As a dog owner living in condo community for past 10 years, we have seen and heard countless stories of dogs that were spooked by a sudden loud noise and ran off never to be found, or knee-jerk reaction to chase a squirrel, or getting hit by a car in the process of any of the above. IT HAPPENS. At the Riverfront condos we see many dog owners let their pets off leashes in the dog field. Now this "dog field" is just that --a field bordered by three inroads. There is no fence. While dogs run and play fetch in the interior closer to one fence, is one thing. But countless pet owners have their dogs off leashes on the edge of the field, inches from the road with speed demons blazing by. Some of us have warned these pet owners that accidents do happen. That anything can startle the dog and cause them to run suddenly--into an oncoming car-- no matter how well trained.
Most dog owners think their dogs are well trained. Most are delusional. There was already one incident of a dog running away spooked by a noise, only to be found later dead, struck by a car. In another horrific incident, a resident at the Wind had a large dog on a leash. The dog saw one of the neighborhood cats (his name was Mr. Big) in the bushes. These cats do not provoke. The dog snapped and aggressively attacked the cat. Witnesses shared how the owner could not control the dog WHILE on the leash! It weighed more than her! The dog viciously attacked the cat and left it in bloody pieces. Neighbors immediately contacted the condo manager expressing outrage and insisted the dog wear a muzzle thereon. Residents feared the dog could attack their dog or children or even adults.
The developer promised a "dog park" signifying a fence. This would be the proper action. But nothing has been done. The developer and partner companies have invested millions of dollars in aesthetics to sell condos. Safety is still lagging. Per Florida Law and Condo rules and regulations, dogs must be on a leash. Neither is being enforced. An accident is waiting to happen.
We follow several pet blogs written by highly regarded veterinarians. The following : "Avoiding the Hit by Car Trauma" by Dr. Justine Lee. We encourage all dog owners to read this carefully. You love your dog. Be a responsible pet owner and take your dog to a dog park with a fence to run freely.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Crime Report 10-5-2011
| Case # | From Date-Time | Crime Type | District | Grid | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PD110916374149 | 2011-08-26 09:00:00 | Larceny | 1311 | 100 BLOCK W FLAGLER ST | |
| PD110919378554 | 2011-09-19 19:02:00 | Larceny | POLICE OPERATIONS BUREAU | 3311 | MR GOVERNMENT CENTER |
Crime Report 10-2-2011
| PD110921381390 | 2011-09-21 17:15:00 | Simple Assault | 1311 | MM GOVERNMENT CENTER | |
| PD110925387268 | 2011-09-25 22:10:00 | Simple Assault | POLICE OPERATIONS BUREAU | 3311 | MR GOVERNMENT CENTER |
| PD110921381150 | 2011-09-21 14:12:00 | Vandalism | 1311 | 100 BLOCK W FLALGER ST | |
| PD110922382809 | 2011-09-22 17:04:00 | Burglary | 1311 | 100 BLOCK W FLAGLER ST | |
| PD110926388064 | 2011-09-26 15:37:00 | Vandalism | 1311 | 100 BLOCK W FLAGLER ST |
Thursday, June 9, 2011
WARNING: Rash of car break ins
This is an urgent warning to alert residents, potential buyers and renters, that there have been a rash of car break ins (at the metered parking spots) on SW 3rd street the past two weeks. The above report lists one car break in.
Last night at approximately 10pm, a cluster of residents collected at the site when a police officer was scouting the area for the culprit. With his flashlight, he showed the piles of glass from break-ins this week and last week. He also showed how the culprit may have attempted to break into a black car with very black tinted windows. "You see this is the smudge of a nose where the person was trying to see what was in the car to steal, and you see this arch, he probably tried and for whatever reason, did not break into this car.
A young female resident said she has to park there since she moved in and the association does not have any additional parking spaces to rent. Her unit comes with one parking space and her roommate uses that spot. The police officer encouraged her to hide all items. Another resident urged her to pay the overnight valet parking fee to be on the safe side. The $20 over night fee is less than the $200 to replace a car window should the car vandal strike again and most likely will.
