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Wilshire on the Green Condos (Norstar Group) - Real Estate -

Angry, can you please post some of the photos you've been talking about - like the cardboard in the outlets and leaking garage?
 
I think a lot of people who bought here are 1st time buyers and did jump in without much thought but Norstar was and still is known for making cheap, shoddy condos with crappy maintenance and the fact that almost everyone in here is a 1st time owner doesn't change that!

I, unlike Angry, don't think we can expect the same quality of construction and maintenance which we would if we'd bought a Tridel or Greenpark condo. We might expect it, but they'll never deliver.
 
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Hey guys not that this will help but there is anorstar worker on the ground floor across from Valerie and he's fairly high up(so he says) and I was able to get him to get workers up to my unlit to primer and paint the next day of my french door and there may be some hope for the ppl who need balcony work as he said his crew can do it, but like everything with norstar I expect delay delay delay and has anyone been in the stairwell all saw dust from workers and holes it needs to be redone,if you guys have a chance vent your needs to him, can't hurt
 
Just go into any of the stairwells and look at the outlets! go down to the garage and just a few feet in you will see were it is leaking...I went with another tenant and too a ton of photos...can share with you off of here...this builder is so negligent that I was able to literally walk into the generator room a few days ago - no warning signs -door was wide open! another issue that’s a big bother for us is that they advertise this building as being one that is built so well to eliminate noise - since we have moved in we have had noise issues - we are awakened at 630 on the weekends and as late as 1130 at night...THE UNIVERSAL MACHINE IS DIRECTLY ABOVE OUR UNIT ABD WE CAN HEAR IT LOUD AND CLEAR FROM THE 5TH FLOOR! YOU CAN HEAR WHEN ANYONE DROPS THE WEIGHST TWO FLOORS DOWN! The owners above us on the 6th floor has complained and nothing has been done...they should have placed a black rubber mat under the machine...but how bad is it that we can hear it two floors down? the kids are getting in to the gym before the door closes automatically and they are letting their friends in -caught them working out at 1135 one night because they noise was so loud and my son couldn’t get to sleep! Insane
 
I dont think it should matter who the Builder is...standards are standards...promises are promises...false advertising is false advertising...and they are getting away with it...gonna get a bunch of suckers to buy into another one of their shit buildings and do the same thing all over again...for all the ppl who have faith they will fix these issues -ask yourselves - why didnt they do it right the first time???? why are they not here fixing them now?? why are we still having leaks in the stairwells when it was reported in April?
 
Does anyone else see that perhaps angry is exactly that "angry" and ruled by emotion. As soon as Northy posts a different opinion ....out comes the accusation they work for Norstar.. sheesh angry get help!

I just like INEBG and MBS - GURU have had a decent experience and agree things need to be worked out... but angry YOU WILL NEVER BE HAPPY NO MATTER WHAT NORSTAR does...

I noticed you deleted your post where you claim to be a paralegal working at some fancy law firm...wahy did you take it down? Perhaps the law firm told you to take it down or you figgured out that trying to scare everyone on this forum and bully them into YOUR way didn't work...

Just for everyone's knowledge here's angry's deleted post from 10:50 pm on Thursday the 22nd

“I am not a lawyer. I am a licenced Paralegal working with one of Toronto’s leading litigation law firms (www.falconercharney.com). I have worked in this field for 18 years.

I am disgusted and angry at the way in which this building was constructed, internally and externally. We received NOTHING that they promised us. From their “state of the art root top terrace” (full of weeds and cracked tiles, which are uneven and badly fitted), to their “grand lobby design” (a few pieces of mismatched furniture”) to their state of the art security (I was able to enter the building’s mechanical room tonight- and took photos), to having us occupy when they didn’t have a Fire Safety Plan implemented (reason why fire alarm went off for 5 hours on June 23!), I have personally entered through the doors adjacent to the lobby (no need for a FOB!), on many occasions (Karen Sheriff said the “pressure” in the building is pushing the doors open!), better pray that one of the many doors on the roof top terrace is left opened if you go out there - as there is no intercom or phone – so if the doors lock – you are stuck out there until someone comes! The camera in the gym has no coverage of the front doors- where you need a FOB to enter or the side door leading from the patio! What is the purpose?

