Move In, Have Money, Demand Change

Having just congratulated the Ministry of Sound for proactively participating in local redevelopment, and successfully preventing a 41 floor condominium from being built too close to their business of “being noisy”, I have a great example of the reverse.

Miss Lin Yu Yang, of the Rivergate Condominium in Robertson Quay, Singapore, is successfully getting the attention of local government officials to cut out local street drinking and early morning use. The Rivergate is located in the Robertson Quay, an extremely popular night club, hotel and restaurant area. The very famous, huge, nightclub Zouk is located there.

Having recently purchased a ~3.2 million USD condominium, Miss Lin has become distraught over the level of night life noise. It’s too much for her, and she wants the first Singapore no-alcohol zone to surround her home.

Seriously. You’re going to spend that huge amount of money on a condo, and not do your research if it is suitable for your living needs? Drive by at night?

If I had enough to buy an expensive unit like that – I would definitely require a week long residency – even if I had to rent the unit out for that week.

As Miss Lin is quoted:

If we ask them to stop, they may say: ‘You think that just because you are rich, you can tell us what to do?

Well, yeah. I think they would.

Ministry of Sound – Proactively Being Loud

I’ve never liked the type of person that moves into a new neighbourhood and then complains about the noise, traffic, prostitution, smells, sound and vagrants. They’ve always seems like arrogant pricks to me. When you’re buying into an existing neighbourhood, you are buying into the neighbourhood. The good (hopefully, I mean there must have been something good that would have attracted the person to the block) and the bad.

When it comes to the bad, a big complaint of these new residents is sound.

The Ministry of Sound, a hugely successful nightclub and record label resides in an area of London that in undergoing revitalization and new development. Instead of waiting for the developments to go up, and the new owners’ complaints to come in, the nightclub has – for 2 years – been very active with petitions, leafleting and advertising against the new developments.

This last week Southwark council’s planning committee against the development proposal – a 41 story tower block, proposed by developers Oakmyne, that would have been built near the club.

I’m very excited about this development. It reaffirms that existing businesses (and the Ministry of Sound is a landmark and cultural icon as well) can continue to flourish, and councils recognize that when new development is erected is often has a significant negative impact on existing business. In almost every case the new developments force out old business. This time that whole battle is avoided, and the existing business is respected.

Chris Brown, the Anti-Model Resident for a Condominium

There is a lot that seems to be accepted as fact here – multiple loud parties, dog racing in the hallways (that’s a new one from me) and parking in handicap designated spaces by a non-handicap driver. Where to start –

It’s likely that the condominium (a building with only 7 units, so likely the entire building) is faced with a nightmare resident that disregards the entire condominium by-laws and treats his residence at the condominium without any regard for neighbours. I’ve always indicated that living in a condominium is a communal living experience, and has significantly more limitations on an owner’s rights than detached housing. Does that register in people – often not, and from personal experience the greatest violators of the communal living experience (requiring due respect of one’s neighbours) is younger owners. Chris is 22.

As well, he’s got a criminal record for assault, the records show him uttering death threats, and he runs dogs in the hallways. I will assume that he can be a very intimidating person to deal with, and likely works that angle strongly, which limits the ability of the building to deal with him.

Currently the building is in conflict with him. I am uncertain about the rules in California about boards evicting owners, but it can be done in many jurisdictions (that is, evicting on grounds other that failure to pay the condominium contribution or in the US the HOA fees). Given the tough boy role Chris has, I would simply move to pursue the legal remedies to have him removed. It’s annoying, but it’s the least confrontational approach at this time.

A condo isn’t a Crib, as it has other people who live there. For 1.6 million (the cost of the unit) he could have easily afforded a detached dwelling instead of communal living – with all the allowance for noise and off track racing he would wish. It’s hard to have sympathy for someone who simply makes terrible decisions – and it’s his decision to have his lifestyle take precedence over the other owners.

Fame, celebrity status, and money. That’s an awesome combination matched with someone with little respect over their neighbours.