Problems with building management

[mrrfrost]

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone has some advice.

 

On my balcony, the roof has been leaking for some time. I reported it over a month ago to the management who came to take a look and it seems like the swimming pool on the above floor has been overflowing, causing leaking onto my roof which has corroded the metal framework. After coming to look at it they sent someone to take a look and then came down to my balcony and ripped away half of the wooden roof.

 

The manager explicitly said it wasn't the pool, the juristic person said it was and had a video of it overflowing.

 

Since then, very little has been done and I keep getting fobbed off with excuses like "we need it to stop raining so we can assess the leak" to "we had a company coming by by they went to another job and we are looking for someone else". They promised to email me with updates but, of course, I received nothing. 

 

I am only here part time and told them when I was next leaving but that period is now up. They claim they will repair it by the time I next get back but I'm worried they won't.

 

Has anyone else had similar issue with management? Any tips on ways to resolve it? Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks so much.

[Peterw42]

.

Edited October 20, 2016 by Peterw42

[AlQaholic]

If you mean by "juristic Person" a member of the elected Juristic committee, Please remember that the Manager is working for them who in turn are working for the good of all co-owners. Manager takes instructions from the Committee.

I myself is a member of a committee in a condo.

You don't mention any time frame around your problems, so I Can't comment if the repair is taking unusually long or you are just (in your mind) getting unsatisfactory answers.

I looks to me that the management (manager and committee together) are not 100% sure it is only the overflow from the pool that is causing your problems and they would like to see when the rainy season ends if it might also be due to some leaking caused by raining. To me, from the info you provide, it seems they are taking appropriate action. And knowing how hard it is to get contractors for small jobs like this (all contractors busy now with big projects) I can understand the answer you got about the company cancelling the visit for another job, it happens to us a lot also.

Edited October 21, 2016 by AlQaholic

[KittenKong]

29 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

If you mean by "juristic Person" a member of the elected Juristic committee, Please remember that the Manager is working for them who in turn are working for the good of all co-owners. Manager takes instructions from the Committee.

 

There is a great deal of confusion about the actual role of different people in a building.

 

The building manager is an optional post. He is merely a staff member and has no real authority.

 

The committee is composed of co-owners and is elected by them, normally every two years. They are responsible for making policy decisions on behalf of co-owners, and for monitoring the proper functioning of the building. They sign the cheques and agree to contracts.

 

The Juristic Person Manager is appointed by co-owners for a two year term and may also be salaried. He is responsible for publishing cash-flow reports, arranging meetings and generally ensuring that the building obeys the law and is kept in good order. In effect he has control of what happens in the building as he can ignore the requests of the committee if he considers it necessary, though of course the committee can refuse to sign cheques if they dont agree with what he is doing.

 

To believe that all managers, Juristic Person Managers and committee members "work for the good of the building" here is insanity. They are supposed to, but in my experience that's as far as it goes. Far too many greedy and self-centred people here for that.

[KittenKong]

16 hours ago, mrrfrost said:

I am only here part time and told them when I was next leaving but that period is now up. They claim they will repair it by the time I next get back but I'm worried they won't.

 

Has anyone else had similar issue with management? Any tips on ways to resolve it? Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

You need to complain to the committee and the juristic person manager, in writing with some photographic evidence of the problem. Keep full records of all communications. If they fail to react then you would have to take it to court, though a letter from a lawyer threatening this might help.

 

I find that verbal communication is a waste of time here as few people do as they promise. In fact even written communication can be a waste of time in some buildings.

[AlQaholic]

1 minute ago, KittenKong said:

 

There is a great deal of confusion about the actual role of different people in a building.

 

The building manager is an optional post. He is merely a staff member and has no real authority.

 

The committee is composed of co-owners and is elected by them, normally every two years. They are responsible for making policy decisions on behalf of co-owners, and for monitoring the proper functioning of the building. They sign the cheques and agree to contracts.

