ABBBBNNEERRRRRR!!!!

When I rented apartments I would always be amazed at how not interesting home owner stories were but yet the home owner seemed to really be invested in the story. The following is my first real homeowner story and I hope you find it interesting because… I am really invested in it

Do you remember Gladys Kravitz on the sitcom Bewitched?  She was the very nosy neighbor that would often see the magical goins’ on over at Samantha and Darren’s place.  People loved to not like her because EVERYBODY seems to have a busybody neighbor.  Gladys personified the neighborhood gossip who actually did see some crazy things but no one would believe her because she would be the only witness and the reports were so outrageous.

I can still hear her yelling AAABBBBBNEEERRRRR!

When I first moved into my condo, I was warned by our own local Gladys Kravitz, about my downstairs neighbor being nicknamed by the neighbors as Mr. Grouch.  My other Bostonian neighbors simply will NOT talk about him other than to say that name, wave their hand and move on.  Humbly stated though, I am a pretty good neighbor.  I don’t throw wild parties, do crazy shenanigans, I will help out if I can … I do try to do my part and be a good neighbor.  So I didn’t worry about Mr. Grouch.

Until Tropical Storm Fay.

When TS Fay came along  in August of 2008 and basically parked over my neighborhood, we got about 17 inches of rain and the area got anywhere from 14 to 21 inches.  It was wet wet wet … and even wetter.  Everything was wet.  Water was accumulating on the windows and condensing 24 hours the entire time the storm was here … it was amazing.  My neighbor got a mold patch in his bathroom so he decided to blame me for having a leak in my pipes that was causing his mold patch (the size of a quarter.)  He demanded that I hire a plumber and track down *MY* leak.

I had no damage in my place, no mold, no sign of a leak … anywhere.  Plus, the pipes in the wall are up to the condo association to fix. We have to fix anything extending from the wall into the interior and any damage inside.  So, after I talked to the property manager, I mustered up the courage to tell Mr. Grouch that I was sorry but I have no damage and I am not going to hire a plumber.  If he felt like there was a leak in the wall then he needed to talk to the association and arrange for someone to come and check it out.

He scowled and harangued me each time he saw me for the next two weeks where I calmly reiterated that I didn’t have any damage and offered to call the property manager on his behalf but as far as I could tell… there wasn’t any damage to be fixed.

He didn’t like that and finally left me alone about it and moved on.  Truth is, there wasn’t any damage to the pipes.

Then, it’s been a little over a year later.  He and I were actually getting along.  I went down to tell him that after sweating for two days, I was having a new air conditioner installed while I was away in Mexico.  He was very funny actually and really did try to be helpful and kind. I left concerned about the whole ordeal but glad my neighbors and security would be watching.

Then, I got a frantic call while I was in Mexico.  I didn’t hear the phone ring so I got the voicemail.  Mr. Grouch was freaking out because my new air conditioner was HUGE, blocked his whole window (some of the buildings AC units are outside his spare bedroom’s window) and was in violation of the Condo association guidelines.

I called him and it wasn’t pretty.  Pretty much the same thing as with the mold patch, no argument to be had. I was obviously out of line and need to take care of it immediately. I was 2330 miles away. I would find out later that the whole building was in on the whole story.  Mr. Grouch complained to everyone possible.

Several calls later, the property manager, very confidently said, “Mr. Thomas, you don’t have to worry about it.  It is above the wall a little bit (a nice wall surrounds the ac units ) but so are a lot of the outside units on the property.  The unit is large but its not that much bigger than others on the property. And Mr. **** would have to make all the other owners trade out their units and I can assure you, he won’t want to do that.”  When he said that last part I picked up a perceptible light-hearted tone.  Not rude, not derogatory but I knew there was something more to the story.  I just assumed that there must be some sort of history there and didn’t think about it again … until later.

Gigantor!

When I got back home, I was shocked!  It was HUGE!  I nicknamed it Gigantor and firmly believe it is a Transformer sent here to guard me.  However, I walked around the property and I noticed  plenty of other units that were as big or even bigger and I relaxed. It didn’t block his whole view and I just decided to let it go and chill out.  Chilling out is the right word too.  Seriously, it’s cold in here … and I *like* it.  Even so, I haven’t seen or heard from Mr. Grouch since I got home.

Today, the AC dude came by my office to finish up some paperwork.  I said, “Did you know you all almost caused a Civil War in my complex?”  Surprisingly he said, “OH yeah… I had to go back and talk to your downstairs neighbor.”  I had no idea that happened, it really did escalate further than I was aware. The AC Dude was laughing and continued, “Yeah, I did some investigating before I went out there and found out that there are 26 units on the property that are too big for the association rules.  He said, that the rules are older and the more efficient models being installed are just bigger and there really isn’t other options that would adequately serve our floorplans.  He also discovered that Mr. Grouch also owns the condo next to his on the ground floor.  So when the AC Dude came over, he asked Mr. Grouch to follow him and he did, they walked in front of the other condo he owns and AC Dude said while pointing at the condo next door to Mr. Grouch,

“Do you own that condo too?”

Mr. Grouch said, “Yes.”

“So you own that air conditioner?” Pointing to something that looks about has tall as the Sears tower.

Mr. Grouch’s eyes widened remembering a forgotten fact, “Ummm yes.”

Mr. Grouch was just reminded that he owns *THE LARGEST* of all the AC units on the property.  It literally towers above the surrounding wall.  AC Dude said, “If you make me take out Mr. Thomas’ air conditioner, you will need to have yours replaced as well.  You will also have to convince 24 other people to do the same OR convince your Condo Association to undertake the construction of making those walls higher … all across the property.

Now I know why on my third call home from Mexico all I got Mr. Grouch to say was, “Ummm… yeah… don’t worry about it.  We are going to let this one go.”

It should be stated that I did ask the AC Dude if he was aware of the Association rules and knew that the unit I was purchasing would be ok. I had ONE day to get it investigated, ordered and buy the replacement. In the end though, it is only a couple of inches too high but if I had known that and been here to see that, I would have tried to stay within the guidelines.

My not spiritual side really enjoyed hearing the story of Mr. Grouch being informed his own ac unit transgression was even worse than what he was complaining about me for.  I had no idea he owned that other condo too.  At the same time, I want to like Mr. Grouch.  He is elderly and has had a LOT of serious health problems over the two years I have been here.  As I have found out about his various times in the hospital I have prayed. I watched him taken away in an ambulance one time.  I don’t want him to pass on with his neighbors telling Gladys Kravitz type stories about him.  So I am praying that the Lord will give me a better, fresher, perspective of him so I can refer to him as something other than Mr. Grouch.  I am going to pray for ways to bless and serve him.

And while I will be open to be sacrificial in that … that doesn’t mean I will be a doormat either .

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Tags: AC Dude, Air Conditioning, Gigantor!!!!, Health, Home, Household, Life, Neighbors, Travel

This entry was posted on October 8, 2009 at 9:47 pm and is filed under Health, Home, Life, Neighbors, People, Prayer, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.