Zing

About a month ago, the bricks came raining down from the façade on the Blackstone side of our building.




Yes, dear readers---we’re having façade issues again.

Except this time it was a different section.

Once again we were lucky that no one got hurt. But unlike the last time, our little mishap didn’t go unnoticed.

Hence the love note from the city.

How did I find out?

Easy---the city sent out the notifications to the last information that they had on file. Seeing that no one has bothered to file an annual report or bothered to change our registered agent with the state, the city decided to send notification to anyone they could find.

That included my address.

Now before I get on my soap box, I will acknowledge a few things in defense of my neighbors who are doing the heavy lifting.

The focus at the time was on paying off our existing special assessment and continuously following up on those members severely behind in their monthly assessments.

That hand you see being raised would be mine. Guilty as charged.

The rigors of dealing with association business and your own personal life has been known to drive a person batty. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Watching your lay about neighbors make excuse after excuse on why they either won’t or can’t help; listening to empty promise after empty promise can wear on your nerves.

I can understand the frustration for those of you who take the mantle of leadership upon your shoulders.

I can also understand why you’d want to slap the living dog piss out of your neighbors.

Nonetheless, the burden is yours to bear until you say you don’t want it anymore.

So as long as you control the money or are on the board---you have a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of the association.

That means filing the correct paperwork with governmental bodies.

That means applying for the refuse rebate from the city.

That means following up on capital projects despite the fact that no one wants to hear about another special assessment.

Because when you don’t----well---you have our little situation.

I personally used to handle those initially insignificant tasks that come back to bite you in the ass but personal matters got in the way.

Then the unemployment.

Then I was told I was a bad neighbor.

At that point, I decided why should I use my talents and connections for people who don’t fully appreciate them?

I’ve showed everyone what was needed to be done.

If you’re too busy or too lazy to print out a piece of paper, fill it out and find supporting documentation---shame on you.

I’m done enabling a group of grown ups.

I know it’s not all about me. I simply dug down deeper than most are willing to do and found the answers we needed for our multiples situations.

It’s not like I’m curing cancer.

But it appears that in my absence, things have been handled in a less than efficient manner.

Your condo is your home, you have to treat the association like a business.

Or at the very least insure that the city doesn’t come snooping around.

Make no mistake ladies and gentlemen, we have completely stepped in it---the proverbial shit is getting ready to hit the fan.

My concern is that when we get these violations repaired that our cash strapped city will find new ones.

If the city is trying to collect on Bears season ticket holders PSL's, anything's possible.

I predict that this is not gonna turn out well.

Not Good

Per my Twitter post yesterday, we received this "love note" from the city.



Jesus take the wheel.

The backstory about this avoidable mess will follow in short order.

Draining

Yes, I’ve been missing lately. Please excuse my absense.

After all, waitressing and working seemingly every part time job possible can take a toll on a sister. It took about three weeks for my feet and back to stop outright throbbing.

Methinks that I can now run a marathon in heels.

Just because I’m working day and night to make ends meet doesn’t mean that I don’t have stories to tell.

The latest involves why you should always make sure that you have a legitimate developer who has obtained all of his or her legitimate licenses regarding your building.

Note I said legitimate licenses.

Carlton Knight obtained “licenses” but they were to replace walls and to erect a fence. Trust me, I have copies of the permit applications.

You want to make sure that little things like the plumbing and roof have been covered as well.

But I digress.

After many years of having their low-end laminate kitchen cabinets, my next door neighbors decided to upgrade and get new cabinets.

They shopped, saved their money, made their purchases and set an installation date.

The appointed time came and the workers started to rip out their old cabinets.

But a small wrinkled developed.

The “T” drain that funnels water from the kitchen of both of our units was damaged when the base cabinets were being moved.

As I’m sure you know, most bathrooms and kitchens in a development are placed in generally the same place so the water and drainage lines can be in the same location.

You see my friends, when our developer “rehabbed” our units he merely made cosmetic changes.

If you’ve been a long time reader of this blog you’ve read the stories.