All of our units were badly constructed and we all fought with them to fix our deficiencies.

They “forced” us to occupy when 60% of this building was still under construction. Screw our safety and the safety of our children! As long as your unit has head and water – the city says you can occupy! Doesn’t matter that the structure isn’t complete! We dealt with months of dust in our units, daily noise from their construction machine and the flurry of activity from their crew. When we should be settling in to our new home! That didn’t happen! Instead we were all involved with Norstar trying to get our issues fixed. Then they tell you to go through Tarion. Did you know that before Tarion comes out they require a 282.50 deposit!? If they find no deficiencies they keep your deposit. If they find outstanding issues – they grant the builder another 30 days! They have 5 months to fix the deficiencies.

Now on to more serious issues – THIS BUILDING CANNOT BE REGISTERED.

Here is why:

There are several serious structural issues that need to be fixed before they turn this over to us – it’s like someone handing you a live grenade and telling you to dispense of it!

There are several areas in the staircases where there are leaks. Despite this being the reason the fire alarm was triggered on June 23, 2011 (and it was reported in April!), they have taken no steps to fix this issue. The underground garage is literally falling apart. There are several areas where there are leaks. They are doing patch work!! This is a huge concern! Water left untreated leads to mould. Mould causes cancer. If this becomes a huge concern – the City can step in and take drastic measures. Furthermore even though they have a year to fix deficiencies – we still have the winter and spring to contend with! This will only become worse.

The safety concerns – we are already dealing with broken down elevators! This is an 8 month old building! How many times has it broken down??? What’s to come?

All of the doors are left opened because I personally believe they used recycled materials. I have lived in apartment buildings that had tighter security.

The ventilation in the hallways - this is another issue. Every month since taking occupancy we have averaged a 130.00 hydro bill. In the summer we had extremely hot air seeping into our unit from the hallways spiking our air conditioner. In the second week of September we had extremely cold air seeping through our door. They never sealed out doors- I have pictures showing this. I don’t understand why the air in the hallways change with the temperature in outside. What happens in the winter? Will we walk into freezing cold hallways?

They have placed a gas barbeque on the rooftop. This was to be a “private bbq” – whatever that means. The bbq is hooked up directly to the buildings gas line!!! If someone inadvertently leaves this turned on and a lit cigarette is recklessly thrown towards it –we risk a huge explosion and loss of life. This is extremely serious! There is no lock, no key is required, no release is required, etc. As long as it is free – anyone can use it!

In every stairwell is an outlet that is badly fitted –they actually stuck paper in it!!!! I have pictures that will shock you! Please take a look at the outlets in the staircases. These pictures were all taken in September!!! They have left the building – they are not coming back for a year – if they come back.

All the carpets are already worn and are fraying. Do you have any idea what it will cost to replace these? Who do you think pays for that? They are hoping that we will pay for it because it won’t last a year! The garage will crumble! We will have to replace it. We will see our maintenance fees sky rocket once this building is registered.

We have no security – we have no manager on site after 4. We have a cleaning staff that leaves at 1. What the hell are we paying for?????

The machines in the gym are already falling apart. For months I have asked for cleaning solution – a simple cheap item to purchase. What are they doing with our money?????

I can go on- but we need to act –and we need to do something – we can’t sit back and allow them to get away with this.”


Stop posting and work within the Tarion warrenty





I dont think it should matter who the Builder is...standards are standards...promises are promises...false advertising is false advertising...and they are getting away with it...gonna get a bunch of suckers to buy into another one of their shit buildings and do the same thing all over again...for all the ppl who have faith they will fix these issues -ask yourselves - why didnt they do it right the first time???? why are they not here fixing them now?? why are we still having leaks in the stairwells when it was reported in April?
 
First of all – I KNOW you work for Norstar - because this Forum has been up for years – and just last week I sent them a copy of this link to bring to their attention the issues owners have posted here in hopes that they will ATTEND TO FIXING THE ISSUES - and low and behold – we have an advocate for NORSTAR – first time in years! What are the chances???? Not to mention – you are taking this all too personally my friend – this isn’t about you. This is about owners who are living in a badly constructed and maintained building!!

