Help for disabled friend...

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

And about that $800 special assessment... the KHON story said the repair estimate is about $350,000 to fix both elevators. But there are 144 apartments, right? Something is wrong with the numbers somewhere. The assessment seems to be more than double what was needed. (shrug)

Assessments are frequently based on the square footage of the apartment. Unless all the apartments are the same size, some will be bigger and some smaller.

[tutusue]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

Assessments are frequently based on the square footage of the apartment. Unless all the apartments are the same size, some will be bigger and some smaller.

Of course...why didn't I think of that, esp. since I've used that info many times the past coupla months?!!! That said, I believe the majority of the units are one bedroom, same size...aha!...google to the rescue:
"144 units all configured as one bedroom/one bath. Units have approximately 598 square fee of living space and 43 square feet of lanai".

[cezanne]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

So Tutu... any word from your friend? Did they fix it?

[tutusue]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

The way it seemed to work was that folks would call the Resident Manager on his cell phone and tell him what floor they were on. Then he would call his own maintenance man on his cell phone, who was inside the elevator all the time. That guy would push the appropriate button, then he would call Tad on the roof of the building and Tad would push whatever button he had to.
A three-person three-call process.[...]

According to my friend, that "choreography" happened AFTER HT came to the rescue. That's why my friend, once the media was involved, had to wait only 12 minutes. The night she called me and I posted to HT, she waited 2 hours because only Tad was involved.

Weird...I didn't see this post of yours, LN, 'til this morning even tho' I was on HT long after your date/time stamp. Same thing happened yesterday. Ditto for yesterday's post by Lavagal.

[tutusue]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

So Tutu... any word from your friend? Did they fix it?

Nope...not fixed. Another 4 months is anticipated. Apparently HVT has hired a security company to man the elevator much like the Canal House staff did yesterday. So, people will continue to have to make arrangements via cell phone. Not all of the elderly residents have cell phones. Whatta mess.

There was a meeting last night with the management company's attorney, someone from HVT, BoD members who chose to attend (not all did) and the residents. It appears HVT person took all the credit for being on the roof with no acknowledgement given to Tad. My friend stopped short of saying HVT person was never on the roof but she did say that Tad was THE man for the first 36 hours. It sounds like there was a whole lotta misrepresentation of the truth goin' on.

My friend has also spoken with Jim Dooley.

Time will tell...

[LikaNui]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

TutuSue -- one of my sources tells me that the HVT elevator company is saying they're pretty new at the Canal House contract, and the previous elevator company has refused to turn over any records and docunents to them, so HVT is blaming it on them.
I don't know how much, if any, truth there is to that story, but something Jim Dooley and the others may want to look into, if you or your friend want to pass that along to him/them.
(I would but I'm just racing out the door to go do about a hundred errands.)

[tutusue]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

Thanks, LN. I left my friend a message to alert her.

[tutusue]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

Update!

I spoke with my friend, LN, and she's aware that HVT hasn't been the only company to service the elevators during the condo's lifetime. She also mentioned that there was a mention at last week's meeting about the missing documents. Evidently, when an elevator is repaired the repair is noted for an ongoing history. Heh...I feel a screenplay comin' on..."Diary of a Mad Elevator"! Anyway, HVT is saying they are having trouble getting those notes. My friend wants to know why and how HVT bid on a job without that documentation. So do I.

One thing I didn't know about this Canal House fiasco is that in March, when HVT was called in, the first elevator was voluntarily taken out of service for an upgrade. Other than intermittent glitches that all elevators can experience (I just got off of one!!!), the first elevator was in working order. So...I'm curious...if that elevator was working and HVT, during an upgrade, had to take it apart, then determined they needed a new part...and that would take 6 weeks to get...why the h3!! didn't they put the previously working elevator back together and keep it in service 'til the part arrived??? Ok...so I know nothing about elevators!

My friend also mentioned that she learned in the meeting that elevator repair people are unionized and due to the volume of work, HVT has had to recruit union members from the mainland. Friend asked HVT rep why the workmen walked off the job. She said HVT rep said they were from the mainland and found living in Hawaii too expensive so they went home!!! Huh? They all made that decision on the same day??? And, if hired from out of state, don't most unions address per diem and lodging? They're probably making a decent wage if they're union. I wonder what union elevator repairmen belong to. (Aha, just found it...International Union of Elevator Constructors)

Friend also mentioned she heard from another friend who has a friend who lives in the Pavillion in Waikiki. (This is starting to sound like that childhood game, Telephone!!!) Apparently the Pavillion is also having a problem with HVT that dates back to January. I haven't heard anything about this so am guessing that all the elevators aren't affected and residents still have use of one or more elevators. Still...January>July...too long.

[LikaNui]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

Anything new, TutuSue?

[tutusue]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

Anything new, TutuSue?

Not at the moment. I'm having dinner with them on Sunday so I'll ask my friend for an update then.

Stand by...

[tutusue]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

Update!

There has recently been a repairman sighting on site. However, the one barely working elevator still needs to be operated manually, coordinated by cell phone between resident, assistant manager and "elevator operator". Residents need to allow a lot of lead time when they need to be somewhere. A completion date has not been given.

[LikaNui]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

Thanks for the update, TutuSue, and please let me know if "the pitbull" needs to be unleashed again. (I'm working on a special project over here, doing 12-13 hour days, six days a week, for the next three weeks, but will make time to go into pitbull mode if needed.)

[tutusue]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

Thanks for the update, TutuSue, and please let me know if "the pitbull" needs to be unleashed again. (I'm working on a special project over here, doing 12-13 hour days, six days a week, for the next three weeks, but will make time to go into pitbull mode if needed.)

Wot? Are you now working in film production?!

[LikaNui]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

Update! There has recently been a repairman sighting on site. However, the one barely working elevator still needs to be operated manually, coordinated by cell phone between resident, assistant manager and "elevator operator". Residents need to allow a lot of lead time when they need to be somewhere. A completion date has not been given.

It's been a week since that last update, TutuSue, so... anything new?
Enquiring pitbulls wanna know.

[tutusue]

Re: Help for disabled friend...

It's been a week since that last update, TutuSue, so... anything new?
Enquiring pitbulls wanna know.

<tee hee!>

As of last Thursday there's nuthin' new. Post #56 above still stands. Even tho' a repairman has been there, the residents were told at the meeting that it was going to be at least another 6 weeks before the essential part is available. I think it's time for Jim Dooley to make some more phone calls to the mainland!