But this time the “T” drain in the kitchen of my neighbor’s unit was being held together by insulation foam resting on the base kitchen cabinet.

Did I mention that the “T” drain was completely rusted ?

Now I’m not a Rhodes Scholar, but I’m confident that if the plumbing was updated when all of us first bought into this development over six years ago it wouldn’t of rusted.

Hell, can you even put metal pipes in buildings anymore?

Ironically, when my neighbor directly below me rehabbed her kitchen, she didn’t have any problems. And might I add her new kitchen is the shit.

Hotness personified.

Nonetheless because the drain runs between both of our units, I couldn’t wash the dishes or run the dish washer.

Like I need an excuse to not do housework.

Unfortunately my neighbors had to pay over $700 to get the “T” drain fixed. If they didn’t any kitchen water both units would of run would of gone directly into the walls.

And we all know that water is a home owner’s worst enemy.

The moral of this story is that when you’re looking for a condo and you get that funny little feeling about the things you can see, be very concerned about the things you can’t.

Makin' It Rain

I realized that it’s been awhile since I’ve reported on the antics of my favorite developer, Carlton Knight.

Last September, I wrote a post about a building that’s being converted by Mr. Knight needed major corrective work, despite the fact it was currently on the market.

According to DCAP an application was submitted to replace an existing porch.

I think any rational person can agree that it was a step in the right direction.

But that little voice inside my head told me there had to be more to this story. So I took a little trip down the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office to dig up any possible paperwork.

Let me tell you folks, that was the best $1.75 I ever spent on a bus ride. The court papers did not disappoint.

So I don’t bore you I’ll cite a few samplings from the 27 page filing:


“Defendants Carlton Knight and the 1512-1514 E. Marquette LLC (‘The LLC’) are the developers of the subject property.”

“Beginning on or about January 2006, Defendants Carlton Knight and 1512-1514 E. Marquette converted the 6 unit apartment building that is the subject property to condominiums. That conversion required extensive renovations.”

“Defendants Carlton Knight, the Trust, and the LLC financed the renovations with a construction loan valued at $1,202,000, which included approximately $600,000 for the acquisition of the property.”

“Defendant Carlton Knight applied for several permits for the property. Defendant Carlton Knight failed to secure a certificate of occupancy for the property.”


The best part comes in the following eight counts the city alleges against Mr. Knight:

1. Failure to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy.
2. 56 separate building code violations.
3. Fines aren’t enough motivation to correct these issues, the city wants to building put into a receivership.
4. Making false statements of material fact.
5. Failure to obtain a general contractor’s license.
6. Failure to obtain a residential real estate developer’s license.
7. Failure to obtain a business license as a general contractor.
8. Failure to obtain a business license as a residential real estate developer.

My particular favorite is in count 4 (false statements of material fact) the city alleges:

“On August 18th, 2006, Carlton Knight applied for a permit for work being done on the subject property with the Department of Construction and Permits.”

“The application stated that the project was valued at under $10,000. The true value of the project was over $400,000.”

“Carlton Knight failed to disclose the true costs of work undertaken to rehabilitate the property when he falsified the amount of the rehabilitation project, and as a result violated 1-21-010 (2006).”

“Carlton Knight has violated and continues to violate section 1-21-010 of the general provisions of the municipal code by his continued failure to disclose the true costs of the work undertaken as required by DCAP and his knowingly falsifying his original application for a permit.”

I know each and every one of your are shocked by all of these allegations.

And just so you don’t die of curiosity, a few of the 56 separate building code violations range from the condition of the back porch, to inadequate lighting at an exterior entrance to the basement.

I cant imagine why the city would have a problem with various electrical code issues and failure to arrange mechanical ventilation or warm air heating system final inspection when the work was completed---do you?

I have to give the Department of Buildings and the Coporation Counsel mad props as they just seemed to finally inspect and document everything I’ve been writing about for the past two and a half years.

Only time will tell if the repairs are made or if Mr. Knight squeaks through another loophole.

