Tag Archives: Cresco Capital Group

Berlin, The Balcony that "would not be affected"

Documentation 19 September

19/09/2020 Helle Møller

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 ….

16/09/2020 Helle Møller

(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

14/09/2020 Helle Møller

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

13/09/2020 Helle Møller

Cresco Real Estate

The Balcony that "would not be affected"

More Lies

10/09/2020 Helle Møller

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

10/09/2020 Helle Møller

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

26/08/2020 Helle Møller

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

The Balcony that "would not be affected"

The nightmare that never ends

06/08/2020 Helle Møller

Edit 6 August 15.45: Wow. What a difference a Facebook post can make. That is a heck of a lot more light than before. What happens next is of course a worry, but for now I assume I can risk starting to clean and re-furnish and use the balcony. And enjoy what is left of the summer.

I still wish they would inform me (IN WRITING) what is going to happen to that wall and to my balcony, and preferably approximately when, because I am fully aware of the fact that the real nightmare may not even have started yet, but they do not seem to want to do that.

Cresco Capital Group

This morning:

Every time I think it will get better, it gets worse.

In an e-mail last week, I was informed that the last work would be done on 3 and 4 August, and that the net could then also be removed (I don’t know what it is doing there at all now). I therefore dropped my plans of leaving Berlin for any considerable length of time.

I did flee the chaos for three days, and arrived home in the afternoon of 5 August hoping to be able to slowly start cleaning and using my balcony (and my living room) again.

Instead, I found things looking worse than ever. In addition to some more boards and some more rubble, they have installed what looks like an entire euro-pallet – ON my balcony. So much for “your balcony will not be affected”. That statement is becoming more and more laughable by the week, and has been for over a year now.

No work was being done on that wall yesterday afternoon, and none whatsoever today, 6 August, either.

I don’t know what is more breathtaking – the arrogance or the propensity to lie over and over again. Do they actually think it is nice to have a good-sized balcony and not be able to use it? Especially during the summer, in a year where I ought to be at home most of the time? Not to mention the fact that my living is full of most of the things that are normally on the balcony.

Cresco Real Estate

GBP Architekten

The Balcony that "would not be affected"

This is exasperating

27/07/2020 Helle Møller

EDIT: I have just been informed that this is what it is going to look like for the duration, as far I understood the vague reply. That means at least another couple of years. I think I am going to scream. Does anyone know a lawyer with whom I could have a word about this?

Also, it turns out that they did what they had to do last week and that it was no longer necessary for the balcony to be empty. They just could not be bothered to inform me and grant me the honour of cleaning the balcony of the thick layer of dust and put everything back on it. I spent almost two hours yesterday cleaning the balcony. Today I went out most of the day and came home to find another thick layer of dust everywhere, including on the plants which I had been naive enough to put back. The nightmare never ends.

Cresco Real Estate

Earlier: I know it seems that I am just very angry – no more no less – but I am actually devastated.

I thought my balcony was chaotic in the past thirteen months or so, but just as I thought it was bound to get better soon, it got 150 percent worse. Not only is my balcony now even less useable, but my living room is barely live-able-in because so many things from the balcony have to be stored in there. Of course they said my balcony would never be directly affected (that’s almost hilarious ….), but to be fair, they never promised me that my living room would not be affected ……

This year of all years, where many of us have to stay at home the majority of the time, and not go out and be among other people, and not travel, it would have been so good to have a comfortable and nice-looking home, and the option to spend a lot of time on the balcony for daylight.

Now, having to spend so much time incramped and ugly surroundings, especially having no idea how long it will last (because Cresco Real Estate refuses to answer questions about it) is extremely stressful.

I used to love my flat and consider myself so lucky to have found it, but had I known what was going to happen and for how long, I am not sure I would have bought it. And now it is not only semi-un-useable, it is definitely un-sellable, and probably will be for the next around five years – this being Berlin.

Background: this and several other posts: https://www.hellemoller.eu/2020/07/20/the-saga-about-the-scaffolding-continues/.

The whole thing is literally zum Heulen, as they say. And there is no end in sight. Again today, NOTHING is happening at this end of the building.

And the irony: They are not even building a contemporary and interesting building. They are spending probably the best part of a decade, and I don’t even to know how many euros, plus making life a misery for hundreds of people living in the area – to restore one of the ugliest monstrosities in the world (Victoriahöfe, Lindenstraße).

The Balcony that "would not be affected"

And the scaffolding, again

04/07/2020 Helle Møller

Starting to sound like a broken record, but I am SO TIRED of being met with the sight of this mess every morning.

On 1 June, my hopes were raised when a couple of workers turned up and removed …….. ONE little component, which resulted in parts of the netting falling onto the table on my balcony (photo in previous post). They did not bother to pick it up. They just disappeared again and I have not seen them since. I had to get out my ladder and a hefty pair of scissors in order to get rid of the bundle of netting.

As described many times before, this part of the scaffolding went up early last summer, beginning of June as far as I recall, it is separate from the rest of the scaffolding, and the word was it would be there six to eight months (!) which would have meant it would be gone my March this year (2020). Fast-forward to July, it is still there.

If it had a purpose, and was actually being used for something, that would be another matter, but it has not been used for anything at all since about August or September last year (when they made an unholy mess on my balcony, but that is a seperate story). All it has done is stealing valuable light – light which would have been especially important in March and April this year (which was the time they had told us it would be gone again) where most of us stayed at home 24/7 except for very short grocery-shopping trips, light which would have been valuable now, and light which will be even more valuable, but I fear it will still be lacking, come late summer and autumn.

Some of us are still spending much more time at home than we would normally, and we still have to look at that mess which makes it hard to fully enjoy the priviledge of having a balcony in these times.

But the most frustrating factor is that nobody wants to deal with or even hear about it. Obviously not the workers, and also not the entrepreneur, and not even our Hausverwaltung. On 7 April, I e-mailed them both asking how much longer, and re-sent that e-mail a couple of weeks later. So far, none of them have bothered to reply.

In short, both our Hausverwaltung Schön & Sever and the entrepreneur Cresco Capital Group or Cresco Real Estate or whatever they are called are still refusing to answer questions about it.

Since e-mails are ignored, perhaps a frequent mention here will finally wake somebody up: Schön & Sever , Cresco Capital Group, Cresco Real Estate.

Schön & Sever , Cresco Capital Group, Cresco Real Estate .

Schön & Sever , Cresco Capital Group, Cresco Real Estate

The life of a Danish pensioner in Berlin