The officer pointed to the two street lights that were inoperable. One resident shared the lights were installed by the developer, Inigo Ardid and are not city-controlled lights. The officer acknowledged that possibility since the light poles were a different structure than the city lights.
It was also explained that resident Christine Michaels, met with manager for the Master Association, Fabie Verona, and showed her the lights and explained how it could prevent car break-ins and also provided much needed light at night for the dog field. This was over a month ago. Nothing has been done.
Last night at approximately 10pm, a cluster of residents collected at the site when a police officer was scouting the area for the culprit. With his flashlight, he showed the piles of glass from break-ins this week and last week. He also showed how the culprit may have attempted to break into a black car with very black tinted windows. "You see this is the smudge of a nose where the person was trying to see what was in the car to steal, and you see this arch, he probably tried and for whatever reason, did not break into this car.
A young female resident said she has to park there since she moved in and the association does not have any additional parking spaces to rent. Her unit comes with one parking space and her roommate uses that spot. The police officer encouraged her to hide all items. Another resident urged her to pay the overnight valet parking fee to be on the safe side. The $20 over night fee is less than the $200 to replace a car window should the car vandal strike again and most likely will.
The officer pointed to the two street lights that were inoperable. One resident shared the lights were installed by the developer, Inigo Ardid and are not city-controlled lights. The officer acknowledged that possibility since the light poles were a different structure than the city lights.
It was also explained that resident Christine Michaels, met with manager for the Master Association, Fabie Verona, and showed her the lights and explained how it could prevent car break-ins and also provided much needed light at night for the dog field. This was over a month ago. Nothing has been done.
Crime Report 6-9-2011
Notification Report
| Report Date: 6/9/2011 | |||||
| Case # | From Date-Time | Crime Type | District | Grid | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PD110116022147 | 2011-01-16 11:17:00 | Vehicular Burglary | 1311 | SW 3RD ST & SW 2ND AVE | |
| PD110501175691 | 2011-05-01 15:00:00 | Simple Assault | 1369 | ISLAND SANDBAR | |
| PD110503177933 | 2011-04-18 17:00:00 | Larceny | 1311 | GOVERNMENT CTR | |
| PD110509187139 | 2011-05-09 19:13:00 | Aggravated Assault | 1311 | 100 BLOCK NW 1ST AVE | |
| PD110510188194 | 2011-05-10 05:05:00 | Larceny | POLICE OPERATIONS BUREAU | 3311 | MR GOVERNMENT CENTER |
| PD110522205969 | 2011-05-22 14:34:00 | Simple Assault | 1368 | I 95 EXPRESS IVES DAIRY RD | |
| PD110524208290 | 2011-05-24 08:08:00 | Larceny | POLICE OPERATIONS BUREAU | 3311 | MR GOVERNMENT CENTER |
| PD110524208738 | 2011-05-24 13:33:00 | Larceny | 1311 | 100 BLOCK NW 1ST AVE | |
| PD110526212199 | 2011-05-26 19:11:00 | Simple Assault | POLICE OPERATIONS BUREAU | 3311 | MR GOVERNMENT CENTER |
| PD110527213260 | 2011-05-27 14:03:00 | Larceny | 1311 | 100 BLOCK W FLAGLER ST | |
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Miami Rated Worst City to Rent
We just came across this article titled "10 Worst Cities to Rent" in the U.S. and no surprise, Miami was rated Number 1, the worst compared to median household income for renters. New York City didn't even make the list. According to the article,
To read the complete article by Vanessa Wong of Bloomberg Businessweek, click here.
Share your opinion or experience. Does half of your income go towards rent and utilities? Are you affording healthcare or putting away for savings?
In fact, metro Miami has the greatest share of residents who pay more than half of their income to rent in the nation. The share reached 34.2 percent in 2009, up from 26 percent in 2000, as real household income growth stagnated and median rent in the area, adjusted for inflation, rose by 22.2 percent during that period, according to the Harvard report. In McAllen, the share of severely burdened renters rose to 33.1 percent and in Detroit to 32.8 percent.
To read the complete article by Vanessa Wong of Bloomberg Businessweek, click here.