Methinks the city just “made it rain” all over shady bootleg developers.

'Bout time.

Brickbats

Like the swallows coming back to Capistrano, our association has yet another capital project to tackle.

Some might say that our latest undertaking is a result of the high quality conversion the building went through in 2000-2001.

Others might say that because of the building’s age (100 + years) that this may be a part of regular maintenance.

At this point, only the professional opinion of our vendor(s) will decide which of the two theories is correct.

In the meantime we have to figure out how to finance the tuck pointing of our façade and the possible rebuilding of our front porches.

Jesus take the wheel.

While we’re almost done paying off the back porches, we have to turn our efforts to the next project.

After all we don’t want anymore bricks falling off of our building.

At our first 2008 association meeting, the subject was broached and based on preliminary estimates we can afford to get one side of our façade tuck pointed without raising assessments.

That’s preliminary good news.

I’m worried about if the estimate was wrong or costs spiral out of control. Then what are we going to do?

We’ve worked hard to get our shit together.

Between the self management, self lawn care and careful attention to the bottom line, we’ve made the magic happen.

Naturally we had to crack the whip about the lifeblood of any association---assessments.

Now we’ve got to worry about how to pay for possible latent defects as a result of our developer.

But as I said, only the vendors will be able to pinpoint the true cause of the façade issue.

Don’t think I won’t give you the 411 when the information is available.

I can only assume that I’ll be dreaming of masonry for the remainder of 2008.

Neville Chamberlain

There is peace in our time---at least for now.

I’m sure you kids were wondering what exactly happened with all of that unmixing business.

After all of that back and forth the bottom line is that my neighbor and I went ahead and got our electrical lines straightened out---I’m the only one paying for and using my power.

The power to our tier had to be shut off temporarily but to my knowledge no one else in the building was permanently affected by our decision.

While I’ve noticed very little difference service wise, my first floor neighbor is happy to report that for the first time in almost four years she can now run her washer, dishwasher AND microwave at the same time.

That sound you hear is my neighbor clicking her heels.

Hopefully my electric bill will drop dramatically. Only time will tell.

So currently there is no drama, no ping-pong e-mails and hard looks given in the hallway.

Things seem kinda normal.

Then of course we do have a condo board meeting tomorrow night.

Civil War

I sent a "head's up" e-mail to the wife of one of our board members; she also happens to live across the hall from me. I figured that as a common courtesy that she should also know what's about to happen as 4 or the 6 unit owners are about to embark on this electric project.

The e-mail below are her feelings on the subject. This ought to be an interesting next two weeks.


Thanks for sending me the update.

What interruptions do you forsee? If the interruptions are just temporary shutting off power to do the work, that is understandable, at least from my perspective. This type of interruption would not cost the board anything and not require the association to hire anyone. But if electrical work in the common areas is needed as a result of the work in individual units, I don't think the board should pay for an electrician, since the work is being done in individual units & the board has consistantly said they would not pay for this.

If anything is interrupted or damaged in the common elements as a result of the work, I believe that the unit owners would be liable for that, but we should consult the lawyer about that. The board should not pay for something that it has clearly stated that it would not pay for and any expense related to it should come from the unit owners t! hat are doing the work. In sum, before anything seriously impacts the electricity of the common elements, it should have board approval.

Since the board has consistantly said that they would not pay for any electrical work and this is not an approved common element expense, the association should not be out of money to pay for any electrical work until that is voted on by the board. There are specific steps that need to be taken in terms of board approval for any expense.

As you all know, we are still not in financial situation to pay for expenses like this when we have immediate things that need to be paid for. Having another special assessment to pay for electrical work is simply out of the question, but would be the only option considering that we are still in debt! I personally cannot afford more expenses considering that we have structural damage on the front decks, as well as damage to our stairs, and the $10,000 debt that was not accounted for in the 1st special, just to name a few problems.

Just my thoughts.

The Unmixing, Parting Words

I sent this final e-mail of the series on 1/26/07 to the tier owners and the Property Manager of the second floor unit:

XXXX,

XXXX and I are not upgrading the electrical in our units. We are simply ensuring that the proper lines are going to the proper circuits that in turn is being billed to the correct individual.

