. When something breaks, you fix it, especially when people are paying you rent which contributes to the upkeep of the building. It is embarrassing to have visitors come over and have to use these slum elevators.
Click the images below to enlarge them and view the disgusting condition of the elevators.
Click the images below to enlarge them and view the disgusting condition of the elevators.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Teens and a problem building
Several tenants have voiced their concern about some of the teens that live in the building and who are hanging out in the area and apparently causing problems. In one case a teen and his parent were forced to move from the building because of some inappropriate conduct which caused a lot of complaints. But it is important to understand that not all the teens in the building are problem teens, and that there are also some problem adults who are spreading lies about some of the teens. While some tenants complain about the teens, these same tenants will allow their dogs to poop or pee right in front of the main entrance and will walk their dogs on the grass where they poop all over despite the signs saying dogs are not allowed. Then the young kids cannot play on the grounds in the summer because of the overwhelming amount of dog poop everywhere.
In addition, it is known that there are drug dealers and other inappropriate adult services in the building. Although this has been brought to the attention of the administration, more than once, nothing has ever been done about it... and that is quite alarming!
And since there is little to no security and there are no security cameras, just about anyone can come in and go anywhere. Add to that, the inappropriate services being offered here and you get a slew of unsavory characters hanging around inside and around the building. You just need to speak with the security guard who is on duty at night and he will tell you that he knows the kids from the building. He will also tell you that he very often has to ask other teens and young adults who do not live here to leave the area because they are showing up inside the building or on the building grounds for reasons unknown.
People who do not live here can easily enter the building through the side doors, garage doors and often the main entrance. Other people who do not live here, walk the grounds, go to the water and sell and smoke drugs. But since the building has little to no security, little can be done.
So before you blame everything on the few teens in the building, speak to the administration. Make a formal complaint when something happens. Speak to Robert, the janitor if there is a problem... he knows just about everyone. And if it is a teen issue, he will often find the parents and speak with them.
Don't assume, because assuming makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me".
In addition, it is known that there are drug dealers and other inappropriate adult services in the building. Although this has been brought to the attention of the administration, more than once, nothing has ever been done about it... and that is quite alarming!
And since there is little to no security and there are no security cameras, just about anyone can come in and go anywhere. Add to that, the inappropriate services being offered here and you get a slew of unsavory characters hanging around inside and around the building. You just need to speak with the security guard who is on duty at night and he will tell you that he knows the kids from the building. He will also tell you that he very often has to ask other teens and young adults who do not live here to leave the area because they are showing up inside the building or on the building grounds for reasons unknown.
People who do not live here can easily enter the building through the side doors, garage doors and often the main entrance. Other people who do not live here, walk the grounds, go to the water and sell and smoke drugs. But since the building has little to no security, little can be done.
So before you blame everything on the few teens in the building, speak to the administration. Make a formal complaint when something happens. Speak to Robert, the janitor if there is a problem... he knows just about everyone. And if it is a teen issue, he will often find the parents and speak with them.
Don't assume, because assuming makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me".
Door to door solicitation during the day can be thieves scoping!
Last Friday June 13th at around 13h30 a large young man in his late 20s or early 30s was observed walking through the halls of each floor and knocking on the doors soliciting business for Videotron. He had an ID card hanging around his neck which identified him as an "apparent" Videotron employee. Anyone can make an ID card with just about anything on it. When confronted by one of the tenants he became angry and promptly left the building. Although the owner of the building was on the premises and advised of the situation, he apparently was not interested, which does not surprise me.
Soliciting for sales at 13h30 on a weekday when most people are at work and not home, is ridiculous and should ring alarm bells for anyone witnessing this. Most legitimate door to door salespeople prefer to solicit during supper time because they know most people are home. Someone who goes door-to-door during the day when everyone works is either stupid or a thief scoping for his next victim.
