I live in a 26 unit condo building.  I have a great spot, top floor, views of Lake Harriet, relatively quiet, if you learn to ignore being in the MSP flight path.  With studio and one-bedroom units, it’s not a family environment.  There aren’t any children living in the building.  Well, chronologically the residents aren’t children, but the maturity level is questionable.

One thing about living in a condo or apartment building is that you need to learn some common courtesy.   You’re essentially sharing a little bit of your living space with other people and you should respect that.  But, as time goes by I’m finding myself increasingly frustrated with the, “it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission,” mentality that continues to spread throughout our society.

For example, we have limited parking,  one assigned spot for each unit and three guest parking spaces.  New people will move in and if they happen to have two cars they’ll just start parking one in a guest space.  They know the spaces are for guests, but they’ll continue to park there day in and day out until someone – usually me since I’m on the board and most of the other board members don’t live in the building – puts a notice on the car threatening them with being towed.  Now this may seem like a minor infraction, but if you put it into the context of three guest spots for 26 units, and limited street parking, especially in winter when one side of the street becomes a no parking zone, then you should begin to see the problem.  Many of our residents, including me, have had to have our guests find parking on the street because of someone abusing the guest spots.

Some of the residents have used the spots for offsite airport parking.  What I mean is, they have a friend or family member they will be travelling with park in guest parking, then catch a cab to the airport and hop on a plane.  One woman had her friend park there for ten days while they were both in Haiti.  Granted, they were on a humanitarian mission but that’s still unacceptable behavior.  She has been informed if this happens again she’ll be towed.

All of this is me coming around to my frustration boiling over the other night.  It’ s not just the parking.  It’s people letting their dogs relieve themselves in the snow just outside the back door, or on the front lawn.  There are currently about 20 brown spots where a resident lets her dog piss and shit out there every day.  It’s people smoking on the roof and stuffing their cigarette butts in the planters.  Seriously, who does that?

The other night it was the new owners of one of the studios beginning their remodeling by ripping out the kitchen cabinets and putting them in the dumpster.  The picture tells the story better than any words I might have:

Who can possibly think this is acceptable?

Note the overflowing recycle bin.  Evidently the idea of breaking down boxes escapes these people.

This put me over the top so I crafted a flyer and posted it in the common areas and on the front and back doors.  The reviews were mixed but overwhelmingly the people who had a problem with it were the perpetrators of the problems pointed out in the flyer.  Typical Minnesota, where it’s rude to point out someone else’s rude behavior.  Minnesotan’s don’t take kindly to this.  Well, I love living in Minnesota but I’m not from here. So fuck em.

Below is the text from the flyer.  You be  the judge:

Common Living Refresher Course Which Shouldn’t Be Necessary for Adults In A Polite Society

Garbage:
Will the person who filled up the garbage bin with cabinets kindly remove them from the garbage bin.  This is completely unacceptable behavior.  You may not fill the bin with your remodeling trash, which should just be common sense but evidently escapes you.   The garbage collection will not take this trash.  If we have to call for a special collection you will be charged.

Recycling:
To everyone: please break down your boxes before putting them into recycling.  This will leave enough room in the bin for everyone’s recycling.  This is also common sense and common courtesy which seems to be escaping a lot of residents these days.

Guest Parking:
Guest parking is for temporary, occasional guests.  It is NOT for your second vehicle and not for your four and five night per week, every week guest.   It is not offsite airport parking.  So, no, you cannot park your guests car there for days on end while you’re all out of town.  That’s just taking advantage and being inconsiderate to your neighbors.

Roof:
Dogs MUST be leashed at all times on the roof.  NO EXCEPTIONS.  Clean up after yourselves, remove your garbage and put the furniture back where it belongs so the next people on the roof can enjoy it as well.  Seriously, common sense and common courtesy people.

Dogs:
Dogs are not allowed to relieve themselves on the property.  It’s unsightly and rude.  It also damages the plants and grass.  Take a look at the spots on the front lawn and you’ll see a perfect example.  STOP DOING THIS. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

LHCA