Empress Condos (Menkes) - Real Estate -

[leontancfa]

Extremely unpleasant experience when moving in 18 Hillcrest, Empress II
This is the experience I had when moving in. Read all the way to the end. The further you read, the more you will find out how terrible the management is.
1. The management is rigid, it doesn’t allow moving on Sunday and only allow moving at 1pm-4pm. I know some condos don’t allow moving on Sunday, like 7 Lorraine Dr., but it’s the first time I come across a condo only opens a 4 hour window for outsiders. But this is not the reason I wrote this.
2. I have to pay $25 to rent the elevator (not deposit). This is the first time I pay to move in a condo.
3. Finally I could use the elevator, but when I checked out the elevator with the concierge, he YIELDED at me saying I have to put the mats onto the walls of elevator or I have to pay for all the damage! OMG, as I said I never paid for elevator to move in a condo and surely I never paid and I still have to hang the mat myself!!! And he said this is the rule. WTF is this rule!!!
4. Then of cause I had to off load the mats myself. But this was not the end of story. Then he again YIELDED at me saying I have to clean the aisle and loading dock. I said I don’t have a bloom handy, and he asked me to hand pick the garbage on the way! Then I had to hand pick the stuff like nutshells, plastic straw wraps. There is no way that this garbage was brought by my moving. I told him that there is no way that this is my duty, and he shamelessly said: “you know dusts and other dirty stuff stick on your furniture.†I took all those craps and I was so pissed that I have to write this and tell everybody how terrible the management here is.
BTW, I just found that the property management company’s name is “Metropolitan Toronto Condominium Corporation No. 1125â€. It seems not a big one.

 

[grey]

The name you found is the name of the condo corporation, not the name of the management company.

Also, I think you need to reexamine your use of the word "YIELDED"

 

[OnceAThief]

When you bought your condo you got some documents right? Read up on the rules and see if those rules really existed. If you don't see it, call up or write a letter to the management company and complain. Bring up the issue at the condo owners meeting and put forth the opinion that the man should be replaced.

I got a concierge at one of my condos replaced because the guy was a douchebag and picked on the wrong person. A LOT of concierges have the mistaken belief that they have more powers than they do. Don't put up with it, they work for you.

Do not yield to them at all.

 

[gei]

1. The management is rigid, it doesn’t allow moving on Sunday and only allow moving at 1pm-4pm. I know some condos don’t allow moving on Sunday, like 7 Lorraine Dr., but it’s the first time I come across a condo only opens a 4 hour window for outsiders. But this is not the reason I wrote this.

This is perfectly reasonable. I don't know any condos that let you move on a sunday. And it only makes sense to let people move during those times, as you would inconvienience the rest of the residents outside those hours by tying up an elevator when they are needed.

2. I have to pay $25 to rent the elevator (not deposit). This is the first time I pay to move in a condo.

I've never heard of a fee to rent the elevator... it's usually a deposit. Although $25 isn't too crazy considering you should only really need to pay it once when you move in and once when you move out.

3. Finally I could use the elevator, but when I checked out the elevator with the concierge, he YIELDED at me saying I have to put the mats onto the walls of elevator or I have to pay for all the damage! OMG, as I said I never paid for elevator to move in a condo and surely I never paid and I still have to hang the mat myself!!! And he said this is the rule. WTF is this rule!!!
4. Then of cause I had to off load the mats myself.

So what? Of course you have to put mats up... otherwise you might ruin the elevator. Granted in my building they do it for you... but I would hardly care about doing it myself.

But this was not the end of story. Then he again YIELDED at me saying I have to clean the aisle and loading dock. I said I don’t have a bloom handy, and he asked me to hand pick the garbage on the way! Then I had to hand pick the stuff like nutshells, plastic straw wraps. There is no way that this garbage was brought by my moving. I told him that there is no way that this is my duty, and he shamelessly said: “you know dusts and other dirty stuff stick on your furniture.â€

Well if you made the mess yourself it's a perfectly reasonable request. If not, he was being uptight. However I find it hard to believe that you made NO mess whatsoever when moving in, so surely you should have been prepared to clean up a bit.

