Category Archives: The Balcony that “would not be affected”

This category is about one of the biggest lies that has ever been told to me and the balcony of which I have not had the full use since mid-2019.

The Balcony that "would not be affected"

Lies, lies, lies

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I have been lied to more times in the five years I have lived in Germany than in the 63 previous years living in Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Denmark (again) put together.

I have conveniently forgotten most of them because they were less important in the grand scheme of things. The worst one, and the one I will never forget or forgive is the one told to me in the Eigentümerversammlung where we were told about the renovation project – Viktoriahöfe – next door and promised that our balconies would not be affected.

We were also told that that part of the scaffolding would be there for about eight months, i.e. till March-April 2020 (!).

It has been nothing but a nightmare ever since. More information here: https://www.hellemoller.eu/category/neighbours-from-hell/.

And now they are letting several pairs of rats with wings (pigeons) nest on the shelf just above my balcony and I think also on the one above that.

I have had psittacosis twice before, with no after-effects, and I am not keen on tempting fate once more, which means that my balcony is off-limits for me from now on.

I thought the previous summer 2019, and spring and summer 2020 (the year where I had to spend most of my time at home (!!)) were ruined because at least 50% of the daylight was stolen by the monster scaffolding and I had to look at all that ugliness. But I could at least spend time on the balcony and grow a few herbs etc. there, although I did not feel like inviting friends around, even during the times where it was allowed.

However, now that they have let the netting collapse around the scaffolding, allowing pigeons to nest virtually on my balcony, but out of reach for me to remove them, I have to stay indoors altogether and also give up growing herbs etc. there.

EDIT 4 March – this one paragraph added: Despite my tendency to catch psittacosis easily, and the fact that pigeons also constantly try to nest on my own balcony (which I am able to control – sort of), and my resulting lack of sympathy for them, I still think this constitutes cruelty to animals, and despite several messages to Cresco Capital Group, they are seemingly refusing to respond let alone do anything about it: https://www.facebook.com/1073953174/videos/10221891189003568/.

So I have to stay off the streets as much as possible to avoid one virus – and off my balcony to avoid another one, in this case purely because Cresco Capital Group can’t be bothered to finish their work on one wall and remove that part of the scaffolding. This particular part of the scaffolding was added much later than the rest of the scaffolding and could therefore be removed again much earlier. If they wanted to. But the magic word, as ever, is DENKMALSCHUTZ, which means they can behave whichever way they like and I just have to be honoured and eternally grateful to be such a close – literally – neighbour to a building which – and this is the big irony – if they ever finish it in – what five? eight? years (this IS Berlin after all) – will still be one of the ugliest buildings in the world.

The balcony that would “not be affected”

Schön & Sever, Cresco Capital Group, Victoriahöfe, GBP Architekten

The Balcony that "would not be affected"

How much longer?

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Coming up to the third consecutive summer of shade and claustrophobia now. How much longer will that monster be stealing half my sunlight? And how much longer will I have to look at that ugly wall?

Cresco Capital Group; Cresco Real Estate; Cresco Urban Yurt; Schön & Sever; GBP Architektenhttps://www.gbp-architekten.de/projekte/projekt/victoriahoefe.html

Berlin, The Balcony that "would not be affected"

Now it looks like this

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The wall has been looking like this since some time between 22 and 25 September when I came home from a trip. I wonder how long I will have to look at that.

This time, everything is covered in sawdust which I assume will not be too difficult to remove, but I had not planned on having to clean the balcony once more this side of winter.

Cresco Real Estate

Schön & Sever

Berlin, The Balcony that "would not be affected"

Documentation 19 September

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This afternoon, I spent (wasted?) about an hour cleaning my balcony – again (see https://www.hellemoller.eu/2020/09/14/i-cant-believe-this-is-actually-happening/) (that was probably stupid, but I could no longer stand looking at the mess). It currently looks like in the photo above. I have not washed anything, and my gut instinct tells me it would be asking for trouble to put the furniture back once again. But at least I can sit on my balcony now.

This time, there was too much rubble to carry to their doorstep in one go, so I just threw their “gifts” onto the scaffolding. A lot of it was stuck, so it took quite a bit of hacking and scraping. Washing the floor and the marble shelves (which were brand new from February last year) would probably reveal some damage done, and that would ruin my mood which for some strange reason is relatively good right now. Perhaps because I have just been out of town, and am going away again next week, and for another two weeks after that will be relocating to house- and catsit elsewhere in Berlin.

I do appreciate the fact that I am able to get away most of the time, and that I live in a (for me) new country with a good train service and an endless supply of places to visit (although when during the winter I decided to sell my parking space, that was not what I planning on spending the money on :-)).

