Tag Archives: Schön & Sever

Berlin, The Balcony that "would not be affected"

Documentation 19 September

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This afternoon, I spent (wasted?) about an hour cleaning my balcony – again (see https://www.hellemoller.eu/2020/09/14/i-cant-believe-this-is-actually-happening/) (that was probably stupid, but I could no longer stand looking at the mess). It currently looks like in the photo above. I have not washed anything, and my gut instinct tells me it would be asking for trouble to put the furniture back once again. But at least I can sit on my balcony now.

This time, there was too much rubble to carry to their doorstep in one go, so I just threw their “gifts” onto the scaffolding. A lot of it was stuck, so it took quite a bit of hacking and scraping. Washing the floor and the marble shelves (which were brand new from February last year) would probably reveal some damage done, and that would ruin my mood which for some strange reason is relatively good right now. Perhaps because I have just been out of town, and am going away again next week, and for another two weeks after that will be relocating to house- and catsit elsewhere in Berlin.

I do appreciate the fact that I am able to get away most of the time, and that I live in a (for me) new country with a good train service and an endless supply of places to visit (although when during the winter I decided to sell my parking space, that was not what I planning on spending the money on :-)).

However, truth be told, given the lovely weather this month, not to mention Covid19 and my age, I would have preferred to be able to spend most of the time on my balcony and sometimes have one or two visitors over for brunch/lunch/coffee/drinks.

Cresco Capital Group

Schön & Sever

The Balcony that "would not be affected"

At least they have not dumped anything on my balcony for the last 48 hours ….

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(but to be on the safe side, I will not clean it for another few days).

However, this drilling has been going on for weeks: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1073953174.

The Balcony that "would not be affected"

I can’t believe this keeps happening

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Remember the balcony that “would not be affected”?

Also see this post about the gift that keeps on giving.

And this one about all the lies. And perhaps also this one about some of the other damages.

The whole story is outlined in this category.

On Wednesday 9 September I came home to find a corner of my balcony looking as below, after I had cleaned it a couple of weeks earlier when they had previously dumped a load of sh.. there.

As mentioned in the post linked to above, the monstosity they are renovating is “unter Denkmalschutz” and that seems to mean they can do whatever they like, and I apparently have to keep smiling and am not allowed to complain.

I decided to leave it a couple of days to make sure they had finished, and yesterday, Sunday 13 September, I finally had enough looking at all that disgusting mess and cleaned it, as shown here:

I was going to wash it all and put the furniture back this afternoon, when I found the same corner again looking as below. And of course still nobody saying even as much as “oops” to me about it. In fact, the entrepreneur has not even bothered to reply to my e-mail about it, and neither has our Hausverwaltung, Schön & Sever (who is on the side of Cresco Real Estate anyway).

Cresco Capital Group

Schön & Sever

GBP Architecten

Berlin

Berlin, a good biking city? Nothing could be further from the truth

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Let’s start close to home, the courtyard of the building I live in.

Cars and other motorised vehicles are allowed to park helter-skelter wherever they like, but bikes are ONLY allowed in a room which is much too small, alternatively in our own rooms in the basement which involves schlepping the bike through the main door, carrying it down two short flights of stairs, unlocking the room to the basement, then up a couple of steps, round yet another corner and unlocking our private room, which is barely big enough for a bike.

In our building, which is obviously stuck somewhere in the mid-20th century (anti bikes, anti environment ….), everything has to be as easy and simple as possible for motorised vehicles, and as difficult and bothersome as possible for bikes.

In my view, the courtyard should be used for something much better, nicer, more modern and more environment-friendly than asphalt and cars, and no cars should be allowed in the courtyard at all.

When I bought the flat here, I also bought a parking space, and was promised that I would be able to use it for a bike rack (to make sure the bike would never fall over and get anywhere near the precious cars) and keep my bike there. However, the other inhabitants in the building did not want that, and kept cutting the increasingly heavy chain and placing my bike out of sight right at the end of the courtyard.

Ever since I moved in, I have tried to float the subject of creating bike parking spaces in the as yet completely un-utilised areas in the courtyard (not using those spaces is a complete waste if you ask me), but that has met with no interest whatsoever.

I have now given up, sold the parking space, and given away my bike.

By the way, did I mention that our Hausverwaltung is Schön & Sever?

Into the street: In Lindenstraße, there is a very narrow bike path BETWEEN parked cars and a very busy street (we all know how drivers can’t be bothered to look behind them before opening their car door). An arrangement seen in many streets all over Berlin. Who in their right mind builds streets like that?

Other bike paths (where they exist), apart from being equally narrow, are full of potholes, lampposts and trees, cars park on them with impunity, and some of them even have a double function as bus lanes (!!!!).

