Dealing with a Sensitive Subject

I write "nasty grams" to homeowners all the time about various violations of rules and regulations at condominiums.  Many of these are noise related.  People throwing parties, dogs barking, television playing too loud, etc.  More than once, however, I have been contacted by homeowners disturbed because they can hear their neighbors' lovemaking through the walls or ceiling.  This was one of those situations. 

I asked the homeowner for specifics of date and time(s) so I can write a letter stating there was loud noise coming from the unit at a particular time.  We let them figure out what they were doing at that time so they can choose to believe that their neighbors and I don't really know what was happening.  Until this week, this tactic has been successful and has avoided embarrassment on all parts.

Yesterday, I got a voice mail from the homeowner stating she doesn't understand what the letter is referring to.  They don't throw loud parties and they aren't even home at 3pm.  So, I called her back and got voice mail (thank heaven) and explained to her what the noises were.  (yes, people in the office were rolling listening to me leave that message.) I went on to say maybe if she has a teenager in the house it could be right after they are getting home from school?  As I was hanging up, I thought "wow, I may have just busted someone."  But, the homeowner needed to know.

So, I get a voice mail this morning.  The homeowner apologizes that I have to be in the middle of this.  She reiterates that she is not home at 3pm and perhaps it is another unit causing the problem.  Then she says (light bulb!)  "Sometimes my boyfriend is home in the afternoons.  Maybe I have an issue."

YA THINK?  I have a feeling that someone's belongings will be found on the front lawn sometime soon.

Put It In Writing

I received a voice mail from a homeowner that went something like this:

"I have a couple of landscaping requests and the newsletter you sent out said I should put all requests in writing.  So does that mean I need to use a piece of paper and a pencil, or can I type it out on my computer?"

And these people vote...

We Get Phone Calls

Much of my job is handling phone calls from the homeowners and residents.  Most are questions about services or requests for maintenance, but every once in a while, we get some unusual ones.  Just in the past week or so, I've gotten a couple of odd ones, and I thought I would share.

A woman called the office today to report a bird sitting in her front yard.  I know it's Chicago in the winter, but birds DO that. 

I also got another report today of patio chairs that had been thrown onto the pond which is frozen, but not enough to hold the weight of a person.

Also today, a homeowner called to tell me of a neighbor plowing his own driveway with a blade on his pickup truck. There was less than one inch of snow on the ground and this was a condo complex that pays a service to plow.


Last week, I got a call from a resident who came home to find that a deer had gone through the window of his condo.
Another report came in of "white stuff" on a homeowner's driveway.  Really, in Chicago in December.  Wonder what it could be.  Turns out, it was paint.

Wonder what Tuesday will bring...