All in all it's very simple.

Carlton Knight put every last unit owner in this position and there is no easy way to figure out a solution. Despite the fact we have a strong legal case, we can't sue him as we have not been able to locate his money. So in the end, we as an association have to figure out how to deal with this issue. Both XXXX and I were hoping that as a tier we could all work together with this fix and finally have our electrical in good working order.

Apparently that is not the case.

As I stated previously, unit owners will pay one way or another---either out of pocket or with a special assessment. On it's face, it seems that it would be cheaper to simply pay the $350 out of pocket to ensure the safety, security and electrical accuracy of XXXX's property and her tenant.

You are correct, we will proceed with this project with or without you. Now it would be great if 1509, #2 were on board but if you choose not to be and the unit has power issues as a result, you can never say that the process wasn't inclusive or that you weren't given sufficient warning.

Regardless of your level of participation, we will still keep both you and the board updated with timelines and our progress.

If you feel the need to take a litigious posture please note that most owners in the association are in possession of a number of documents detailing the status of the electrical. Since the electrical remains in this questionable state, if XXXX ever chooses to enroll the unit in the CHAC program I would think that once a CHAC inspector got his or her hands on that report and see the electrical boxes in person, the unit may not pass an inspection.

Naturally no CHAC clients could be placed in the unit until the issue is addressed. That could mean the potential loss of rental income & subsidies.

XXXX and I are not trying to be inconsiderate or thoughtless. I can imagine you would not want to live in a place where you wonder if you can wash your clothes, dishes and run your microwave at the same time but also wonder what your electricity bill will be based on the usage of your neighbor.

The XXXX condo association cannot reimburse me for the electrical bills I've possibly paid for in the last five years nor will I ask them to.

My hope is that with a few people we can start to find our way out of this mess and make our building a better place to live.

It is unfortunate that the #2 unit may be affected by the path we're choosing but there really is no other way to straighten out this situation.

The Unmixing, Litigation Edition

Believe it or not, this e-mail saga is winding down.

The property manager sent a final response on 1/26/07 on his postion. Naturally I had an initial brief response. The e-mail was sent to the usual cast of characters (tier owners & the board):


Well, it's good to know where you both stand. I don't see any additional correspondence necessary since your decisions are final.

I back you both 100% in your desires to upgrade your units, however you see fit. I'm just saddened that you refuse to be empathetic and consider our desire to not be effected by your decisions.

I am confident that not only do the Declarations and By-Laws but that the judicial system also will support our case.

Please take this information as you see fit, but understand that if we are effected, we will seek retribution by the full extent of the law.

...And I fire back:


Duly noted.

The Unmixing, The First Floor Chimes In Again

This e-mail was sent on 1/26/07 by the first floor unit owner on my tier to the board and all tier owners:


To everyone:

We can definitely talk more about solutions, but my intention to separate my
lines from the unit above me is a done deal. And I won't feel a bit sorry
for the electricity going out, because everyone has known about these issues
for the past 4 years.

I would think that a person would fix their problem areas in the unit first, then rent it out, but that's just how I would handle mine.

If you were that concerned with how this was going to big problem once we decided to get the work done, why haven't you communicated any input until now or maybe did some research yourself to try to come to a solution?

What about your responsibility as a property manager XXXX, you mean to tell me XXXX never mentioned this to you and your blindsided by this situation? This is just another instance where I find it disappointing that a very important issue like our electrical is being trivialized.

Our electrical is jacked and I am not going to live with intertwined lines any longer, let alone, not having enough power to run my apartment on a stable level.

I'm done for now.

The Unmixing, Snarky Is As Snarky Does

The following e-mails were also sent on 1/25/07 to the tier owners and the board:

From the Property Manager:

XXXX,

Thanks for your response. Your passion toward fixing this issue is evident and understood. Still, I'm in need of some clarification on a few points made in your email.