So you know – if I am the only person who is miserable living in this dive – why is it that I have personally received over 10 calls and countless emails from other owners who are seeking advice?

Why is it that even Norstar employees are siding with us? Just this morning as we were waiting for the elevator that has been out of service for over a week (and not the first time) –a lady was very upset telling the cleaning staff that her heath has suffered as she has been stressed in dealing with this company? If they are such a wonderful organization – why would they allow a 70 year old man (with health issues!) and his 65 year old wife – both of ill health – to sleep on an air mattress for 5 months before they attended to fix their deficient floors????? It wasn’t until I intervened and threatened a lawsuit that they made their way in there a few days later and fixed it all! It was all done on September 6! Explain that! Even their former Manager sided with the owners! Perhaps this is why they let her go!
For anyone else who believes they will fix this building – think again!
They left in August – they still have not placed a number sign up so people know what building it is – they still have not put a mirror up at the end of the driveway so we can see cars exiting the guest parking lot as we exit the underground garage - they placed carpet by the elevators (cut corners and save money) instead of putting tiles – the result –badly stained carpets that have started to fray and is worn! What about the 24 hour security we are supposed to have? What about the state of the art lobby and patio? Where weeds grow! Did you know that there is NO way to re-enter the building if you happen to get locked out on the patio? There is no swipe card, no fob, and no intercom! Take a look at the multitude of leaks in the underground garage! This will result in water leaking through the winter and freezing –where cars will slide and accidents will happen. Not to mention injuries to others. Why have they not fixed it? The reputable company that it is. This is not even tapping into the countless unit owners who are still battling these guys to fix their deficiences!
Why have they not fixed the leaks in the stairwells? Why have they not cleaned the underground garage? Why are there stairs that were badly constructed in the staircases? Why are there outlets that have paper stuck in them (numerous!)!? (I already have pictures of it all my friend).
I have the names and numbers of many upset tenants! This is NOT about me my friend. This is about every owner who invested their hard earned cash into a builder that did not deliver.
 
No, I don't work for norstar, I found out about the forums after speaking to my neighbours after the letter was posted.

I wonder if your HR department knows your posting to forums when you should be working... time theft perhaps?

Your rantings just proved my point.... you'll NEVER be satisfied... seek help..
 
I will not be responding to any of further replies.

All you need to do is read the multitude of posts on this Forum where I am certain you will be able to conclude that these issues are not just mine. Furthermore, ask yourself why this Forum was even created!
I have my own battle with the Builder which is presently before the Courts. I don’t need to engage in ridiculous debates with you. Just this morning at 945am I had another lengthy conversation with yet another upset unit owner.

You are the only person on here in support of the Builder and I am certain in the next few days we are sure to see further support as the Builder engages their own people to sign in with comments. Absolutely amusing.
 
I will not be responding to any of further replies.

All you need to do is read the multitude of posts on this Forum where I am certain you will be able to conclude that these issues are not just mine. Furthermore, ask yourself why this Forum was even created!
I have my own battle with the Builder which is presently before the Courts. I don’t need to engage in ridiculous debates with you. Just this morning at 945am I had another lengthy conversation with yet another upset unit owner.

You are the only person on here in support of the Builder and I am certain in the next few days we are sure to see further support as the Builder engages their own people to sign in with comments. Absolutely amusing.

Angry, I certainly DON'T work for Norstar and I'm NO fan of theirs, I think your lawsuit is the best idea yet. Would it compromise your lawsuit to post some photos in this forum, or are you too busy?
 
Angry, calling owners "idiots", as you put it, will not improve matters.

We've had all of our 30-day deficiencies attended to within the time frame that Tarion says the builder has. The items were not major defects; mostly cosmetic. One item had to be redone twice; but was eventually fixed. The occupancy period has not been perfect; and we also have concerns about the upkeep of the building, but I think when the building is registered, we as owners, will have control of who we hire to manage the building at a cost we will be satisfied with.

I would hope that the registration process is a comprehensive one done by the city, and that once it passes, we can start to take ownership of our units.