Criminals intentionally do this at times when people are not home to see if anyone answers. They will do this more than once and when working in teams, use several different people to avoid suspicion. They will examine the types of locks on the doors, see if there is a second lock, and try the door handle to see if the door was left unlocked. They will listen for animals or try and figure out if an elderly person or woman lives there by examining any decoration or the shoes left in front of the apartment door.
A peep hole reverser is also used by thieves to view inside the apartment from within the hall. This device changes the angle of the peep hole lens to allow the thief to look into the apartment. It lets thieves see if anyone is inside or what kind of belongings are inside the apartment. You should put tape over the peep hole from the inside which you remove only when you need to look through it.
Then after a while of "scoping" targets, they make their move and rob a place.
If you do not already have a second lock, it is important that you install one. And if someone knocks at your door to solicit you for anything, do not open the door, but instead tell the person to go away and promptly call the administration and ask that he/she be removed from the building.
Soliciting for sales at 13h30 on a weekday when most people are at work and not home, is ridiculous and should ring alarm bells for anyone witnessing this. Most legitimate door to door salespeople prefer to solicit during supper time because they know most people are home. Someone who goes door-to-door during the day when everyone works is either stupid or a thief scoping for his next victim.
Criminals intentionally do this at times when people are not home to see if anyone answers. They will do this more than once and when working in teams, use several different people to avoid suspicion. They will examine the types of locks on the doors, see if there is a second lock, and try the door handle to see if the door was left unlocked. They will listen for animals or try and figure out if an elderly person or woman lives there by examining any decoration or the shoes left in front of the apartment door.
A peep hole reverser is also used by thieves to view inside the apartment from within the hall. This device changes the angle of the peep hole lens to allow the thief to look into the apartment. It lets thieves see if anyone is inside or what kind of belongings are inside the apartment. You should put tape over the peep hole from the inside which you remove only when you need to look through it.
Then after a while of "scoping" targets, they make their move and rob a place.
If you do not already have a second lock, it is important that you install one. And if someone knocks at your door to solicit you for anything, do not open the door, but instead tell the person to go away and promptly call the administration and ask that he/she be removed from the building.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Parcour Thief on the Loose
It has been brought to my attention that in the recent past a Parcour thief has been seen scaling the west side of the buildings from balcony to balcony and stealing belongings from people who leave their balcony doors unlocked. In one specific case it was reported that a tenant on the 4th floor had a laptop stolen which was in the living room. The thief seems to be a man in his early twenties who was caught dressed in black and with a black back-pack. Athough he was followed, he managed to evade the person following him until he was spotted scaling the balconies in the dark.
Be sure to lock you balcony doors and windows and in the summer use the lock in the rail to lock them open and prevent anyone from coming in while allowing air to circulate. Using the rail lock will lock the door or window open for only about 3 inches.
It sounds crazy to think that someone could be robbing tenants in this way, but you can be assured that Parcouring is very real... just Google it or watch the videos on YouTube.
Be sure to lock you balcony doors and windows and in the summer use the lock in the rail to lock them open and prevent anyone from coming in while allowing air to circulate. Using the rail lock will lock the door or window open for only about 3 inches.
It sounds crazy to think that someone could be robbing tenants in this way, but you can be assured that Parcouring is very real... just Google it or watch the videos on YouTube.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
WATER SHUT-OFF YET AGAIN
And yes, once more, in the never ending saga of this outrageously badly managed building the water has been shut-off again today, Wednesday March 5th 2014, between 10 a.m. and supposedly 12 noon. When will this stop!
Monday, February 17, 2014
WATER SHUT-OFF AGAIN!
And once again the water is shut off between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Monday February 17th 2014. A paper was hung over the weekend in front of the downstairs elevators telling everyone that the water was going to be shut off again. This is a regular thing in this building. The building has deteriorated considerably in the last 5 years with the elevators in very bad shape, little to no security, drugs, prostitution and of course the regular water shut off.
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