However, truth be told, given the lovely weather this month, not to mention Covid19 and my age, I would have preferred to be able to spend most of the time on my balcony and sometimes have one or two visitors over for brunch/lunch/coffee/drinks.

Cresco Capital Group

Schön & Sever

The Balcony that "would not be affected"

At least they have not dumped anything on my balcony for the last 48 hours ….

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(but to be on the safe side, I will not clean it for another few days).

However, this drilling has been going on for weeks: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1073953174.

The Balcony that "would not be affected"

I can’t believe this keeps happening

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Remember the balcony that “would not be affected”?

Also see this post about the gift that keeps on giving.

And this one about all the lies. And perhaps also this one about some of the other damages.

The whole story is outlined in this category.

On Wednesday 9 September I came home to find a corner of my balcony looking as below, after I had cleaned it a couple of weeks earlier when they had previously dumped a load of sh.. there.

As mentioned in the post linked to above, the monstosity they are renovating is “unter Denkmalschutz” and that seems to mean they can do whatever they like, and I apparently have to keep smiling and am not allowed to complain.

I decided to leave it a couple of days to make sure they had finished, and yesterday, Sunday 13 September, I finally had enough looking at all that disgusting mess and cleaned it, as shown here:

I was going to wash it all and put the furniture back this afternoon, when I found the same corner again looking as below. And of course still nobody saying even as much as “oops” to me about it. In fact, the entrepreneur has not even bothered to reply to my e-mail about it, and neither has our Hausverwaltung, Schön & Sever (who is on the side of Cresco Real Estate anyway).

Cresco Capital Group

Schön & Sever

GBP Architecten

Berlin, The Balcony that "would not be affected"

I always give back what I have borrowed

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  • Current state, just for comparison
  • This morning’s harvest, returned

Cresco Real Estate

The Balcony that "would not be affected"

More Lies

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When in May 2019 at a meeting of owners in the building we were first informed about the renovations next door, we were told that the part of the scaffolding that is really close to our balconies would be there for six to eight months (starting in June 2019) and that our balconies would not be affected. I was surprised that we were offered compensation – on hindsight probably a pitiful amount but I did not pay much attention because – six to eight months seemed like nothing, and “my balcony would not be affected” – so – yeah-yeah, whatever. And in any case, that was the first and last we have ever heard or seen of that money, so perhaps that was just another lie.

Now I finally understand why I was lied to so blatantly. If I had known:

  • To what extent a summer, an autumn, a spring, and another summer– and most likely the second autumn as well – would be ruined;
  • The amount of cleaning I would need to do over and over again;
  • The ugliness I would have to look at;
  • The amount of sun and daylight that would be stolen, and for how long (years rather than months);
  • The inexplicable and despite many complaints loud shouting, roaring and singing (?) sometimes already shortly after 6 AM, even on some Saturdays, which wakes up the entire area;
  • Not to mention the construction noise which up to now has been for longer periods of time and louder than I ever thought possible, often causing me to have to get out of the flat – in times of Corona where I should be at home – and on my balcony (!) – most of the time;

– I would have paid more attention, been less impressed that they were even offering any kind of compensation, and reserved the right to adjust that amount upwards later.

Do I feel like an utter fool? You bet.

By the way – what is that ridiculous net doing there? It no longer has any function, since it is hanging loose in many places, sometimes flapping wildly in the wind. All it does is make the whole thing look even more messy and ugly. But perhaps, to them, that is reason enough to leave it there.

Cresco Real Estate

Schön & Sever

GBP Architekten

Berlin, The Balcony that "would not be affected"

Like a gift that keeps on giving

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Came home to find some more “presents”. Even more disgusting ugliness to tolerate. And just in case I was twiddling my thumbs and desperate for something to do – I can always keep cleaning my balcony.

Have they communicated with me about this in any way, shape or form? No, of course not. Their arrogance just keeps reaching new heights. They are renovating one of the ugliest buildings in the world and it is “UNTER DENKMALSCHUTZ”. Ooooohh. That means they can do whatever they like.

By the way, I’m told the building I live in is also unter Denkmalschutz. I don’t for the life of me understand why, but there it is.

Cresco Capital Group

Schön & Sever

Berlin, The Balcony that "would not be affected"

Chapter Number 27 in the Never-ending Saga of the Balcony that would not be Affected

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Fortunately, I am escaping the nightmare again next week (it is not just the mess but most of all the noise which now starts at 05.45 AM and continues throughout the day so no chance of a mid-day nap), so I am not sure I can be bothered to clean that up, since most likely there will be more when I get back.

The bigger question is, how much longer will I have to look at all this ugliness:

Cresco Real Estate

Schön & Sever

GBP Architekten