The new ownership of five residential apartment buildings on Kildare Road and Sir Walter Scott continues to result in complaints being filed to myself and the city.
But here is some breaking news. I have learned that the buildings may sold again in the coming months, this time to a professional operator.
Group CLV sold the buildings to a group, represented by real estate broker Terry Geramanis, amid fears of possible renoviction. The tenants were organized, hiring a lawyer and establishing a tenants association. In recent weeks I have received a number of calls by residents, notably complaining about a lack of communication.
To his credit, Geramanis has responded to all of my inquiries.
There have been elevator issues in some of the buildings and Geramanis’ team has rectified those issues.
The problem now is that tenants say they can only e-mail their complaints to an address which is very short on responses.
Geramanis says that although an email has been provided to the tenants to ask questions and make requests, a direct phone line was also shared with them, indicating their representatives’ phone numbers. To this day, he says, they keep receiving and answering calls coming directly from tenants in the building.
David : (438) 816-4243
Avi : (438) 299-9934
In the lobby of one of the buildings I visited, though, only the e-mail address appears on a notice.
“I need to make it clear that there is undeniable willingness on my part and such of my team to ensure viable tenancy and maintain the property in a state that allows the current tenants to live peacefully in their unit,” Geramanis stated. “Furthermore, my team and I are committed to addressing any concerns the tenants may have and maintaining open lines of communications. We understand the importance of being accessible and responsive."
As for the building caretakers, originally employees of CLV, tenants say they lack the proper equipment to do their job and are not as visible as before.
“In regards to custodians on site, following the sale, we had made the decision to maintain their contracts in place,” Geramanis responded. “To this date, they are still present on site and answer when tasked. They also keep us updated relating to any problems the building or the tenants encounter.”
As for the lack of on-site employee’s working tools, Geramanis says he wishes to clarify that this was caused by CLV repossessing most of the equipment and material that was used for building maintenance and thus following the sale the maintenance room was for the most part emptied. “However, my team and I are in communications with our on-site caretakers and should a work equipment be needed to efficiently perform a job or to complete a maintenance requisition, it will be provided,” he said. “On that note, tenants should not be worried of any service disruption in the building."
On Monday, tenants Adele and Trevor asked if I’d come meet them at their building on Kildare Road. Adele said the physical look of the grounds is already deteriorating under the new owners; no flowers or greenery has been planted in front nor has been the grass been cut. There is a large pothole at the entrance of the lot (I’m not sure if this a joint issue with the neighbouring Westwood building) and a few others in the parking lot.
“Concerning landscaping, the only thing I can mention at the moment is that we are having discussions with various companies to find the best fit,” said Geramanis.
Adele showed me the water leaks she has in her apartment bathroom resulting in mould. One of our building inspectors visited the premises. As of this writing he has not heard back from the landlords and plans to begin issuing tickets.
“We are aware of the situation and are in communication with our team to ensure that the issues encountered in their unit are fixed,” said Geramanis. “We have one and the same goal: to ensure the safety and smooth operation of our properties, creating a comfortable living environment for all tenants. It is not our intention, nor is it in our interest to create a toxic environment where our liability and reputation would be on the line. Any dialogue we engage in is purely amicable, without any fear or threat and we are here to listen and work together to find reasonable solutions that benefit everyone involved."
Adele and Trevor also told me they have seen large rats in the garage.
I will continue to advocate for the tenants and keep my eyes and ears open re a possible sale. At one point Geramanis referred to me as a journalist. That is one of my professions, but this blog is reserved strictly for my role as a city councillor to keep my constituents in the loop on important issues.