Tough Talk

But can she back it up?

Two notices were posted to our doors yesterday.

One flyer is to remind residents this is a no-smoking community, that it’s written in the lease as such and residents agreed to comply with the no-smoking rule by signing the lease agreement. However, inasmuch as some continually break this rule, management is getting tough and those caught smoking from now on will be immediately evicted.

That’s some tough talk, and may sound harsh but this complex has been designated no-smoking for a reason. Many seniors have health issues, breathing issues and then there’s people like me who’d like to avoid the consequences of second hand smoke.

The Seer herself has so much cigarette smoke seeping into her unit, from multiple neighbors breaking the rule, that she’s taken to wearing one of those respirator masks. Also, it’s a safety issue as some of the residents have those little oxygen tanks on their wheelchairs and in their units.

Though I’ve never complained about the smoking, I was relieved when the complex received its “no smoking” designation, because I no longer had to hold my breath or cover my nose when walking past smokers.

At the time the complex was designated no smoking allowed, management offered smokers help with quitting.

To my knowledge, no one took management up on the offer. They just turned to smoking on the QT… covertly, which is why the tough talk.

The other flyer is about leaving pet food on the sidewalks for stray cats and dogs. Reason being it “also attracts coyotes and all kinds of unnecessary animals to the property”. If caught, a Lease Violation will be issued, which means not immediate eviction, like with smoking, but cease and desist or risk eviction.

Problem with enforcing these rules is “if you’re caught”.

Not if someone complains, which many have, but if caught by management personnel.

Not likely to happen, as management makes it easy for rule breakers to work around being caught.

Office hours are 9:00 to 5:00, closed on weekends.

Head Maintenance Guy and Assistant Manager live on the premises, but they get really upset when notified of something occurring while, as they put it, “I’m off the clock”.

They live here, for Pete’s sakes!

I imagine they were given free no-rent units for a reason -- to make themselves available.

Leaving her job as Leasing Agent at the multi-family complex next door, to finish her college education, but needing a place to live, plus food and life’s necessities, Granddaughter took a position as Leasing Agent in a beach community senior complex.

One of the seniors in that complex tried to commit suicide by setting fire to his unit. Granddaughter got involved, even to the point of entering a unit to save the dog of a resident.

Had Head Maintenance Guy and Assistant Manager been faced with a similar situation, they would have told us “I’m off the clock”, leave a message on the Emergency Line and someone will get back to us … eventually.

I tried to use that Emergency Line one evening when an unidentified car was parked in my spot. I first called the Tow Truck company we were instructed to call, but was told only office personnel could call. Office Personnel was “off the clock”, so I called the Emergency Line which had so many instructions that, ten minutes in, I still hadn’t gotten through what was and was not an emergency and the push this, if it’s that, push that if it’s this, until finally I just hung up.

So good luck with the catching and backing up of this tough talk, when there's no management eyes on the property before 9:00 weekdays, after 5:00 weekdays, and all weekend long.