REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

Gnomes · 03-23-2013, 07:03 PM

My gf's townhome has an abandoned bike locked to the gate with a U shape bike lock (flat key hole). It was left there for a good half year. Strata eventually sent her a notice to remove the bike or face $200+ penalty. Strata wont listen that it's not hers.

What can we do to remove it easily? I looked at some video and some suggestion says to use a car jack or a can of compressed air + hammer. (Cannot use the ballpoint pen trick because keyhole is flat key).

I feel the burden belongs to the strata as the bike should be considered as vandalism on her gate. Any suggestions?

fliptuner · 03-23-2013, 07:59 PM

Do you have access to a plug outlet?

eurochevy · 03-23-2013, 08:03 PM

or a jig saw? ..this is actually a very easy answer : / (you can go to rona and rent a tool for an hour even or something)

Manic! · 03-23-2013, 10:12 PM

You could try drilling the key hole. Start with a small bit and then go larger. The hard part would be keeping the lock from moving. Drilling locks have worked for me. Second choice would be a grinder.

sdubfid · 03-23-2013, 10:45 PM

[QUOTE=Gnomes;8192988]My gf's townhome has an abandoned bike locked to the gate with a U shape bike lock (flat key hole). It was left there for a good half year. Strata eventually sent her a notice to remove the bike or face $200+ penalty. QUOTE]

There is only one solution. Get your gf to buy you a nice grinder/zipcut discs/facesheild.

Gf=happy
Gnomes=happy

Then because stratas are so great wait for the noise violation notice

Soundy · 03-23-2013, 11:04 PM

socialenemy69 · 03-24-2013, 12:29 AM

Pay some crackhead $5 he'll have it off in 5 minutes.

Gridlock · 03-24-2013, 11:39 AM

I would push back on the strata. Send them a letter stating that they have 30 days to remove the bike that is attached to her property.

Stratas send out letters threatening people all the time. It's all these fuckers have in their lives...time and a typewriter.

quasi · 03-24-2013, 01:43 PM

Like Gridlock says I wouldn't remove the bike. Explain again it's not hers and you could go the route Grid suggested demanding it's moved ASAP. Honestly, I would laugh in there face and tell them to get fucked.

When I was in highschool I lived in a townhome with my parents. It was a carriage townhouse where you live on top and there is someone below. The people below would complain about my mom wearing shoes when she was getting ready for work. It escalated to the point where strata said if she wore shoes in the house they would fine us. My dad told them to get fucked but his words were not that nice, he had a lot more profanity.

Miraculously no fine ever came and they never complained again. They are a bunch of bullies and most the time the bark has no bite.

Soundy · 03-24-2013, 04:51 PM

Maybe a stupid question, but did you GF ever try reporting the bike to the cops, in case it was a stolen bike? Someone somewhere may want it back...

dinosaur · 03-24-2013, 08:49 PM

You should also attend the next strata meeting and discuss the situation with them in person.

I own a townhouse but I rent it out. My tenants have a dog and were consistently given warning letters about it shitting on the common lawns. My tenant was ADAMANT it was not her dog, and I honestly believe her (not to mention every owner on the street has a dog).

The bill reached $600 so she went to the strata meeting and protested the charges as they had no proof. Strata dropped everything (I seriously have the best tenant).

I really think stratas just send out letters and fines hoping nobody fights it...when they do, its usually dropped.

Eff-1 · 03-24-2013, 09:57 PM

the fence is likely considered part of the limited common property. if it is, and assuming your strata has a bylaw that addresses limited common property and responsibility of maintenance (most bylaws do), then it probably is unfortunately your responsibility to get rid of the bike, not the strata. if it's not in the bylaws, then your strata needs to get rid of it.

our building has a maintenance guy who is usually fairly nice. if your gf's building has one, maybe she can ask him if he will help her out.

rsx · 03-25-2013, 12:57 AM

Fucking crosby property management I bet. Richmond?

I'm dealing with this woman right now. I'm out of the country and can't move my bike, she said they'll remove and dispose it at my expense. WTF! I've been gone less than a year!

Gridlock · 03-25-2013, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eff-1

the fence is likely considered part of the limited common property. if it is, and assuming your strata has a bylaw that addresses limited common property and responsibility of maintenance (most bylaws do), then it probably is unfortunately your responsibility to get rid of the bike, not the strata. if it's not in the bylaws, then your strata needs to get rid of it.

our building has a maintenance guy who is usually fairly nice. if your gf's building has one, maybe she can ask him if he will help her out.