Overall, this is a useless post.

 

[ArcticS]

When I was moving into and out of The Richmond, I paid $100 personal cheque deposit only, which was refunded after inspection. The concierge hung the mats up for me, and cleaned up everything after we were finished. They also allowed you to move in until 8pm, but even that, the concierge said he wasn't extremely strict about it.

Next week, however, we're moving into Cityplace, and they are charging $200personal cheque deposit, plus $100 fee with a certified cheque. When I asked what the fee was for, they said they needed to hire a security guard to watch the back door as we moved. They also have an 8pm deadline, and seem to be fairly strict about it. They had also mentioned they would be the ones puting the mats up, but we'll see if they actually follow through with it.

The Concierge isn't there as a courtacy, he's there because your condo fees pay him to be there. It's only right that they do some work.

 

[tempperm]

jeez, he's helping u protect ur investment....is that so bad?....though i do think that him making u pick up the garbage is a little excessive....maybe u should have refused or asked to speak to management...

 

[cuzzin_elias]

So you're too lazy to clean up after yourself and this is somehow the condo management's problem?

 

[SevenPower]

I have to agree with OnceAThief that you should let the concierge know who the boss is. Now I don't know whether you broke the rule or not but YELLING at residnt (who actually paid for their salary) is just not right.


Nowadays I find some rules in the condo somewhat unreasonable. But a rule is a rule. However, to ask you to clean up. I find it offensive Put it this way, your monthly management fee was paid for general cleaning. and what was your $25 fee for? Shouldn't it be to clean your mess (I don't really care if that's really the case or not. But since you paid something, you better get something back in return.). That's how i would interpret it.

If I were you, I would just refuse to clean it up and shovle it up to that guy's ass.

 

[officedweller]

I think my condo in Vancouver charges $100 for move ins/outs. The caretaker will hang the mats and lock off the elevator. The $100 is in part to pay for the caretaker to monitor the front lobby door during the move ins/outs (we don't have a concierge).

 

[BuildTO]

So you're too lazy to clean up after yourself and this is somehow the condo management's problem?

Did you actually read the post?


1) 3 hours is too restrictive for moving, especially if you have to hang the elevator mats yourself, which you should not.
2) $25 is not a lot, but I'd never heard of a moving fee before this. I think it says a lot about the management company.
3) I don't know how you can even do this yourself, without a ladder. If you have the elevator scheduled for a move, the concierge should have it all ready for you. Or at the very least, if there is a rule that owners have to take care of this, then you should have been told well in advance so you are not having to do this while your movers are kept waiting.
4) This treatment - yelling at you for one, asking you to clean garbage that was obviously not yours - is outrageous. As others have mentioned, the concierge and management company are there to serve you, and your maintenance fees pay their salaries. It is the duty of the concierge to get to know you and be on good terms. Yelling at you should be grounds for immediate dismissal. Do NOT accept this behaviour. Get the name of the concierge, and report him to the management company, and demand to know what they intend to do about it. If their response is not to your satisfaction (in my mind, apology at least, or dismissal), then take your concerns to the condo board, and/or be prepared to bring the matter up at the next Annual General Meeting (although you may have to wait up to a year to do that, depending on when it is). Make sure the management company knows you intend to bring it up with the board or at the AGM.

I feel fortunate that my concierges all take their responsibilities seriously. But our condo board has just hired a new management company. If things are not being run to your satisfaction, work with your condo board to effect change.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Now I don't know whether you broke the rule or not but YELLING at residnt (who actually paid for their salary) is just not right.

No one yelled. The concierge gave the right of way.

 

[western221]

When i moved into cityplace, i had no problems, no deposit required. I just called ahead and booked a few hours. I got there, they had the elavator on service for me with the mats hung up. When i was done i told the concierge and that was it. This was midweek in the afternoon.
And later in the week when i was having my furniture delivered, same experience. The furniture was to be delivered on a sat but no fixed time. The concierege accomadated me.

I think experiences depends on your management company and the concierges.