Channel 10 TV News
at Aquarius: Again?!?!
Some Aquarius residents, many of them that lost the recent elections to the Board of Directors and are unhappy with the 40 Year Recertification exercise in progress, brought Channel 10 TV News to Aquarius again.
Their intent seems aimed to intimidate the community and paralyze the effort to bring the Aquarius Condominium to a safe condition. Not only these manifestations reflect a disdain for the community as they reflect a lack of respect for the Law, Construction Codes, safety and security of all.
In the last decade this group seems to have been successful intimidating past Boards of Directors and residents preventing most initiatives to recover and rebuild the property to prosper.
This is not true anymore. The present Board feels that a strong community support exists to do the right thing. The present Board will not yield to scare tactics. The community seems to be unhappily surprised with these attempts to stop sane measures. These ill-conceived attempts depress the value of our property by spreading words that devastate the Aquarius Condominium reputation.
The details of this shameful action are well described by a letter Victor Rocha wrote. It is transcribed bellow.
It is also interesting to read the reactions of several conscientious owners disgusted with the actions so negative to our community life. Here are just the written notes. It would be hard to reproduce the countless phone calls and hallway recriminatory comments the Board received.
Dominic Facchini, Diane Benson, Susan Spain, Zakh and Zina Bluband, Paul Wilk, Pamela and Kenny Ippolito, Paul Finfer, Valerie Girard are some that have manifest their disbelief with what happened February 23. You are encouraged to manifest your opinion. Scroll past Victor Rocha’s letter to see what they wrote.
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Letter from Victor Rocha, the Board of Directors Treasurer of Aquarius
February 24, 2017
Dear Aquarians,
I hope each and every one of you is doing very well.
As a member of the Board I must inform you regarding the intrusion by Channel 10 news into our home on February 23rd, 2017.
Regretfully, this intrusion was secretly coordinated and or assisted by none other than one of our members who ran for the Board of Directors during the last election, Mr. Robert Leviyev. Evidence gathered from our security cameras and access point logs captures this individual, secretly and without authorization, allowing the Channel 10 crew into the West Parking Lot, thereby circumventing the valet parking.
To further exacerbate the situation, the video and access point evidence also captures Mr. Leviyev letting the Channel 10 crew in through the pedestrian gate of the parking lot into our home, completely circumventing our security team.
It was also reported that Ira Bell was seen across the street with the Channel 10 reporters. Mr. Leviyev, Mr. and Mrs. Sapozhnikov, Ilya Gonorovsky, Albert Volchek, Boris Goldberg, Edward Khemelevsky, Constantine Visnozsky, Nusin Stern, Sam and Luci Lev and others then proceeded to Green Room and interrupted some residents who were playing cards and proceeded to have a meeting with the Channel 10 News crew.
Several of our residents were thereafter accosted by the Channel 10 crew while relaxing by the pool. Mr. Levier’s and others’ reckless behavior yesterday resulted in an unnecessary invasion of our residents’ privacy while they were trying to relax and enjoy their home.
The Board is alarmed by this behavior and regrets that you, our residents, were inconvenienced in such an underhanded manner. The board will be reviewing this matter and will assess the appropriate sanctions to those residents who violated the rules of the Association and breached our security measures. Once again, the Board deeply regrets the unlawful and unauthorized intrusion by Channel 10 news yesterday and will have our attorneys contact Channel 10 to have them cease and desist from further trespassing on our property.
Have a beautiful evening!
Victor E. Rocha
Aquarius Board of Directors Treasurer
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Dominic Facchini <dfutility@gmail.com February 28, 2017
To the BOD
It is obvious that these residents who took part in this disrespectful action against the remaining Aquarius residents have no intention of bringing our home up to the safety standards that is required by law.
They fail to see that the most important factors in community living are a Safe, Secure and Healthy environment to all residents, employees and visitors to the community.
My wife and I applaud the Board for donating their time and hard work to accomplish and complete what needs to be done.
Buck, Linda, Victor, Judith and Cecílio please don’t give up on us now; your hard work is not going unappreciated.
Our property values will be where they should be, not below the market values for similar smaller units,
Once again continue with the long needed repairs and stop this patch up and fix tomorrow business.
Change is a good thing! If you don’t change you are not living!
Have a great day and thank you once again to the Board.
Dom & Fran 1006S
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From: Diane Benson <senorab50@aol.com>
Date: February 27, 2017 at 9:52:37 AM EST
To the Aquarius Board:
I was on my way into the building after spending a few hours on the pool deck. I noticed a group of building residents walking into the pool area accompanied by a cameraman filming upwards at the corner line of balconies. I also noticed a reporter with a channel 10 microphone.
The reported noticed my dissatisfaction with their presence and began to ask me questions like “You think the balconies should be redone?” Honestly, I would have spoken to him on behalf of the new board’s accomplishments but I was in a bathing suit and cover up and didn’t feel comfortable. The reporter followed me into the lobby and into the North building hoping to get me to speak to him. I did say that I DID feel that all the balconies needed to be redone.