Share your opinion or experience. Does half of your income go towards rent and utilities? Are you affording healthcare or putting away for savings?
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
We Did the Homework
As local residents and investors in downtown Miami condo real estate, and in the aftermath of the bank crisis and housing bust, we were shocked to learn how many buyers today purchase on a whim. They visit the property, glee with delight at a handful of tall palm trees, new buildings with a lobby furnished in a clean, contemporary style and decor; the few amenities and that's it. They're ready to make offer and put down deposit.
This website will fill you in on what the sales person, the realtor and the developer won't or didn't tell you. We did the homework!
LACKS LOCATION, LACKS LOCATION, SOME LOCATION
While the Riverfront condos hug the Miami River and is located in downtown Miami close to the financial district , this area is not Brickell Avene. Yes it's downtown Miami, but north downtown is infamous for homeless people AND crime. There is NO COMPARISON to Brickell Avenue where most buildings are unit owner occupied and they take active interest in protecting their property and the community.
Not at the Riverfront condos: The Mint, the Ivy and the Wind (downtown Miami)
INVESTMENT PROPERTY
This term is a euphemism for "mostly renter occupied". The Riverfront condos are 90% renter occupied. We do not believe in stereotyping, but in this case we have witnessed the difference in the care of a building by residents when it's mostly owners vs. mostly renters. One example, the Ivy is brand new property and the pool furniture was badly abused by residents and already being replaced in two years. Cigarette burns on furniture cushions is one small example. Compared to buildings old and new on Brickell Avenue, they last a few more years.
CRIME
Checking the crime grid for the area, north downtown has earned it's reputation for "seedy, ghetto area".
Crime is higher and there are less police officers. Example: guests of residents sometimes are forced to park off the property if valet is full, and their cars are being broken into. The chards of glass from daily break-ins, still blanket the sidewalk and street. It sits there for weeks.Worse. The association doesn't warn residents. They remain silent. To learn about the crime grid you need to contact Miami CITY Police and Miami Dade County Police department. Click here for Cyber Crime Mapping.
PARKING IN THE GHETTO
Sadly the original developer of the Ivy, Inigo Ardid, desperate for cash in the recession, gave away additional parking spaces to buyers as incentive, whereas many two bedroom units that once had 2 parking spaces, now only have one. (Which means some owners have three parking spaces). But it gets worse. When the garage is full, and there is not enough valet parking spaces, guests have to park blocks away only to find their cars broken into! If there are two or more people living in a unit, chances are you will only get one parking spot and the other person(s) are forced to valet their cars everytime! The same holds true for The Wind. The Wind now charges $175 monthly to rent a valet spot.
DEATH DROPS
So on occasion it's not uncommon to find 2, 3, 20 police cars outside the front lobby. Worried, we first asked security guards what happened and they were instructed NOT to discuss the matter with residents. IT MUST BE REALLY SERIOUS. Then we inquired at the Master Association. Was there another break- in on property? Was someone murdered, raped, what happened? The association has not returned any calls AND WE'RE RESIDENTS! Rumors abound that someone jumped from a high floor at The Wind and died instantly (February 2011). The same occurrence happened a week later! Who knows what really happened. Residents are left in the dark.
GREED USURPS HUMANITY
Walking the grounds or even driving in and out of the property, it's easy to spot a few stray cats. There are 21 total. One resident volunteer, upon moving in, spearheaded the effort to have all the cats spayed/neutered so they do not keep reproducing. She has gone through great lengths and personal costs to care for them, and educate the residents and the association on the facts about stray cats. They live happily outdoors with food and a little attention. While some are considered "feral" or wild and are afraid of human touch (unsure if that hand may strike them), they all meow with delight when volunteers feed them daily. Despite living outdoors, they are clean animals, cleaner than our kitchen floors.
They have become Riverfront pets that are closely controlled and monitored by small group of volunteers.
But the cost of spaying/neutering are significant for a few individuals on top of feeding 21 cats daily. The lead volunteer, Christine, has repeatedly reach out to the association for their involvement to prevent the cat population from exploding. Her emails and phone calls have gone unanswered for months.
http://www.riverfrontcats.com/2011/02/no-response-from-master-assoc.html
The master association is run by Inigo Ardid, Key International, Fabie Verona of the Continental Group and also ST Residential and Starwood Capital has invested millions in the exterior beautification. It's all about the looks and making money.