It appears from your perspective that this discussion is over. You're unwilling to take this to the board and this project is going to happen, sometime mid-to-late February. Furthermore, your position appears to be that since you've sufficiently warned us, if you disrupt any of our electricity, we better call an electrician and find the money to pay for it because "the onus falls on [us]."

I know that email can be taken out of context because one cannot read body language, facial expressions, and other aspects necessary to effectively communicate without misunderstanding. Your commitment to the association, compassion for your neighbors and willingness to follow procedures addressed in the Declarations and Bylaws suggest that I'm misinterpreting your email. Will you please shed some light on my confusion?

...And My Response:

XXXX,

What clarification did you need? What questions or concerns did I not answer?

The Unmixing, I Explain AGAIN...

This e-mail, sent on 1/25/07, is my response to the property manager's queries. It also went to the unit owners on my tier and the board:


XXXX,
Our current electrical system is an unfortunately legacy of Carlton Knight's shoddy development.

For those of us who have been here since the beginning, we know that Mr. Knight left us with significant and expensive infrastructure issues. Some of which are just now pushing to the head of the repair list. Unfortunately the electrical has been a known and documented concern within the association for at least three or four years. As XXXX may have shared with you the back porch project of 2006 was our first priority.

The point you make about a limited common element and the payment concern may have some merit, the fact remains that the money is coming out of unit owner's pockets one way or another. It will either come out of pocket voluntarily or via another special assessment.

Frankly speaking as both a board member and unit owner, I am not willing to put my neighbors through another potential special assessment when we are barely half way through paying off the first one.

Additionally let's be clear on what that $350.00 covers: That is simply to make sure that the correct electrical lines for the correct unit are going to the correct circuits. In short, that the person who's name is on the bill is paying for the electrical that he or she uses.

I have been paying for the XXXX basement's electrical for over five years. Or perhaps the association has been paying for my kitchen electrical---at this point no one knows. Nonetheless the situation should be straightened out and as a concerned neighbor I'm not willing to sacrifice the financial stability of the association as a whole for a matter that can be worked out among members of the same tier.

Moreover I'm also exploring the possibility of having my electrical upgraded to 10 circuits instead of the six that I have so my lights don't flicker when I plug in an iron or mixer. As I have both a small stackable washer and dryer, dishwasher, microwave, stand alone range and refrigerator it's important for me to make sure that not only do I have enough power to run the appliances that I currently have but to also be able to bring in additional ones in the future.

It is both XXXX's & my fondest wish that not only the association but XXXX will be on board with this first move to correct this glaring oversight. I feel fairly confident in speaking for us both by saying that this project is going to happen---and happen in the near future. If as a result, the lines are straightened out and the responsible party does not take the steps to have them reconnected to the correct circuit, the onus falls on them.

I do not agree with your statement that if the work affects other areas or units that it's my responsibility to make sure those area's electricity has been restored.

That's why XXXX and I are giving (and has given) everyone significant notice of what's going to happen so we can all do this together to minimize power interruptions. If she and I are the only ones interested in pursuing this matter at this time and units and common areas wind up in the dark, no one can say they weren't sufficiently warned.

This has been discussed and debated. we both would like to think we're good neighbors by sparing the association the large expense of having the financial onus fall of them. We've even followed the procedures set down in our Declarations and Bylaws notifying the association about major work inside of our units.

Now it's time for the work to begin.

Once our due diligence is finished and the written estimates are in we will let you know when the work will start. I would guess on mid to late February. The name and number of our potential electrician is in XXXX's first e-mail below.

The Unmixing, The Property Manager Speaks

The Property Manager's response was sent on 1/25/07 to all tier unit owners and the board:


Thank you for sending us notice of your intentions to contract the electrical work. It's comforting to know that you're proactive in your approach to attacking the issues that affect our XXXX community.

At first glance, it seems though that this may be an issue that should be handled by the association. If in fact the lines are tied, then wouldn't this be considered limited common areas, thus falling under the jurisdiction of the condo board? This characterization of the issue will allow the expense of correcting the lines to be shared with all members of the association.

