Well, for some of us that have been here since the building opened some 18 months ago, its been an interesting journey. One that you can't help but feel a sense of déjà vu, or recurring dream about.
18 months ago the car lifts would go out of service and we were told
"its just teething problems", "they'll be sorted next week". Read on but in a nutshell, the building has had problems from day 1 and the only change since then is for the worse.
Well taking "next week" as was intended for when the "teething issues" would be sorted the margin of error is some 7400% on that estimate to date, and in those 73 weeks gone, the building has seen untold residents leave through sheer frustration. 73 weeks of having your car locked in the buildings car park, and not being able to get it out and go to work. 73 weeks of failed promises. 73 weeks of excuses and losing business. 73 weeks of being told the building was full and had waiting lists of people waiting to be moved in (suggesting we should be lucky to be here)?
Its not by the way and judging by the empty apartments, many of us think the building is closer to 60% full at best.
Judge for yourself and drive past at night and see how many lights are NOT on!
For anyone who hasnt been informed by their letting agent (i.e. pretty much everyone) that by moving in you are pretty much guaranteed to be late for work every other week (if thats just in the city) and have to pay out for cabs as insult to injury and put up with all manners of crap think carefully about moving in.
The building is in a great spot and could be so much better but a great many people now think that more than a few corners were cut by the developer, knowing they were going to go into administration and as a result, some of those corners might be poor finishes to the interiors, poor fixtures and fittings, others, unsafe car lifts and glass panels falling from 200ft above your head and exploding all over the street.
Back to the car park issue.
Well imagine leaving your house/flat where you live now in the morning knowing you have a 90min drive only to find your car clamped! And then try and get to that meeting/client/work on time if at all? Thats what its like living here. Some residents have lost thousands of pounds in lost business/earnings, some have left because of disciplinary proceedings at work!
Shouldn't we, for the money people pay, be getting that quality product everyone was expecting? According to the actions of the Building Manager, Thompson and Moulton (part of Sutton Kersch), NO.
Its not all about the carlifts either. The passenger lifts in the building are forever breaking down just a regularly as the car ones and the windows, despite having a working crane for window cleaners, have never been cleaned once since the building opened.
What happens now?
In brief, the management company said today that no dates can be given in respect of the issues currently being faced and the car lift that has been in service for approx 14days since Nov 2009, and remains out of service today (the note is there on the left hand lift for all to see) no date, whether next week, next month or next year has been given so chances are, things are not going to change.
I will update this again in the coming days/weeks when other lines of inquiry have started to take effect with Liverpool Council whom issued a section 77 (dangerous building notice) and the Health and Safety Executive, whom are also investigating.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What a nightmare... Im not Nostradamus, but I realised 3 months ago this situation wasnt going to get any better but have to say, I wasnt expecting to hear that the external glass walls were falling from 200 feet!
ReplyDeletePeople, I stressed before and I will stress again, VOTE WITH YOUR FEET AS SOON AS YOUR TENANCY IS UP! Things are not going to get any better in Alex Tower until that management group is bought out or taken to court for something as drastic as a fatality!
Can anybody give me an update on situation- are all oweners paying fees to a company who so not fulfill their side of contract?
ReplyDeleteRe Fees, as far as I am aware a couple of owners had contacted Thompson and Moulton to say that they were holding the fees back until a time until they could provide the full accounts, and explain what was done with the funds set aside for things like 'window cleaning' as the windows havent been cleaned since the building opened over two years ago.
ReplyDeleteThe next update will be on 5th Nov after Zolfo Cooper have had sufficient time to respond to our next communication with them
Me and my girlfriend moved out of Alex Tower in August to Beetham Tower in Manchester. Since moving here we've never had to walk down or up the stairs, we've never been trapped in a passenger lift, a car lift or in a car park, we've never been late for work, we haven't stood in a lift with people smoking, we don't need to walk around barriers to get in and the place doesn't smell of across between rotting flesh and weed. Also there are rubbish chutes, so no piling up rubbish, despite how much fun climbing over it all was.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how much we liked John and Harry, Alex Tower is a death trap, and the quicker it's knocked down the better. Sorry to anybody who owns an apartment there.
FYI a glass panel fell off Beetham tower, but it was fixed in a few hours, now thats service :)
...Still a deadly threat to people passing below, though.
DeleteAnd where are the views of the waterfront from Beetham Manchester?
Pollution is more of a problem methinks.