Honestly, you COULD go through the hassle of getting into the finer details of the strata bylaws. You could go to the next meeting and make your case about how this is attached to your area, but not part of ownership, and get into the finer details of how this isn't your bike to begin with.

Or you COULD go through with either finding the tools, and cutting the lock, and you COULD then be in possession of possible stolen property, and then you COULD find a way of getting rid of said bicycle.

But then what? Your strata just bulldozed another one. Their threats worked. So the next time its going to be some other bullshit item.

It's not your bike, and its not your problem. They want it gone, then they can come and get rid of it. I'm all for happy neighborhoods and working together for a common goal...but this is just bs.

racerman88 · 03-25-2013, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gridlock

I would push back on the strata. Send them a letter stating that they have 30 days to remove the bike that is attached to her property.

Stratas send out letters threatening people all the time. It's all these fuckers have in their lives...time and a typewriter.

That is a good idea. Put it in a letter informing the strata that the bike does not belong to her.

Gnomes · 03-26-2013, 04:46 PM

Thanks for all the valuable suggestions. I will definitely fight to push the burden back to the strata!

Eff-1 · 03-26-2013, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gridlock

It's not your bike, and its not your problem. They want it gone, then they can come and get rid of it. I'm all for happy neighborhoods and working together for a common goal...but this is just bs.

well it is your problem. because the bike was unfortunately attached to your fence.

ultimately it's nobody's fault this happened, just one of those things because some idiot left their bike. what I don't understand is why is the strata the only one who wants it gone? doesn't the gf want it gone too? and why would the gf wait a whole six months with a bike locked to her fence. i'd want that bike gone the second it was locked to it. but I digress.

my point is that stratas and property management companies operate in a black and white world. there's no logic, just rules. you need to work within the system in order to make it work for you. the system revolves around the bylaws and strata property act.

in this case, if you honestly feel it's the strata's responsibility to remove the bike, then the only way you can achieve that is to refer to the bylaws and show them where it says it's their responsibility. if the bylaws say otherwise, then it's actually not their responsibility, it's the strata owner's and so you are one who is stuck with the job of getting rid of it regardless of who put it there. so the strata is just doing what it's supposed to do---sending you a letter telling you to get rid of the bike. either way, before you start complaining about the strata, check the bylaws first. otherwise it's not bs unless you can prove it.

in your world with landlords and tenants, certainly things are more logical and subjective. i'm sure if your tenant called you and asked you to remove a bike, you might come by and take care of it because that's not really a big deal and just part of maintaining the building in general. but this is strata. not the same thing.

Gridlock · 03-26-2013, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eff-1

well it is your problem. because the bike was unfortunately attached to your fence.

ultimately it's nobody's fault this happened, just one of those things because some idiot left their bike. what I don't understand is why is the strata the only one who wants it gone? doesn't the gf want it gone too? and why would the gf wait a whole six months with a bike locked to her fence. i'd want that bike gone the second it was locked to it. but I digress.

my point is that stratas and property management companies operate in a black and white world. there's no logic, just rules. you need to work within the system in order to make it work for you. the system revolves around the bylaws and strata property act.

in this case, if you honestly feel it's the strata's responsibility to remove the bike, then the only way you can achieve that is to refer to the bylaws and show them where it says it's their responsibility. if the bylaws say otherwise, then it's actually not their responsibility, it's the strata owner's and so you are one who is stuck with the job of getting rid of it regardless of who put it there. so the strata is just doing what it's supposed to do---sending you a letter telling you to get rid of the bike. either way, before you start complaining about the strata, check the bylaws first. otherwise it's not bs unless you can prove it.

in your world with landlords and tenants, certainly things are more logical and subjective. i'm sure if your tenant called you and asked you to remove a bike, you might come by and take care of it because that's not really a big deal and just part of maintaining the building in general. but this is strata. not the same thing.

...I'm actually on my way to being a licensed PM, so I get the game.

Here's the game for everyone: people are fucking stupid. Get a complaint that the guy upstairs flushes his toilet at night and you realize how many different kinds it takes to run a planet.

Sadly, there is the fucking stupid guy that is not on the strata council, and to be sure, there is the fucking stupid guy that is.