I suspect the $350 over-the-phone estimate to be grossly understated. But, not only should the financial cost be considered in making this decision, the potential liability should also be strongly considered. Unfortunately, if work in our units effects other units or the common areas, we would be responsible to remedy those effected areas. That could become a financial burden we can't bear.

Has this issue been brought to the board's attention and put up for discussion/vote? Or is it that you prefer to handle the issue yourselves?

Mr. Property Manager

The Unmixing, Additional Woody

This e-mail was sent on 1/22/07 once again to the board, all tier unit owners and the 2nd floor unit's property manager after the first floor unit owner's letter of the same date:


Good Afternoon,

Like XXXX I am also eager to get my individual electrical situation resolved.

As I mentioned at the board only meeting last week, I know that the 1509 basement electricity is tied to one of my circuits. I discovered this last year when the porches were being constructed. The heavy power tools blew the circuit which took out the basement lights, basement electrical outlets and most of my kitchen power.

When Mr. XXXX straightens out our situations it may be that the association may need to either engage his services or the services of a qualified electrician to make sure the common areas continue to have power.

I cannot emphasize that step be taken in conjunction with the work that will soon be performed to minimize electrical disruptions.

While I'm not sure if XXXX's electricity and my electricity are intermingled, I wouldn't doubt it at this point. I hope that you can also be on board as we start to untangle yet another mess that Carlton left us with.

I'm sure that with the recent jump in electrical prices, that we all want to make sure that our collective bills reflect our true usage.

At this point, I anticipate the work to happen sometime in the month of February. More information will follow.

Woody

The Unmixing, The First Floor Speaks

This e-mail was sent on 1/22/07 from my first floor neighbor to the board, all owners in our tier and property manager for the 2nd floor unit after she and I had consulted two electricians about our concerns:


XXXX,

I am ready to start electrical work on my apartment that will separate
our electrical lines.

As you know, when my fuses blow, your entire kitchen
shuts down. I am sure that you and your tenants have experienced this in
the past. This email is to inform you, so that hopefully you will join
XXXX and I in getting our lines straightened out to the basement.

This is just the first round of hopefully resolving some long-standing electrical
issues in my apartment. So at least I know that I am only paying for my
electrical usage, not my neighbor's.

Just as a caveat, your tenants' home-based hair salon is yet another reason why our electrical has to be straightened out. This situation is just blatantly over and above normal
usage of our utilities and isn't even "legal" under our Decs and Bylaws. I will definitely contact your property manager and you to disclose when the work is going to happen.

Bill XXX, is the electrical contractor that we will be working with. He gave me a quote of $350 over the phone, and will be getting written estimate this week. I thought this was very reasonable and am hoping that you will hop aboard to get this taken care of. I can assure you that my electrical will be affect your unit, but I am unsure if XXXX's unit will have any effect. Did you have any issues in the past?

If there are any updates or changes in schedule, I will also forward any information along to you.

Thx for your time and consideration.

XXXX

The Unmixing, Happy New Year

This e-mail is dated 1/5/07 and was sent from me to my condo board and the two other owners in my tier:


Folks,

As some of you may know the electrical service in my unit has been a major concern to me for the past few years.

In fact it was only last year during the porch construction that I discovered that the electrical to the back of my unit was tied in the XXXX basement electrical. Knowing that XXXX has also had similar problems in the past, both she and I setup an appointment with XXXX from XXXX Electric to see if our individual situations can be sorted through.

I'm mentioning this to the board as the electrical to some common areas and other units in the XXXX tier (or the building as a whole) may be affected by any discoveries and/or changes.

For instance, if the basement power has been erroneously connected to a circuit for my unit, that power will eventually be disconnected. It is my hope if such an issue arises, that all of this can be done as seamlessly as possible.

Seeing that we know the electrical work on the original condo conversion was questionable at best, I have a feeling that unit owners have been partially paying for other unit owners (or the common areas) electric usage.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Woody

The Unmixing

Our electrical is, quite frankly, a mess.