I feel these men were in my building illegally, that their being there was both a security and privacy breech and violation. They had no idea being either outside or inside of the Aquarius.
They were not taken upstairs to see the new pool nor did they see the condition of the big pool from underneath in the garage. All the heard was complaints about the balconies. And by the way, I had been noticing groups of four or six, dressed, walking around both pool decks surveying the balconies on several occasions. They were looking up and pointing at various balconies.
Diane Benson
1802N
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Susan Spain 806 S February 25, 2017
Victor:
Thank you for your beautiful letter we all received. The Board of Directors has worked hard to come to this point! We will now begin the process of the final repairs to: “Aquarius, the Gem of the Ocean.”
What are these people thinking, calling a television crew to complain about our building and what repairs will begin shortly… Having the station here only showed the progress that we have made and what a difference there is from the last time the same people called the station to complain! I am sure Channel 10 will not return again to meet with people who don’t understand that majority of residents want this building brought back to what it originally was…
Let us all stay united and move forward with confidence, security and know, within two years our Condo will once again be: the Gem of the Ocean.”
Sincerely,
Susan Spain 806 South
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Zina Bluband February 26, 2017
Thank You to the Board for acting on our behalf.
One of the factors beneficial to the life in condominium is a
perceived feeling of security. Unauthorized entry by Channel 10 crew
is not only the invasion of privacy; it is a trespassing defined as
the act of unauthorized entry.
It is unfortunate, that some of the residents jeopardize their
neighbors’ right to privacy and security in the name of what?
Actually, the Supreme Court has consistently ruled that the First
Amendment does not protect journalists from laws of “general
applicability” that don’t specifically target the press, including
trespass laws.
It is a trespass to enter private property without the consent of
the owner or possessor of the property. We sincerely hope that it will
never happen again, and if it does the law enforcement is involved.
Sincerely,
Zakh and Zina Bluband, 902N
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Paul Wilk, 204 N February 27, 2017.
Dear fellow Aquarius owners, how unfortunate that a small group of owners continue to degrade our community. First with the Condo from Hell on channel 10 news & now another attempt at smearing mud on the board that is working so diligently to bring the Aquarius back to what is was & should be .We are at a crossroads & it’s time to step forward & sign the letter allowing for the 51% majority vote to allow the board to complete its mission. Please don’t be shortsighted & realize the true potential of the beautification project to allow us to all gain equity while upgrading the building with new amenities. If anyone would like to discuss this with me I would be happy to explain the benefits in detail. My thanks go out to everyone involved in this project & hope that we can band together for the greater good of the Aquarius.
Kind regards,
Paul Wilk 204-N
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You can share this with all you can. We need to stand together to protect our rules.
From: Pamela Ippolito<mrsippi1@comcast.net>1103 & 1104 N
Date: February 25, 2017 at 7:44 AM
Subject: Channel 10 Invasion of Privacy
I thank you for acting on our behalf. As I am here alone some of the time and my husband was quite upset when I told him of the Security Breach.
After all, 24 Hour Security is the main reason for us purchasing our home here knowing I would be alone some of the time.
This is the second time some of these people have brought the “10 NEWS” on our property and filmed people without permission and or knowledge of the owners. I do hope there will be a heavy monetary fine to each of them to let people know they just cannot break our privacy laws to do what they want when they want.
Note: Remember for the future: regarding these illegal actions most of these people ran this year for the Board. Are these people you can trust to run out Board and Building and take care of our money? We know that we cannot trust them.
From these actions they show that will do what they want, when they want and not give any attention to the rules we live by.
If they do not like living here – get the hell out. Just because they cannot get their way they cannot break the rules without consequences.
Maybe sneaking around is the way to do things in other places. Here in Aquarius it is not and this will not be tolerated. Only filthy rats sneak around. Since you cannot walk strait and honest I despise you Our Opinion
Pam & Kenny Ippolito
1103N/1104N
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Paul Finfer 702 S
For willfully violating/evading security requirements/rules and disturbing the quiet enjoyment of the premises by many Unit owners, I believe (based upon previous cases) that an action should be filed against Robert Leviyev for his actions (as perfectly described by Victor Rocha in a previous email) and that he should be put before the Grievance Committee. While the Committee can certainly fine him up to $100, I believe the punishment should fit the crime and in addition to any fine that may be assessed against him, the Committee should consider barring from using any of the common areas of the buildings (except for going directly to and from his Unit), for a period of at least between 2 to 4 weeks.
Just so you know, depriving a Unit Owner of the use of the common elements (except to go back and forth to his/her unit) has been used many times before, and is an acceptable/legal type of punishment.
Paul Finfer 702 S
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Valerie Girard 1606 N February 28, 2017
Dear fellow Aquarius owners,
I fully agree with Paul Wilk!
My family has been owners of our unit in the Aquarius when it was first built and was then a beautiful, luxury building!
The present Board is doing their utmost to complete the projects to beautify our building and bring it back to the luxury building it once was. Please support our Board!
Valerie Girard 1606-N
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