smell of cigarette smoke

[Janet]

Hi everyone,
Up to this W/E I have not smelled cigarette smoke like a few of the
other owners have over the past year & more. Early last week, I
thought that I was getting the smell but passed it off as not.
This past weekend, the smell increased in the evening & last night at
around 10 p.m., my whole place smelled like a smoking factory & I
developed a sore throat. I was going to send an e-mail to Peer
Property but met Geese in the building this a.m. at around 10 a.m.

I told him my story. He "claims" that what may be happening is that
the air vents are automatically closing in the evening trapping the
smoke. Well, I am not impressed with his answer. I told him that I
had never had a problem with the smell of smoke permeating my place.
I told him that Peer had been told about other owners who did.

As far as we all know, every apt. is being saturated with the odour of
smoke but to a small limit.
I am going to send a follow-up e-mail to the 148 e-mail address that
was given to us so that they have this on record.
This company also has to pursue the fact that this ventilation company
that was here in September may or may not have cleaned all of the
vents. (as was discussed at last week's meeting).

Here's a link from an article from the Toronto Star (October 19, 2009)
about second-smoke. Interesting reading if you haven't already read
this:

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/article/712223--smoking-ban-urged-for-peel-condos-and-apartments

I will let everyone know if I hear back from Peer.

Janet

[Diana Tarasca]

Thanks Janet,
 
I think the fact that the fans are shut off in the evening is contributing to the problem.  Maybe they should work on a solution about the fan noise instead of just shutting them off.
 
My 2 cents.
 
Diana suite 401
 
> Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:25:46 -0700
> Subject: smell of cigarette smoke
> From: ccr...@yahoo.ca
> To: 148soud...@googlegroups.com

[Janet Hayes]

Why are the fans even turned off?  I've never heard noise from these fans.  Is this why they're turned off?  Noise?  If Geese does nothing about what he & I talked about, I will be asking to bring up the subject in December (with the Board & owners) post-discussing the underground parking repairs. Janet --- On Wed, 10/21/09, Diana Tarasca <diana....@hotmail.com> wrote:

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[Karen Young]

I asked to have the fans turned off.  They get noisier when the temperature drops, to the point where my whole apartment rumbles and I get a splitting headache and can't sleep.

[Janet Hayes]

Well I guess that we are going to have to reach a neutral decision re. the fans & lay this out with all of the owners.  The smoke overall in the building is getting worse & more owners are complaining.  Having the fans turned off & having smoke emitting into people's apts. is a health & safety hazard.   I have had cancer on 2 separate occasions & I have no interest in developing lung cancer due to long-term ingestion of second-hand smoke.   This is a discussion that all the owners will need to discuss with the Board & management.   Also the fans should not have been turned off without everyone in the building being notified.   Janet   --- On Thu, 10/22/09, Karen Young <kyo...@the-wire.com> wrote:

around http://mail.yahoo.com

[carol jane julian]

I have had the cigarette smell since I moved in (March 2007) and have stuffed the holes where the heating pipes come into my apartment with towels, which has helped a bit.  When neighbours smoke outside, the smell comes in through my closed windows because they do not fit properly. More recently I have been getting strong cooking smells through my kitchen vent...garlic and such. Maybe the solution would be to have an electronic air cleaner fitted to the "ventilation system".
On another topic, I get the noise from the circulation pump or something on the furnace right below my bedroom as soon as the heat is turned until it's turned off in the spring. I have also asked for this to be investigated and was told it was the garage door! Really, I am not that stupid.
 
Carol
 

---

Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:29:36 -0700
From: ccr...@yahoo.ca

[Janet Hayes]

Too bad all of these issues couldn't have come out at the meeting on Thursday.  I did bring up the issue of the heating & smoking problems in Apt. 407.  The smell of smoke in my place did not start until this weekend.   These are clearly health issues & if & when there are discussions with the Board & mgmt. & if there is no activity or slow activity re. getting action on this, I'll talk to the City Health Dept. as these on-going problems esp. with ventilation are clearly problems that need to be taken care of for our own health safety.  We can't have stale & smoky air permeating our building on a 24/7 basis without something being done.  It may be the someone from the environmental dept. of the government may need to come in & assess what has been going on long-term in this building. Janet --- On Thu, 10/22/09, carol jane julian <caro...@sympatico.ca> wrote:

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[Karen Young]

While I fully agree that nobody should be subjected to second hand smoke, its clear from your comments that you have no idea what those fans are like! If they are on at night, I can't sleep.  When I can't sleep, I get really really angry.  You are my next door neighbor, so you have a vested interest in helping me keep my cool. (LOL). 

An interim solution would be to make this a smoke-free building.  That way our fire insurance rates should go down, too.  

Of course, the only real solution is to have the fans replaced with ones that don't have worn out bearings.  I like the idea of special filters for them too.  Even if we were  a nonsmoking building, we do live in downtown toronto, so it would be good for all our health.

