Homestead/Ottawa/Riviera Gates

Homestead bought our 2 high rise buildings 3 weeks before Xmas last year.

We were advised of this the day they took over.

The resident superintendents were given 3 weeks notice to move out & find other jobs.

One man had 3 small kids. Merry Xmas!

They decided to put in new washers & dryers. Which was good except that we had a card system before which all the tenants loved & they changed them to coin operated. Which is a real pain.

The laundry room was supposed to be closed for 1 week. But the day it was due to reopen, they still weren't done.

The next day I did my laundry & a few machines still weren't working & the dryers were only giving people 34 minutes for the same price of course as the other machines.

They finally got it right after numerous complaints.

A few months later, they closed it again for 1 week. This time to replace the floor. ????

Why didn't they replace the floor at the same time they changed the machines? Makes sense to me.

They then decided to paint all the doors & the hallways. Good idea. Looks great & very clean.

They day they primed our door, I had to leave for an appointment but the door wouldn't open.

We had to call the office & have the super come over & push the door open in order to get out.

They decided to move our recycling room from the basement beside the laundry room to the first floor behind the elevator which is alright, not a big problem. But the reason they did this is that they will be putting in a lounge with couches & all for people to sit in while they are doing their laundry.

Dumb!

The last week of March they started work on our balconies. They removed all the railings & the cement on our balconies to repair them all & replace them with glass balconies.

Again good idea. But they screwed our windows & balcony door shut.

I can understand the door but why the windows? Makes no sense.

Then it started getting warmer out & we called to ask when the air was going to be turned on since we could not open our windows to get some air in.

We were told they didn't know. My husband called the head office & left a message with Fatima who is the property manager. After waiting & waiting for her to call back, he called the office & asked to speak to her boss, Malcolm.

Of course, he was not available so he left another message. Fatima finally called back, (Malcolm passed the buck to her)

& told us that the air would definitely be turned on May 15th, 2009.

But on that day, still no air. He called Fatima on that day but she was off that day for an extra long week-end & so was Malcolm. We were advised that the air would not be turned on until May 31st.

Our super, John, said that "City of Ottawa RULES" state that it has to be over 15 degrees for more than 5 days in order to turn the air on. Never heard of City RULES.

My husband called the City & was advised that there is no City Bylaw to make landlords turn the air on (let alone City RULES)

There is a very heavy set woman on the 8th floor. She lives in a bachelor apt. & there is only a patio door which is screwed shut. She has heart problems & had to buy 2 fans in order to be able to get some air. She is on a disability pension & could not afford this.

She has called the office 4 times & nobody answered. They do not have voice mail.

She called once & blocked her number & they answered right away.

She told them about her heart problem & they don't really care.

It is 27 degrees outside & 28 inside our appartment & we have 2 fans going (that we had to buy) It is deadly in here & I keep thinking of that poor woman on the 8th floor.

Our bathtub is draining very slowly & my husband called the office & he was told that we have to go to the office & fill out a work order & sign it. OK, stupid but not a problem.

I got there & rang the office, but nobody answered. A tenant came in & I went inside & got to the office & it was closed. I heard some voices coming from the recycling room & saw 4 people there smoking, I asked if the office was closed? I was told quite rudely that it was closed until after they were finished their break.

How unprofessional is that? Shouldn't at least one person stay in the office?

I have never seen a more incompetant bunch & THEY DON'T CARE!