“My Neighbour Was Stealing Water From The Carpark” 7 Craziest Arguments We’ve Heard At Condo AGMs
On the one hand, we advise everyone to be present at condo AGMs, to keep track of what’s happening, and to exercise their vote. On the other hand, we can sympathise with why some people refuse to attend. A common complaint is that – all too often – the topics of discussion devolve into pettiness or outright absurdity. And as one reader expressed: “I feel I am getting stupider by staying.” So we looked around for some of the most downright absurd, yet divisive, topics in condo AGMs:
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1. Heated and absurd discussions over condo security
For those who don’t know, this has been an actual issue in condo security for around a decade. And sometimes the situation is so high-profile, that it even makes the news (the last one we know of was Spring Grove, where the management got picky over the age of the security guards, among other things).
Speaking from personal experience, this writer has also been to one AGM, where some members pushed for condo security guards who were no older than 35.
One of the arguments raised by a member – and she meant this in a non-ironic, serious way – was that a very old security guard might have a heart attack or die in the condo, thus causing distress to residents.
One of our readers, KK, lives in a Bedok-area condo. He told us about an AGM where members nitpicked over whether the security guards had other jobs:
“Some members said we should screen the service provider, and make sure their security guards don’t do other jobs like food delivery, or other part-time jobs. Because that means they are not so serious and will focus on their other work instead. Some others, like me, felt that is just absurd. But they really can be bothered to fight you to the end of the world about this.”
Another reader, Eliza, said that:
“One member had brought all her neighbours and her clique to push for the security to be replaced. The reason was that one security guard had shouted at her son, when he (the son) ran out onto the driveway where all the cars were turning. But she said the guard shouted in a very rude and ‘bullying’ way.
But then another person said the security guard was very nice and had worked there for I don’t know how many years. And the whole meeting became a long discussion about this one guy’s (the security guard’s) personality.”
We’ve mentioned before that residents have a complicated relationship with condo security; and this also carries into AGMs. Residents seldom agree on what they’re looking for in security: for everyone who wants a Rambo-type at the gate, there’s another resident who wants someone more relaxed; who won’t stop a row of cars just to fastidiously check every ID.
2. A debate over the unofficial car wash service
Some condos have people who offer to wash cars in the car park. This is not an “official” arrangement, and it’s mainly down to private dealings between them and the residents. However, there are some people who blow this up to crazy proportions.
As a personal example, this writer was once stuck listening to a 30-minute rant about whether the car wash people were “getting commissions” from other management committee members, or whether they were “pressuring” residents to use their services by “staring” at them when they walked into the car park.
Another reader, however, found an almost-credible debate going on about the same issue. She told us that:
“At first it made sense that some were worried about security, whether they had access to other parts of the condo via the emergency stairs – because they could possibly come up to the other floors without a keycard.
But there was an argument about how we should screen these car wash people, and do background checks for criminal records, or even to search records in their home country. As if we have the ability to do such things. But rather than just decide to bar entry or not, they could be bothered to waste time having this absurd argument about how to background check the car wash people.”
3. Argument about whether you can use the car wash water to fill buckets for other purposes
PN, who previously owned a three-bedder in a Pasir Ris area condo, said the most absurd debate was about using the water in the car park:
“In the car park there’s a tap and hoses, for you to wash your car. But some of them (the owners at the meeting) said they had seen maids filling buckets and bringing them away with them. They even had the CCTV footage, even though I only saw two people take the water, I don’t know why.
But they were very fierce, and saying how the maintenance will go up because these people want to steal the water, to do their laundry or what other things. And then one person said they live there, it’s their right to use that water. And then there was a lot of argument and boasting about who paid more for their house.
I moved long ago but till today I don’t understand, what is the problem? If one or two people are crazy enough to collect water downstairs everyday, it will add a few cents to the bill.”
4. A battle over the right to takeaway food, that ended up with threats of a lawsuit
YM recalls that, in his first year of moving into his condo, the AGM saw a ferocious battle over the cafe within the development:
“We live in a cul-de-sac, flanked by two other condos, and our place is frankly not very accessible. Ours was the only one of three to have a local food place, with hor fun and hokkien mee and whatever. So it became very popular, and people from the neighbouring condos would come to buy as well.
But during one AGM, some owners felt it wasn’t right as a lot of non-residents kept coming in to buy takeaway. So they wanted to restrict access; and if anyone wanted to buy takeaway they could do it through Food Panda or whatever.
For some reason this touched a nerve, and someone claimed the people complaining had a personal vendetta with the owner of the cafe. And there was accusations that someone had a vested interest in the cafe business, that’s why they were against it; and then I heard the person who was accused threatened to sue because of the accusation.
I was quite put off, because there was nothing important being discussed, and it was all very petty nonsense like this.”
YM says in the end, non-residents were blocked from entering to buy takeaway.
5. The ever-sensitive issue of whether domestic helpers can use the facilities
This is a sore spot, and even a casual Google search will reveal the countless hours of AGMs wasted on this issue. Some condos don’t allow domestic helpers to use facilities like the pool; some allow it only if the employers are also present. Some of the more progressive ones don’t stop it at all.
But our reader Edwina says she came across the most ridiculous proposal at an AGM, which claimed to solve this:
“The man had an entire ring binder about when a maid can or cannot not use the pool. There was a PowerPoint deck that he cut short, although I could see he had several thousand slides.
The gist of it was to allow maids to use the pool under certain conditions, such as if it was between certain hours on weekdays, if there was a certain visitor count exceeded that day, even whether the employer was a tenant or owner, and whether there were at least two children that had to be accompanied in the pool. It was so long and detailed, like explaining how to fly an aeroplane.”
Fortunately – or perhaps predictably – no one had any inclination to ask further questions. But the condo stuck with its existing policy.
6. Disputes over what can – and cannot – be sold at the residents’ flea market
BH, who is both a realtor and a condo-owner, has stopped attending AGMs as he now feels they’re a waste of time. He says the final straw was an attempt to regulate the residents’ flea markets, which the condo held on two weekends a year:
“Every time it’s the same issue, people who want to argue what can be sold, what cannot be sold. There will be people complaining that violent games or comics are inappropriate, there will be people saying there shouldn’t be food items because there’s no license, one time someone objected to people selling those True Singapore Ghost Stories books.
It’s always very heated, and sometimes people will shout. I think if it is so troublesome, just do away with it. This is not the only thing I consider a waste of time, but it really irks me that they can bother to have this same argument again and again every year.”
7. Establishing the limits of how much guests can be “policed”
People’s Park Complex used to be the most notorious for this, with guards being able to demand how long visitors were staying. Lie to the guards, and a guest could be “blacklisted.” (In their defence, this was a response to fears of illicit activities in the development.)
But People’s Park Complex isn’t the only place this happens. Our reader, KT, told us of a dispute he had at his AGM:
“Some think the guards are MPs. Record who stayed overnight, check those houses with a lot of visitors. I can understand if this is some vice problem, if this condo is in Geylang. But this condo is in Clementi. You think those types of people choose here to do their business?
These rules are from some people with nothing better to do, who want to throw their weight around. For what all our guests need to book-in and book-out on time, like this is their army camp? On Hari Raya or Chinese New Year, they will line up till the condo next door to wait.”
As impractical as it sounds, KT said there was “quite a lot” of support for the guards regulating the hours of the guests; a fact that still disturbs him.
What are some of the debates in your AGM that annoy you, or which you think are ridiculous or stupid? Comment below and let us know. And for more stories on the ground, and homeowner experiences in various developments, follow us on Stacked.
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