[Janet Hayes]

Hi, Completely agree with all that you have said.  However, "no air flow" because fans have been turned off means bad return air flow into our lungs as we all attempt to sleep.  ;)  Long-term ,this is detrimental to our lung health.  Also makes for periods of apnea (periods when we don't breathe as we sleep...not pretty!!!)  I hear fans & I hear the elevator doors slam at all hours of the night.  The price we have paid for buy into a building that is over 50 yr. old & has had very little done since that time.   I would be willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that there is clean air flow 24/7 with little noise emitting from the fans.  We just have to make sure that all of the owners are in agreement.  Not just Karen & Janet.   Again, if we are going to do anything about bringing closure to a smoke-free & noiseless fan the we all have to work together on this & bring the subject up to the Board & Peer.   And secondary to all of this, one of the renters in the building told me yesterday that she received a letter under her door from the owner of the apt. stating that he is in the process of selling the rental apts. at 148 & that he will soon be showing her place to possible new owners.  She's lived here for almost 19 yr. Janet

--- On Thu, 10/22/09, Karen Young <kyo...@the-wire.com> wrote:

From: Karen Young <kyo...@the-wire.com> Subject: Re: smell of cigarette smoke To: 148soud...@googlegroups.com

Received: Thursday, October 22, 2009, 6:49 PM While I fully agree that nobody should be subjected to second hand smoke, its clear from your comments that you have no idea what those fans are like! If they are on at night, I can't sleep.  When I can't sleep, I get really really angry.  You are my next door neighbour, so you have a vested interest in helping me keep my cool. (LOL).

[Karen Young]

I'm more than happy to work toward a constructive solution.  But those fans are right beside my apartment.  They make the place vibrate.  Literally! Not sleeping kills in days, not years, like stuffy air.  Could you consider leaving a window open and blocking your vents until we get thsi matter resolved? 

I don't think they can evict unless they want it for personal use themselves.  She can get protection under landlord and tenant legislation.

[Janet Hayes]

Sorry Karen, I'm not into doing this since these are problems that should be solved by management.  That's why we are paying monthly maintenance fees.  My windows in both the bedroom & living room are always open.  It does not help with the omission of the odour of smoke & the smell of food cooking & I'm afraid that I'm not going to climb ladders to tape the vents that are there for air flow. Again this is for management to pursue & hopefully bring closure to.

Janet --- On Thu, 10/22/09, Karen Young <kyo...@the-wire.com> wrote:

From: Karen Young <kyo...@the-wire.com> Subject: Re: smell of cigarette smoke To: 148soud...@googlegroups.com

Received: Thursday, October 22, 2009, 7:09 PM I'm more than happy to work toward a constructive solution.  But those fans are right beside my apartment.  They make the place vibrate.  Literally! Not sleeping kills in days, not years, like stuffy air.  Could you consider leaving a window open and blocking your vents until we get this matter resolved?

---

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[carol jane julian]

Hi, me again,
 
re: management company - I would like to know exactly what there role is and a break down of the monthly fees. I didn't really understand it from the budget. My understanding is that the fees cover city taxes, water, heating, janitorial duties and cleaning. Also for the management of the finances and co-op funds by Peer property. I know the contract is negotiated between the Board members and the management company, but they are representing us as co-owners, so would it possible to get some insight on this? Maybe the Board can't share this with us - we are only a small group! I understand that the Board is there to make decisions on behalf of the owners and that it is a business like and effecient way to do things and is under the governance of the co-owners legal agreement. I would just like a bit more info as to where my money is going - not trying to be confrontational or anything. No one mentioned it at the meeting (I was still in shock), but I will find it very difficult to pay an extra $165 per month being a single mother still supporting my son through education, with a mortgage and on a single salary. I'm sure it will be just as hard for retirees on fixed incomes and people on disablility. 
 
Re: owners selling rental apartments. I am not surprised that this is happening now that major repairs are in order, which will involve financing by all owners. Having made money all these years and done nothing towards the upkeep of the building, it's time to get out because they won't get such a good return on their investment!
 
I had a note under the door from Gesse to say a plumber will come to look at my pipe valves next week. I am very pleased about this, but didn't realise I will have to pay for any replacement needed because the pipes are within the boundaries of my apartment. Unfortunately when it comes to putting in a rear access door, apparently the walls are not!
 
That's a lot to read - sorry - just needed to vent a bit.
 
Carol at 105.
 

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Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:19:02 -0700

[Janet Hayes]

Hi, You should write a letter to Peer with cc to each of the 3 board members addressing these issues.  And then perhaps we can have a further discussion when we meet in Dec. re. this parking repair mtg. I am sending a letter to them re. the smoking & closed/open air vent flow issue & asking for a discussion re. all of this at this time also. 10 to 1, the owner of these 10 rentals is also moving on so that he doesn't have to pay for the parking lot repairs.   I also received a letter re. the plumber.  I am taking Monday a.m. off from work for when the plumber comes to look at these inoperable radiator taps.  Janet

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[carol jane julian]

Good idea. I will try that, but we are unlikely to receive a reply before the next Board meeting...
 

---

Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:29:48 -0700
From: ccr...@yahoo.ca
Subject: we hear you
To: 148soud...@googlegroups.com

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[Janet Hayes]

But at least it's in everyone's records that you have attempted to discuss some serious issues with them & the owners.