Freedom of Information Center of Armenia.

Mariam Karapetyan

Every morning many of us have to bare dirty porches in our buildings and quite naturally a question is raised “why do I need to pay monthly to the condominium? Why don’t they clean the porch, the yard? Why doesn’t the lift run?” We’re informed that the payment list of obligatory implemented norms defines the condominium’s obligations. By the decision of the Government, the condominiums are obliged to take garbage away at least every three days, to take measures against insects and rodents every three month, to carry out sanitary cleaning once in two days, etc.    

Yet, people from 7 Agatangeghos of “Center” condominium complaint that their garbage is taken away late and that they suffer its smell. It’s good the rats have disappeared as a few years ago one of the residents said “the building was a sport hall for rats.” To our request whether they have applied to the condominium to solve their problem, one of the residents said “do I really need to alarm? Don’t they see that? ” Resident Tsoghik Khachatryan of 25 Tigran Metsi told that the cleaner sweeps partially and finishes her job. But Mrs. Khachatryan is most alarmed with the broken porch door, which disturbs her living on the ground floor as the door makes much noise. She has applied to the condominium asking to repair the noisy door but their promise is still uncompleted.       

To conclude, there are both many residents and stories, even more. Building- condominium relations are much written about and many complaints submitted as people say the condominiums just collect money and do little service to people. But the condominium also complaints as the citizens don’t make their payments on time. Suren Nersisyan, the head of “Center 1” condominium said their condominium is working rather transparently. He said it happens people request them to get information how they spent each coin collected by their payments. The condominium is ready to provide information. And the reason of having dirty porches Nersisyan says is repairing and reconstruction made by citizens in their buildings.        

The head of the condominium stated that there are reconstruction activities almost in every building, and in this case it’s impossible to guarantee perfect accuracy. Sedrak Hovhannisyan, the deputy head of “Center” condominium said once in three days the buildings are cleaned. Besides it’s being checked out whether the work is done diligently. To the question weather those controls are properly made, it was said, it’s better to have more cleaners. Nevertheless, there are buildings which are not clean, but the official said the residents should be blamed. A condominium member should have diligent attitude towards condominium owning, they shouldn’t destroy or damage them.         

It’s quite obvious that it’s the resident’s obligations. But the residents are also authorized to ask how their payments are spent. They are granted that right by Constitution, law on Freedom of Information and condominium legislation. Citizens have right to get information about condominium activities. And the condominium should answer how the payments have been spent and what service was provided. For example, 11/3 Argishti residents say their lift has been repaired and the yard swept after they requested the Center condominium to provide them information how 400.000 AMD collected from them during the third trimester of the current year was spent. It turns out that the residents are provided correspondent service after they have requested information.