Ugly, isn't it?

When older, more run-down neighborhoods in China's cities fall prey to the bulldozer, many of their former occupants move into newly-built communities whose freshly-painted buildings and uniform exteriors enclose unfinished flats that require renovation and decoration before they can be occupied.

What happens when homeowners don't limit their renovations to the space within their walls, but begin making alterations to the space outside their windows? Indignant letters to the editor, of course.

Here's one from a group of disgruntled homeowners living in Shanghai's Jiading District that was printed in yesterday's Xinmin Evening News:

Dear Editors,

We are new homeowners who recently moved into the Jinxia Gardens community of the Golden Crane New City development. We feel very fortunate to have moved from downtown slums to a community that implements the government's "four highs": high-aiming plans, high-level design, high-quality construction, and high standards of management. We homeowners as a group our sincere gratitude to the party and the government for what is genuinely a good thing.

However, we have been disappointed by this "four high" community that does not really have high management standards. The property management company seems to exist in name only. With fewer than half of the units occupied, renovations possessing "unique features" have turned the community into a mess. Yet the property management company ignores all this and has allowed it to continue. The "Renovation Management Rules" that homeowners sign when they move in has become an empty document. We are wracked with anguish at the sight of the damage to our beautiful home!

We voiced our opinions about the matter to the Hongda Property Management Company many times, but the issue was never resolved. We feel that the company's inaction has infringed on the rights of property owners, and if these crude renovations are not brought to a halt, before long, when more homeowners move in and imitate what is already present, the ultimate result will be that our community will no longer meet the "four highs" standard. We hope that Hongda Property Management will take action.

—Homeowners

Investigation

After receiving this letter, a reporter visited the Jinxia Garden community. It was a beautiful neighborhood constructed to high standards. It was less than half occupied, which made the neighborhood even more peaceful. However, the "unique features" of random renovations marred the uniform aesthetic of the building exteriors: some residents had installed window bars that clung to the walls like giant stainless steel cages; occupants of the lower floors had installed air conditioners beside passageways, and some of them had converted the area around the machine into a private balcony; the uniform windows had been altered into all shapes and styles; and many walls were plastered all over with advertisements...."It's really a shame for such a great neighborhood to be such a mess!" several residents lamented.

This reporter took the issue to the Jinxia Garden Property Management Office. A Mr. Shen explained that because the community was located on the city fringe, theft was not uncommon, so many homeowners had installed window bars. The ones that stuck out unpleasantly, like metal cages, were present because the developer had installed some windows that opened outward. Quite a few of the homeowners in Jinxia Garden had moved from communities on Taiyang Road in Yabei District, and from Hongzhen Street in Hongkou District, and some of them were still following old bad habits, like disorderly construction and trash dumping. The property management company had done quite a bit of work on discarded trash, graffiti, and advertising, and had already seen results. However, because the company did not possess the power of enforcement over renovations that violated the rules, it could only issue requests. If homeowners did not accept the suggested changes, the company had no recourse.

Reporter's comments

While it is true that the property management company lacks the power to enforce the rules, that is no excuse for its failure to act. For example, it could take practical steps to strengthen security in the community so that the homeowners would feel the sense of safety that comes from living in a gated community. Were that the case, I am convinced that more homeowners would be unwilling to spend the money to install window bars from the first floor all the way up to the roof. If homeowners as a group truly want to install window bars, the property management company could ask professionals to design and install a single set to preserve a uniform exterior. Some homeowners may be better-behaved than others, but this only requires timely guidance and dissuasion. Should individual homeowners ignore cautioning advice, the management company is certainly able to use the law to resolve the problem.

Also on the subject of window bars and regulations, this week's Oriental Outlook magazine contains an interesting anecdote from a resident of Liaoning Province:

A short while ago, the local police station sent someone to inspect our company. At the company dormitory, the police officer pointed to the first floor window and said, "Don't you know anything about security? You don't even have bars installed. Anyone could just come on in. When something gets lost, then who's fault is it?" It turned out that the city had recently had a rash of burglaries that the police had not been able to solve, so they were under considerable pressure. Without delay, the company leaders had bars installed on all first-floor windows in the dormitory.

Before the week was out, the fire department sent people on an inspection. The first thing they saw were the newly-installed bars on the first-floor windows: "There weren't any bars the last time we came. Who told you to install them yourselves? What if there's a fire, will anyone be able to escape?" Before they left, they issued a notice ordering the removal of the bars within a week.

The company leaders were dismayed: who should they listen to?