Maintenance fees

I have lived in different types of house before I stayed in the current one which is a condominium. I have lived on top of a shop lot, in a flat and in a double storey low cost terrace house. Before I decide to switch to this current condominium I was enthralled by the possibilities of having a swimming pool, a gym, sauna facilities and upper deck garden right in my door steps. That is although I do not know how to swim but at least the facilities is there for me to use. As if some how in the middle of the night I will grow some fins and acquire swimming capabilities of a dolphin.

Hence my sister and I made the decision to buy a condominium in the hope of improving our lifestyles. The lifestyles that imitates living in a hotel or in a resort. We pay a monthly maintenance fee of RM150. Rain or shine, bonus or no bonus, Sick or healthy, we diligently make payment. We did not really make use of the facility so far. The equipment in the gym consists of a number of outdated and ready to be scrap equipments. The swimming pool, I have gone “floating” a few times, as I do not know how to swim. I do not know how long since the last maintenance is or cleaning process is.

The guard station in the guard house, recognise all vehicle that have 4 wheels as the resident vehicle. Although a touch and go system was implemented, the guard still allows those who do not have a card to enter. But they do it selectively, they only allows cars that has “Stars”, or starts with “B”, or bigger and expensive ones. Recently it seems cars have been mysteriously went missing. I guess some aliens has actually been doing some shopping for antique machinery or the guards could be visiting "Mr. Chow" so often in the night until they do not know what happens.

Recently the lift also seems to be suffering some kind of long terms sickness, it has not been its usual self. It has been stagnant for some time at 1st floor. I am not sure why. It could be that it has finally met something that it likes at 1st floor and forgot to do its job. No wonder there are over RM 1 million outstanding maintenance fees that has yet to be collected. I guess the occupant also has some how lose their memory.

When we, the paying residents ask the building management in regards to those sick lift, aliens shopping, scrap metal in gym, they always blames this bunch of non paying residents. When we ask the non paying residents, they say that they do not pay because the service is so bad, hence no point paying. I am not sure if other condominium user around the world experience the same problem or I am just plain unlucky...