Build on this

Anyone that knows me knows that I have been wrestling with building problems ever since I moved into my apartment. Here is the letter I am going to send to the builders (slightly modified, I don’t want to get sued...)

"Dear Sir/Madam,

I bought one of your apartments two years ago. I sure you know the ones; built by monkeys, maintained by morons. For the past two years your teams have been in my domicile snagging the place. At last count, they have been in twenty plus times. You can tell it’s been your builders fixing my problems, because they’re still not fixed and my walls are painted the wrong colour.

I try ringing the director of your maintenance company on a day to day basis. When he is not ignoring my calls he occasionally answers and then hangs up; if he doesn’t answer I leave a message for him to ignore at his convenience. I’m sure he is a busy man and doesn’t have time to take my calls; there are many other apartment owners to ignore.

I have two particular issues.

Number one, a leaky shower. This problem saw three foremen trying to fix it. Yes, the shower was installed by you. Yes, you did the tiles and plumbing too. Your snagger and his team fixed it. Then fixed it again. And again. And another time. Then one last time to fix it again. The leak has stopped. The skirting in my house is wrecked, the wallpaper damaged, the floor underlay rotten, and carpet stained. Good job, well done.

Number two, a leaky roof. I am the top floor. Apparently the angle of pipes from the extractor is such that condensation forms and drips on to my bedroom ceiling. Your snagger and his team came into fix it. And again. And again, leaving paint on sink and toilet bowl. And again, painting the walls the wrong colour and leaving paint all over one of my chairs. Problem is back again, but mister maintenance is unavailable.

I would really like someone to address these problems. Do the math, if a call out costs approximately €200 in time, effort etc., (and I’d say this is a conservative estimate), then the problems have so far have cost your company €4000. If I wasted that in my company I’d be fired, or at least sternly reprimanded.

How’s about this for a solution. You send someone competent around to fix the problems, then leave. Works for both of us I imagine. Certainly works for me.

Please don’t bin or ignore this fax, even if it is company policy.

I am not a crank,
Yours etc.,"