 

The Juristic Person Manager is appointed by co-owners for a two year term and may also be salaried. He is responsible for publishing cash-flow reports, arranging meetings and generally ensuring that the building obeys the law and is kept in good order. In effect he has control of what happens in the building as he can ignore the requests of the committee if he considers it necessary, though of course the committee can refuse to sign cheques if they dont agree with what he is doing.

 

To believe that all managers, Juristic Person Managers and committee members "work for the good of the building" here is insanity. They are supposed to, but in my experience that's as far as it goes. Far too many greedy and self-centred people here for that.

I was assuming the OP meant the Juristic person manager when he mentioned "manager" but now that I read your comment, I have to agree with you, he probably meant the Building Manager, and by "Juristic Person" he meant the Juristic Manager. Having a Building Manager indicates a fairly large condo, which is prone to corruption, especially in the area of Pattaya and Jomtien. OP do not mention where the condo is, but he mentions a wooden roof and the fact he only visits seasonally, indicates it might be Pattaya, Jomtien, Phuket or HuaHin, but not Bkk. 

Our condo is quiet small, and I can assure you there is no corruption, our committee is all working only for the good of the condo, and while our manager frequently tries to do his own things the Thai way, we manage to control him as far as anything has to do with the condo. We do not have a building manager.

I have also stayed in a quiet new Condo in Bkk which was still managed by the developer at the time and it was expertly ,fairly and professionally managed.

But from what I have heard about other condos in the area of Pattaya and Jomtien they are all corrupt and mismanaged, if indeed managed at all.

[little mary sunshine]

6 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

I was assuming the OP meant the Juristic person manager when he mentioned "manager" but now that I read your comment, I have to agree with you, he probably meant the Building Manager, and by "Juristic Person" he meant the Juristic Manager. Having a Building Manager indicates a fairly large condo, which is prone to corruption, especially in the area of Pattaya and Jomtien. OP do not mention where the condo is, but he mentions a wooden roof and the fact he only visits seasonally, indicates it might be Pattaya, Jomtien, Phuket or HuaHin, but not Bkk. 

Our condo is quiet small, and I can assure you there is no corruption, our committee is all working only for the good of the condo, and while our manager frequently tries to do his own things the Thai way, we manage to control him as far as anything has to do with the condo. We do not have a building manager.

I have also stayed in a quiet new Condo in Bkk which was still managed by the developer at the time and it was expertly ,fairly and professionally managed.

But from what I have heard about other condos in the area of Pattaya and Jomtien they are all corrupt and mismanaged, if indeed managed at all.

 

 

Another reason I rent...no headaches.  

[KittenKong]

3 hours ago, AlQaholic said:

OP do not mention where the condo is, but he mentions a wooden roof and the fact he only visits seasonally, indicates it might be Pattaya, Jomtien, Phuket or HuaHin, but not Bkk. 

Our condo is quiet small, and I can assure you there is no corruption, our committee is all working only for the good of the condo, and while our manager frequently tries to do his own things the Thai way, we manage to control him as far as anything has to do with the condo. We do not have a building manager.

I have also stayed in a quiet new Condo in Bkk which was still managed by the developer at the time and it was expertly ,fairly and professionally managed.

But from what I have heard about other condos in the area of Pattaya and Jomtien they are all corrupt and mismanaged, if indeed managed at all.

 

I think that the "wooden roof" is probably just panelling on the ceiling of his balcony. This is easily damaged by any water leaking from above and, of course, would have to be removed to investigate any leak.

 

Yes, in a small building the committee certainly has more scope regarding the monitoring of what goes on. But it does all still boil down to lots of unpaid work on the part of some co-owners. This is a bad system.

 

Many buildings in Pattaya and Jomtien are indeed bad, but I dont think that they are alone. I see similar complaints about Chiang Mai and Hua Hin, and property-related corruption in Phuket goes without saying.

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, little mary sunshine said:

 

 

Another reason I rent...no headaches.  