If you've read my earlier post about this epic saga---you already know about that drama.

After having countless electricians come over to take a look at the electrical system then run like the wind; we have finally found someone who apparently can take care of our individual unit issues.

While as an association we have many issues with our electrical system, the main culprit is the electrical wiring for one unit may be connected to the circuit for another.

As a result, one unit owner may be paying for the electricity for their unit AND the portion of another unit.

In my case (to the best of my knowledge) I'm paying for my electricity AND the basement electricity of my tier which includes our building's intercom system.

Ain't life grand?

So like the diligent little home owners that we are, my first floor neighbor and I intended to get the problem rectified.

It be unfortunate if you kids saw me out on the corner in order to pay my mortgage like electric bill.

By the way, our electrical provider, Commonwealth Edison has sharply increased their rates so everyone's bills are taking a hit.

Silly us---we tried to get the other unit owner in our tier and her property manager on board. Thinking that once our electrical was corrected, there is a significant chance that her unit (and some of the common areas) might be in the dark.

Seeing that she has renters that wouldn't be a good thing.

Much to our surprise we’ve met resistance. The next few e-mail posted e-mail transmissions will tell the story.

Why can't anything be easy around this joint?

Brevity or I Wouldn't Do That If I Were You

If you purchase a condo at 1512-1514 East Marquette you may find yourself in the same situation I’ve been chronicling for the past year.

Despite the fact I’d love to have a loyal reader as a neighbor, I wouldn’t want to put anyone else through the drama.

As of August 31st the building at the above address was granted a construction permit.

From what I understand the permit is supposed to be for “Replacing existing drywall partitions with new.”

The on-line description may have been edited for brevity because that’s the only way to explain way it didn’t mention anything about electrical work for the new central air conditioning units on the roof.

You doubt me? Please look at the realtor’s listing that describes all of the sparkling new amenities that the lucky buyers will be getting once they sign on the dotted line.

The permit’s brevity may have also stopped me from reading about the plumbing and how it’s being brought up to code.

I’m curious to know how the plumbing in a building built before low flow toilets, washers & dishwashers will be able to handle the increased water demands of six residents and their families.

My developer (and the developer of the 1512-1514 Marquette condos) surely will have listed all of this important infrastructure work in the complete permit application, right?

I was also under the impression that when one replaces drywall, that the electrical and plumbing would have to be reviewed as well. ‘Cause how can you tear down drywall and not affect the electrical and plumbing?

I’ll make sure the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed when I file my freedom of information act request to see the full application.

I don’t want to accuse Mr. Knight of actions that he may have already taken.

Moreover, I’m sure he’s also going to replace that woeful back porch.

The big give away ladies and gentlemen on an old and more than likely non-code compliant porch would be the big X’s that form support crosses along the stairways and landings.

If you stand facing the porch and see those big “X’s” where a person can stand on the landing, you might want to ask if the porch will be replaced or if it will be brought up to code?

Now I can’t emphasize this enough so kindly pay attention: If you don’t get a satisfactory answer to the porch question move onto the next condo development.

You can name your first born after me as a small gesture of thanks.

Then of course if you want to come out of pocket for big money for a new code compliant porch some time in the future or face a possible lawsuit from an injury, please be my guest.

Speaking as someone who hasn’t quite paid off her own special assessment for our brand new porches---trust me you want to opt for the former option instead of the later.

Right now I will have to acquaint myself with how the Department of Construction and Permits approves permits for rehabbed condo developments.

Or is it possible that they weren’t given the true scope of the project?

Stay tuned.

The Facade

We barely avoided our porches crashing to the ground so I guess it makes sense that something had to eventually catch us off guard, right?

It would seem that a part of our facade provided our little wake up call.

Almost two weeks ago a three foot section came crashing down from above the third floor balconies to the street below.

It was only through God’s grace that no one got hurt or property didn’t get damaged.

We have so many school aged children in the neighborhood---how could we even form the words to apologize to someone’s mother for such a mishap?

