After further research and speaking to my sister who is very knowledgeable in the law I have wrote a second letter in rearguards to the matter here in our apartment complex. I have also found out that they need to be representing us since w are under legal and binding contracts/leases.
My understanding as of tomorrow sometime we will be getting an updated letter from the company regarding this very serious matter with our garages and contracts/leases.
It should be very interesting to see how this goes.
At National Night Out we all singed our petition as well regarding this matter.
It is awesome to see us stand as a group and fight for our rights.
We may win this yet!
Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement through this very difficult time.
I still have so much to do and work out.
Tomorrow will help me to decide which direction we will be going in.
August 1st 2011
Dear Management of Campbell Park /Blue Mountain Community Management,
I am writing to express my severe concerns with the new parking and garage regulations. I am a tenant of Campbell Park and have lived here for nearly three years. During this time I have never been late on my rent; in fact I am paid in advance in my rent payment and have never caused any trouble. Additionally I have a signed lease stating that I am renting "both A and B garage units". I have not signed any other documents and this is my legally binding lease. That was singed June 6th of this year. Prior to that I was under a month to month lease with the old management company for said property.
I am disappointed that Campbell Park/Blue Mountain is attempting change the garage status. They claim that it is because of a new City ordinance that every renter must have one parking space. I believe that the way that owner/management of Campbell Park is addressing this issue is unnecessary. Less intrusive steps can be taken to comply with this declaration and still keep residents happy. This change is not necessary to comply with the Declaration as there are 152 units which necessitate 152 parking spaces. Section 4.2 of the Declaration for Campbell Park/Gresham Village stating that “152 parking units are provided and each unit has ONE parking unit”, can be interpreted, and indeed up to this point has been interpreted without conflict, to include some of the many parking spaces in the multiple lots around the property. There are within the parking lots on site 123 spaces that can be provided to residents that do not want a garage currently available not counting spaces outside of the garages. This can be implemented through parking stickers in cars. This total number of spaces is the current minimal available and does not include 5 spaces blocked by cement planters and 6 areas that are cemented out by curb within current parking lots that could easily be changed into more parking with minimal cost and no negative effects on the current residents. When garages (counted as one space per double garage) are added into the count of current number of parking spaces there are an additional 78 spots bringing the total to 209 spaces for 152 units and their visitors. If each garage is counted as only one space (not two), and no changes are made to move planters or re-open some curbed parking areas there is currently a total of 201 spaces not counting the handicapped spaces. If garages must be shared and cars inside, there will be around 279 empty parking spaces making this area look more like a deserted parking lot than a residential area. More importantly there are tenants that DO NOT want a garage and are upset about the changes as they never wanted a garage in the first place for various reasons. As you can see, there are more than enough parking spots in the area to give every unit one space without making such drastic and intrusive policy changes. A mere parking sticker change would be more than sufficient. Additionally there has never been a parking problem and large areas of the parking lot are always open to vehicles. This policy is not necessary and is causing residents much hardship.
There is only one side of the garage with a light switch and electricity forcing anyone that wants to use any electricity or light while in the garage to cross “the invisible plane”.
We carry renters insurance and our garage is insured for our belongings that are in there. We do not store any hazardous or flammable materials and are safe and courteous with how we use the garage. Two cars must be parked inside my husband has a truck with a camper that would not fit in the garage at all. Our units are small with only two closets and one coat closet with no room for any excess storage at all. Moving from a four bedroom home and half acre land of property this was a very difficult move to begin with. In addition to not being a feasible option to get two cars in every garage, this policy puts many residents under undue hardship. For many of us that means spending more money on storage units that they and I may not be able to afford. As well some of my neighbors are handicapped and could not repeatedly lift the door to park inside and neighbors that need aid walking such as a walker or cane could not physically get out of their car in the garage if another car was parked in there already. Many cars are too tall to even fit in these garages and many cars are wide.
All of the aforementioned concerns can be handled easily by requiring tenants to display a Campbell Park parking pass instead of pursuing changes in the garage space. If you do decide to force people to park in certain areas, I request that you please address the above concerns first by either installing two garage doors with a separation wall before making these parking changes or allowing status quo use of the garages. We would be happy to sign a different lease for only half of the garage under two conditions: a divider wall and two separate doors installed so access can be limited in our half of the garage, and the price of rent for the garage is reduced to reflect the decreased use of space. As well as for mentioned I am paid in full in advance so it would be a matter of paid in advance further or you owing me money for said property I am no longer in use of.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth/David Hernandez
An original signed copy of this letter is being kept of file and another signed copy has been mailed to Blue Mountain Community Management.
Have you ever banned with a group of friends or people for a situation and stood up and fight for your rights?