Me to. I am a renter and have a leak in the bathroom ceiling at present which has existed for 3 weeks now. I am on the 8th floor and they have traced the leak up to the 10th floor bathroom. Seems the iron pipes installed 22 years ago are now disintegrating and leaking. One of the probs in a older building. The guy on the 10th floor is responsible for the repairs all the way down to me. They must rip his whole bathroom floor up and replace the pipes with PVC. The bathroom is only 50% of his old iron pipe problems. It will be a two week job. 

[AlQaholic]

16 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

 

I think that the "wooden roof" is probably just panelling on the ceiling of his balcony. This is easily damaged by any water leaking from above and, of course, would have to be removed to investigate any leak.

 

Yes, in a small building the committee certainly has more scope regarding the monitoring of what goes on. But it does all still boil down to lots of unpaid work on the part of some co-owners. This is a bad system.

 

Many buildings in Pattaya and Jomtien are indeed bad, but I dont think that they are alone. I see similar complaints about Chiang Mai and Hua Hin, and property-related corruption in Phuket goes without saying.

Have a friend who have a condo unit in Phuket, and he says it is the same shit down there....

[williamgeorgeallen]

4 hours ago, little mary sunshine said:

 

 

Another reason I rent...no headaches.  

wish i had never bought anything here. i have managed to sell both of my houses and one condo. just have one condo left to get rid of.

[johng]

42 minutes ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

just have one condo left to get rid of.

 

did you make a handsome profit on your "investments"  ?  according to all the "real estate agents"  its a certainty !

[joebrown]

5 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

There is a great deal of confusion about the actual role of different people in a building.

 

The building manager is an optional post. He is merely a staff member and has no real authority.

 

The committee is composed of co-owners and is elected by them, normally every two years. They are responsible for making policy decisions on behalf of co-owners, and for monitoring the proper functioning of the building. They sign the cheques and agree to contracts.

 

The Juristic Person Manager is appointed by co-owners for a two year term and may also be salaried. He is responsible for publishing cash-flow reports, arranging meetings and generally ensuring that the building obeys the law and is kept in good order. In effect he has control of what happens in the building as he can ignore the requests of the committee if he considers it necessary, though of course the committee can refuse to sign cheques if they dont agree with what he is doing.

 

To believe that all managers, Juristic Person Managers and committee members "work for the good of the building" here is insanity. They are supposed to, but in my experience that's as far as it goes. Far too many greedy and self-centred people here for that.

My understanding of the authority of a Juristic Person Manager (JPM) differs slightly from yours  The JPM  is responsible to the co-owners who elect him, and he must carry out their legitimate instructions to the letter. However, because the JPM is also responsible to the Ministry of Interior/Land Office for fulfilling the requirements of the Condominium Acts & Regulations he can  decline to carry out the elected Management Committee's instructions if in his opinion any Law/Regulation might be broken, by doing so.   

[little mary sunshine]

2 hours ago, elgordo38 said:

Me to. I am a renter and have a leak in the bathroom ceiling at present which has existed for 3 weeks now. I am on the 8th floor and they have traced the leak up to the 10th floor bathroom. Seems the iron pipes installed 22 years ago are now disintegrating and leaking. One of the probs in a older building. The guy on the 10th floor is responsible for the repairs all the way down to me. They must rip his whole bathroom floor up and replace the pipes with PVC. The bathroom is only 50% of his old iron pipe problems. It will be a two week job. 

 

 

Washer died, owner said have it fixed, deduct from rent.

 

A/C problem, have it fixed deduct from rent

 

i hace an excellent owner, very fortunate

 

 

[little mary sunshine]

1 hour ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

wish i had never bought anything here. i have managed to sell both of my houses and one condo. just have one condo left to get rid of.

 

 

Good luck, hope you at least break even!!.....hope it's not

in Pattaya, breaking even would be a dream come true!

[williamgeorgeallen]

1 hour ago, little mary sunshine said:

 

 

Good luck, hope you at least break even!!.....hope it's not

in Pattaya, breaking even would be a dream come true!

broke even on the 2 houses (that was a miracle) lost 200k on one condo. yes pattaya, love the place but not good to own anything here.