Stratas are a made up world with made up laws. It's all threats and not so gentle persuasion. In that regard, there is NO difference between tenants and owners. A small group of people(in rentals, singular and strata-the board) try to enforce the rules to maintain harmony in a place where lots of people are crammed in a small space. Here's the secret...half of it is bullshit. The stuff doesn't stand to scrutiny.

And I'm just going to say, this is a bit more than the bike here...I'm just talking in general.

I've seen so many bullshit notices from stratas.

I saw the one that accused the owner, a client of mine, that I was working on a saturday with power tools...when I was home, sleeping...on a saturday. Attached with a $100 fine.

We had our own accuse our tenant of having their dog shit everywhere. It wasn't true, and when she pushed back, suddenly that big juicy fine disappeared.

My favorite was when I got in trouble at a building downtown for cutting drywall in the parkade. I vacuumed it when I was done. In fact, I vacuumed so well there was a bit ass clean circle in the garage. Every trip up, I followed behind and vacuumed as we went. I spent a day following MY workers with a goddamned vacuum. Apparently I was to cut the drywall in the hall outside the elevator, as that would not be the parking garage, and the rules are...nothing in the garage. Cool, so you WANT a mess tracked all through the building. Noted. Oh! And can I get in the way too?

So is there being a dick about things? Absolutely. And, as y'all own mutual property, and are married to each other in that sense, I'd probably recommend NOT being a dick about things. BUT: They can be dicks too. And in my mind, sending a letter with either a vague threat about a fine, or a direct fine is being a dick as well. I realize its hard in a larger complex to go hand in hand to 100 different residents and deal with shit...but you should usually go with the carrot, THEN the stick.

Myself, I'd go out at 5 minutes to whatever quiet hours apply at the complex end with my loud ass Bosch grinder and make a show of sparks and sound, wheel the bike to where its viewable to whatever persuasion of bums comb the neighborhood and call it. But thats me.

I wouldn't bother with the notes and letters...but for most people they wouldn't know how to remove the damned thing, or have the tools to do so..so I'd say write the letter.

What I would NOT do, is jump because they said so.

Eff-1 · 03-27-2013, 12:39 AM

i'm not saying jump or saying write notes and letters. i'm saying look at the bylaws and that will tell you who has the responsibility of moving the bike. then act accordingly. if the bylaws say it's the owners job, then by writing an ultimatum letter, all you're doing is wasting your time that will ultimately result in a stupid fine levied against you because you took too long to remove the bike when in the meantime you could have just got rid of it. but if the bylaws say it's the strata's, then write an email to the manager and quote the bylaw and tell him to buzz off and I promise you won't hear from them again.

don't get me wrong. i hate stratas too. I arranged a furniture delivery. strata said deliveries only after 9am. I told the delivery company don't come until 9am. they showed up at 850am. so to save a bit of time they started moving boxes into the lobby but not moving anything into the elevators until 9am. at 855am I was threatened with a fine if they didn't move everything out of the lobby immediately. so they did that until 859am. stood around outside the doors for 2 minutes. then at 901am I was allowed to let them back inside. so yes they can be retards. but the point is they operate to the letter of the bylaw (as your vacuum story also demonstrated. no logic. just bylaws).

I get stratas are about threats and bullshit. that's how they roll. but my point is until this guy actually looks at the bylaws first, he'll go in there looking just as dumb as the strata and likely be treated as such.

subordinate · 04-12-2013, 04:32 PM

update?

I would have taken Gridlocks route.

6793026 · 04-12-2013, 04:41 PM

you know what would be hilarious, cut it off from your fence and reattach it at the property manager's own fence. then file a complaint saying it is now on his/her fence.

Gnomes · 04-13-2013, 05:51 AM

Sorry no update. GF and her family just sent a letter to the strata pleading their case. No response from strata. She did not tell me what was written and she was too lazy to dig up the strata bylaws.

Lomac · 04-13-2013, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gnomes

... and she was too lazy to dig up the strata bylaws.

Hondaracer · 04-13-2013, 12:40 PM

jesus christ, no wonder strata's and people in them never get anything done, look at this thread.

Get a fucking grinder cut it off and throw it in a dumpster, the tools i carry in my truck on a daily basis would have the bike gone in 5 minutes.

Manic! · 04-18-2013, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

jesus christ, no wonder strata's and people in them never get anything done, look at this thread.

Get a fucking grinder cut it off and throw it in a dumpster, the tools i carry in my truck on a daily basis would have the bike gone in 5 minutes.

I swear there has do be a joke in there somewhere. How many ______ does it take to remove a bike lock or something.