Berlin, The Balcony that "would not be affected"

I always give back what I have borrowed

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  • Current state, just for comparison
  • This morning’s harvest, returned

Cresco Real Estate

The Balcony that "would not be affected"

More Lies

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When in May 2019 at a meeting of owners in the building we were first informed about the renovations next door, we were told that the part of the scaffolding that is really close to our balconies would be there for six to eight months (starting in June 2019) and that our balconies would not be affected. I was surprised that we were offered compensation – on hindsight probably a pitiful amount but I did not pay much attention because – six to eight months seemed like nothing, and “my balcony would not be affected” – so – yeah-yeah, whatever. And in any case, that was the first and last we have ever heard or seen of that money, so perhaps that was just another lie.

Now I finally understand why I was lied to so blatantly. If I had known:

  • To what extent a summer, an autumn, a spring, and another summer– and most likely the second autumn as well – would be ruined;
  • The amount of cleaning I would need to do over and over again;
  • The ugliness I would have to look at;
  • The amount of sun and daylight that would be stolen, and for how long (years rather than months);
  • The inexplicable and despite many complaints loud shouting, roaring and singing (?) sometimes already shortly after 6 AM, even on some Saturdays, which wakes up the entire area;
  • Not to mention the construction noise which up to now has been for longer periods of time and louder than I ever thought possible, often causing me to have to get out of the flat – in times of Corona where I should be at home – and on my balcony (!) – most of the time;

– I would have paid more attention, been less impressed that they were even offering any kind of compensation, and reserved the right to adjust that amount upwards later.

Do I feel like an utter fool? You bet.

By the way – what is that ridiculous net doing there? It no longer has any function, since it is hanging loose in many places, sometimes flapping wildly in the wind. All it does is make the whole thing look even more messy and ugly. But perhaps, to them, that is reason enough to leave it there.

Cresco Real Estate

Schön & Sever

GBP Architekten

Berlin, The Balcony that "would not be affected"

Like a gift that keeps on giving

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Came home to find some more “presents”. Even more disgusting ugliness to tolerate. And just in case I was twiddling my thumbs and desperate for something to do – I can always keep cleaning my balcony.

Have they communicated with me about this in any way, shape or form? No, of course not. Their arrogance just keeps reaching new heights. They are renovating one of the ugliest buildings in the world and it is “UNTER DENKMALSCHUTZ”. Ooooohh. That means they can do whatever they like.

By the way, I’m told the building I live in is also unter Denkmalschutz. I don’t for the life of me understand why, but there it is.

Cresco Capital Group

Schön & Sever

Berlin, The Balcony that "would not be affected"

Chapter Number 27 in the Never-ending Saga of the Balcony that would not be Affected

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Fortunately, I am escaping the nightmare again next week (it is not just the mess but most of all the noise which now starts at 05.45 AM and continues throughout the day so no chance of a mid-day nap), so I am not sure I can be bothered to clean that up, since most likely there will be more when I get back.

The bigger question is, how much longer will I have to look at all this ugliness:

Cresco Real Estate

Schön & Sever

GBP Architekten

Berlin, The Balcony that "would not be affected"

Neighbours from Hell – two updates in one day? This is getting ridiculous

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EDIT: Latest development: There is now an agreement that the current work will be finalised, and the net removed, by the end of next week.

I will make sure I am not in Lindenstraße, or even in Berlin, a lot during the next ten days.

During the week 10 to 15 August I will then be able to clean everything and take possession of my balcony again. They did offer to do the cleaning, but I prefer to do that myself. I really am not in the mood to have strangers invading my home these days and I do not want to talk to anybody.

I sincerely hope that these are the last words I will ever write about this matter.

EARLIER: Now they are turning up on my doorstep – unannounced – asking to be let in. Why? So they can tell more lies, this time undocumented? If they want to see the balcony, they are almost standing on it.

The must have eaten nails, as we say in Danish.

The Balcony that "would not be affected"

They said they had finished. And one more question to which I still have not received a reply

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They said they had finished and that it was no longer necessary for the balcony to be empty, so I cleaned parts of the balcony yesterday and started to put things back on it.

Now I just arrived back from a daytrip and found this. The entire balcony looks like this – again.

F…! It was THIS close to having been a lovely day.

I was always taught, in school and by my parents, that lying was completely unacceptable. Here in Germany, it seems to be a sport. That, and blaming others for everything that goes wrong. You can certainly see where a certain US president, with German ancestors, gets his habits of lying and blaming others from.

By the way, what are those black stains, and how do I remove them? They appeared during the work they did last summer, shortly after this part of the scaffolding had been erected. There are many more, also on the marble shelf and on the floor of the balcony – currently covered by dust – again. I thought I would be able to scrape them off, but they are completely solid and stuck.

Is it because the monstrosity is under Denkmalschutz that they can get away with being so unbelievable arrogant and do what like?

Schön & Sever , Cresco Capital Group, Cresco Real Estate

Background:

This is exasperating
The saga about the scaffolding continues
I am not going to stop till I get a response
Thanks a lot!
And the scaffolding, again
So my balcony would not be affected?