The thought alone makes tears well up in my eyes.

It’s not like we don’t have enough to consider---now this? While I’m sure you can understand my moment of self pity and passing comparison with Job, it does kind of make you wonder if the association is jinxed.

There’s just so much that has yet to be addressed and we (and I use that term loosely) are fighting so hard that you would think karma would cut us a little more room than usual.

Or at least stop kicking us in the ass.

I was on my way home from the train and saw our board President run out the gate and around the corner. When I followed, a pile of bricks and a cloud of dust greeted my gaze.

The bricks fell right in front of one of the three entrances to our association.

Had anyone been exiting or entering the building the precise time those bricks had fallen they would have been badly hurt.

From what I’ve been told, the building wasn’t tuck pointed upon it’s rehab and now normal wear and Chicago weather has loosened our facade.

As of this post, the resolution of this situation---at least to my knowledge---remains very much up in the air. I have not heard how much the repairs would be much less tuck pointing of the whole building.

I know another special assessment is coming.

Methinks it’s time to up the ante with Mr. Knight.

Either his ignorance or outright negligence is squarely to blame for our present circumstances. Hazardous back porches, sketchy wiring, a growing city fine and now a falling facade---someone owes us some money.

I think it’s time to collect what we’re due.

Job

From our friends at Wikipedia.com:

"Job was a man of great probity, virtue, and religion, and he possessed much riches in cattle and slaves, which at that time constituted the principal wealth even of princes in Arabia and Edom. He had seven sons and three daughters and was in great repute among all people, on both sides of the Euphrates.

His sons made entertainments for each other; and when they had gone through the circle of their days of feasting, Job sent to them, purified them, and offered burn-offerings for each one in order that God might pardon any faults unintentionally committed against him during such festivities. He was wholly averse from injustice, idolatry, fraud, and adultery. He avoided evil thoughts, and dangerous looks, was compassionate to the poor, a father to the orphan, a protector to the widow, a guide to the blind, and a supporter to the lame.

God permitted Satan to put the virtue of Job to the test. At first by giving him power over his property, but forbidding him to touch his person. Satan began with taking away his oxen: a company of Sabeans slew his husbandmen and drove off all the beasts; one servant only escaping to bring the news. While he was reporting this misfortune, a second came, and informed Job that fire from heaven had consumed his sheep, and those who kept them; and that he alone had escaped. A third messenger arrived, who said "The Chaldeans have carried away the camels, have killed all your servants, and I only am escaped."He had scarcely concluded, when another came, and said, "While your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking in their eldest brother's house, an impetuous wind suddenly overthrew it, and they were all crushed to death under the ruins; I alone am escaped to bring you this news."

Job rented his clothes and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground saying, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave and the Lord had taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."As Job endured these calamities without repining against Providence, satan solicited permission to afflict his person, and the Lord said, "Behold he is in your hand, but don’t touch his life." Satan, therefore, smote him with a dreadful disease, probably leprosy, and Job, seated in ashes, scraped off the corruption with a potsherd. His wife incited him to "curse God, and die" but Job answered "Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?"

In meantime, three of his friends, having been informed of his misfortunes, came to visit him - Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. A fourth was Elihu the Buzite, who from chapter 32 bears a distinguished part in the dialogue. It is also interesting to note that others also may have been listening to the dialogue of Job and his three friends.

They continued seven days sitting on the ground by him, without speaking, but at last Job broke silence, and complained of his misery. His friends, not distinguishing between the evils with which God tries those whom he loves and the afflictions with which he punishes the wicked, accused him of having indulged some secret impiety, and urged him to return to God by repentance and humbly to submit to his justice, since he suffered only according to his demerits.

Job, convinced of his own innocence, maintained that his sufferings were greater than his faults and that God sometimes afflicted the righteous only to try them, to give them an opportunity of manifesting or of improving their pious dispositions, or because it was his pleasure, for reasons unknown to mankind."

The above synopsis pretty much summed up how I felt when part of our building facade came crashing down to the pavement last Thursday.