This website will fill you in on what the sales person, the realtor and the developer won't or didn't tell you. We did the homework!
LACKS LOCATION, LACKS LOCATION, SOME LOCATION
While the Riverfront condos hug the Miami River and is located in downtown Miami close to the financial district , this area is not Brickell Avene. Yes it's downtown Miami, but north downtown is infamous for homeless people AND crime. There is NO COMPARISON to Brickell Avenue where most buildings are unit owner occupied and they take active interest in protecting their property and the community.
Not at the Riverfront condos: The Mint, the Ivy and the Wind (downtown Miami)
INVESTMENT PROPERTY
This term is a euphemism for "mostly renter occupied". The Riverfront condos are 90% renter occupied. We do not believe in stereotyping, but in this case we have witnessed the difference in the care of a building by residents when it's mostly owners vs. mostly renters. One example, the Ivy is brand new property and the pool furniture was badly abused by residents and already being replaced in two years. Cigarette burns on furniture cushions is one small example. Compared to buildings old and new on Brickell Avenue, they last a few more years.
CRIME
Checking the crime grid for the area, north downtown has earned it's reputation for "seedy, ghetto area".
Crime is higher and there are less police officers. Example: guests of residents sometimes are forced to park off the property if valet is full, and their cars are being broken into. The chards of glass from daily break-ins, still blanket the sidewalk and street. It sits there for weeks.Worse. The association doesn't warn residents. They remain silent. To learn about the crime grid you need to contact Miami CITY Police and Miami Dade County Police department. Click here for Cyber Crime Mapping.
PARKING IN THE GHETTO
Sadly the original developer of the Ivy, Inigo Ardid, desperate for cash in the recession, gave away additional parking spaces to buyers as incentive, whereas many two bedroom units that once had 2 parking spaces, now only have one. (Which means some owners have three parking spaces). But it gets worse. When the garage is full, and there is not enough valet parking spaces, guests have to park blocks away only to find their cars broken into! If there are two or more people living in a unit, chances are you will only get one parking spot and the other person(s) are forced to valet their cars everytime! The same holds true for The Wind. The Wind now charges $175 monthly to rent a valet spot.
DEATH DROPS
So on occasion it's not uncommon to find 2, 3, 20 police cars outside the front lobby. Worried, we first asked security guards what happened and they were instructed NOT to discuss the matter with residents. IT MUST BE REALLY SERIOUS. Then we inquired at the Master Association. Was there another break- in on property? Was someone murdered, raped, what happened? The association has not returned any calls AND WE'RE RESIDENTS! Rumors abound that someone jumped from a high floor at The Wind and died instantly (February 2011). The same occurrence happened a week later! Who knows what really happened. Residents are left in the dark.
GREED USURPS HUMANITY
Walking the grounds or even driving in and out of the property, it's easy to spot a few stray cats. There are 21 total. One resident volunteer, upon moving in, spearheaded the effort to have all the cats spayed/neutered so they do not keep reproducing. She has gone through great lengths and personal costs to care for them, and educate the residents and the association on the facts about stray cats. They live happily outdoors with food and a little attention. While some are considered "feral" or wild and are afraid of human touch (unsure if that hand may strike them), they all meow with delight when volunteers feed them daily. Despite living outdoors, they are clean animals, cleaner than our kitchen floors.
They have become Riverfront pets that are closely controlled and monitored by small group of volunteers.
But the cost of spaying/neutering are significant for a few individuals on top of feeding 21 cats daily. The lead volunteer, Christine, has repeatedly reach out to the association for their involvement to prevent the cat population from exploding. Her emails and phone calls have gone unanswered for months.
http://www.riverfrontcats.com/2011/02/no-response-from-master-assoc.html
The master association is run by Inigo Ardid, Key International, Fabie Verona of the Continental Group and also ST Residential and Starwood Capital has invested millions in the exterior beautification. It's all about the looks and making money.
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