I took the "24-hr security" as being closed circuit monitoring through our TV sets - this hasn't been installed, which I agree, is a major omission. I didn't understand it to be security with guards. Of course, we can all vote on this issue when we have a condo board organized.

Our maintenance fee per square foot is way too low in comparison with other new buildings - I think this is the major reason for the minimal maintenance work, which I too, wish was much improved. We will eventually pay for what we collective want -it will be more expensive, I'm certain of this.

The sudden turnover of management companies was of particular concern, but Norstar still owns the building, not us, so we just need to be patient, and have the condo board evaluate the options to select the most appropriate management company that will meet our needs.

I do take exception to the "idiot" tag; if you need to vent, please refrain from calling us unnecessary names. You have raised several issues that do need to be addressed, I agree.
 
I'm afraid Angry is right about the fact that in 50 pages of negative posts, one or two suddenly pop up that say that the place is pretty good, that all in all the issues he raises are common problems with new buildings - they aren't! It's very suspicious that the poster who likes Norstar's work might, fact, work for Norstar. Not to be rude, but, if he were, he wouldn't fool many people who've been reading this blog since it began.

I have to disagree (politely, since we're not idiots) with Nels_TO about the maintenance fees. It's normal for every condo's fees to start shall we say deceptively low and then go up. With a reputable builder, i.e., not Norstar, they will at least gradually double over the first one to three years after registration.

With Norstar, we'll probably have all the extra costs associated with fixing all their leaks and crumbling underground parking as well; if the lawsuit doesn't work, to add to the maintenance fees. As I believe, (and I'm not an expert like Angry), all condos have to have an emergency fund for such contingencies, but they're built up over a few years after registration, and may not even be big enough to cover all the necessary repairs to this building & it's underground parking - and the contingency fund is supposed to be used for major future expenditures, not current ones. It's kind of scary when I think about it!
 
Well angry never said I supported the builder, I have problems as well but I knew about condos going in, talked to a lot of my friends and knew there were going to be struggles... I spent lots of time reading every doc i had and in fact there is no security gurards as you believe, please read your documents, that is if you haven't burned them in some sort of cleansing ceremony...

Well here's what pisses me off.. with a lawsuit, if it is real, may mean the legal fees of the Norstar can be applied to our common element charges? Angry care to comment with your legal background.
 
Hey Scarborough,

What I meant by my comment on maintenance fees was that they are too low at the moment to be able to cover the daily maintenance costs. Our current occupancy fee already has a maintenance fee tied to it, just as an estimated property tax amount and the remainder is the interest calculated from the outstanding balance of your down payment. Therefore, it's not surprising that the upkeep is not up to par. I do understand that the maintenance fees will rise appreciably after registration and the condo board is formed when all the expenses are calculated. In comparison, many new pre-construction projects have preliminary maintenance fees starting at about 40 cents, all the way to 60 cents per square foot. Our rate? 24 cents. That's a large difference, would you not agree?

Also, the largest unknown expense that we will face will be those related to education levies, development charges etc etc - so we all need to budget for this at final closing.

Let's all work amicably together at our first and all future condo board meetings :)

I'm afraid Angry is right about the fact that in 50 pages of negative posts, one or two suddenly pop up that say that the place is pretty good, that all in all the issues he raises are common problems with new buildings - they aren't! It's very suspicious that the poster who likes Norstar's work might, fact, work for Norstar. Not to be rude, but, if he were, he wouldn't fool many people who've been reading this blog since it began.

I have to disagree (politely, since we're not idiots) with Nels_TO about the maintenance fees. It's normal for every condo's fees to start shall we say deceptively low and then go up. With a reputable builder, i.e., not Norstar, they will at least gradually double over the first one to three years after registration.

With Norstar, we'll probably have all the extra costs associated with fixing all their leaks and crumbling underground parking as well; if the lawsuit doesn't work, to add to the maintenance fees. As I believe, (and I'm not an expert like Angry), all condos have to have an emergency fund for such contingencies, but they're built up over a few years after registration, and may not even be big enough to cover all the necessary repairs to this building & it's underground parking - and the contingency fund is supposed to be used for major future expenditures, not current ones. It's kind of scary when I think about it!
 
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