Tenants meeting 1/2/2023

There were more people than we expected at the meeting. It was good to meet our neighbors! The highlights:

• We have formed a corporation to handle issues with building management, so building issues do not need to be addressed by any one person.
• …and we have an attorney.
• We will probably be forced by building management to take legal action due to their refusal to address our concerns and provide basic amenities and services.
• The towing company (“Izzy Tows It”) used by the building management is absolutely horrible, for many reasons:
  • They appear to be unlicensed
  • They overcharge for towing and … well, everything. Mileage, daily rate…all of it.
  • They’re aggressive (in their towing as well as personally), and have towed many residents’ vehicles from their assigned spaces
  • They appear to be towing at will rather than by request from building management or complaints from residents that their parking space is wrongfully occupied
  • They’re not conforming to even the most basic business standards – posting prices or providing receipts, for example
• Building management has been unresponsive at best to our concerns about the towing company and towing policies
  • Insistence on picking up a parking sticker in person from Hawaiian Properties’ downtown office during their limited business hours (they close at 4:30pm), which for many people can require taking time off from work
    • …when sending parking stickers via US mail was good enough previously
  • Refusal to consider using a different towing company
  • No response to requests to change towing policy
  • Dianna Harrelson, the property manager, has said that Izzy Tows It isn’t an agent of Hawaiian Properties. She is obviously wrong about that.
• Broken elevators are an ongoing issue
  • One elevator has been out of operation for almost a month
  • The other one has been partially broken for most of that time as well, and doesn’t open its doors automatically upon reaching a floor.
  • At least one resident was trapped in a broken elevator for an hour or more last month. There is no way to call out from the elevator if you don’t have a phone with you.
  • Some residents have mobility issues and can’t easily reach the “Open” button in time to get off at their desired stop
  • There should be a dedicated account for elevator maintenance. Is there? Is it being used? Nobody knows
  • There is also no information about when (or if!) we might have two working elevators again
  • …and shouldn’t there be elevator inspection certificates somewhere, or signage saying where they can be found?
• Building security is also problematic
  • The lighting schedule for the parking area often leaves it dark and dangerous
  • The side gate is broken, and vagrants and random people often use it as a shortcut between Citron and Date streets
  • Security cameras – what few there are – don’t cover the bike parking area even though it’s a frequent target of thieves.
• The website (this one!) will be active by the end of the week.
• We’ll post downloadable documents (tenants rights handbook, etc.) here soon
• Please post comments/concerns here. ALL COMMENTS AND POSTS ARE MODERATED – that is, building management won’t be able to jump on and start threatening tenants.