Letter to the Editor
Submitted by Anonymous
Dear Stratford Crier,
I’m writing anonymous, but I have no problems if you read this letter on the air. I’m also writing on behalf of my elderly mother. We been living at Success Village Apartments a little over 5 years, and in the last 5 years we have seen many changes, but nothing like what is happening right now with the complex. I’m extremely concern about the future and outcome of this village. These recent situations appear inhumane and concerning for the 943-unit owners that live here. I was told that recently the board of (Success Village) filed for bankruptcy chapter 11, without the consent of the owners and that there planning on using our hard earn money to pay back the 5-year bankruptcy plan if they are granted this bankruptcy. Here’s some things I would like to point out to you, which you are probably already aware of, since this complex has been on the local new channels, Ct post, and talk radio stations.
Since May 2024 the success village residents was without hot water for (28 days) due to the boiler being shut down by the city. During that time members only received about 2- 3 letters in the mailbox informing them of updates to the boiler. (Department of Health did nothing for the owners).
Community Meeting: There was a community meeting held after the 28 days and people was outraged because they had all just suffered without no hot water, probably having to go to friends/family to bother them to take a hot shower. Children needed good clean showers, and meanwhile members continue to have to pay for their monthly common charges without hot water and proper services (against the bylaws of the co op). The community meeting was held in May 2024, and now we are in September 2024, and still there is no community meetings to keep the owners informed, the board continues to use the excuse that since people was naturally outraged over having no hot water back in May 2024, that this is the reason there hasn’t been any more community meetings. (in normal terms this is inappropriate and unprofessional coming from a management team running a co-op) people are entitled to demand answers and become upset for not having hot water for so many days, and in addition the owners had to keep paying their monthly common charges. (still we are not being informed of nothing regarding our homes to date).
Unpaid taxes to the city of Bridgeport for a few years, so in all truth why is it that the owners have been making their payments as they should only to find out that the person they been giving their money to has not been paying the bills (management team/president TY Bird). This isn’t the owner’s faults, they are not the ones in charge of paying the bills to the bill collectors (the management team is responsible to pay the bills). The owner’s duties are to pay their money to the office and then the office management team pay the bills to the collector’s. (Where is our money TY Bird).
Unpaid bills to the UI company and the property insurance company, again same situation the person or persons who took on the responsibility to pay the bills for the complex is responsible to pay these bills as the money comes in once a month, to the office.
Rumors of selling a percentage of the land (the parking lot} to a New York investor.
Installing cameras on each building to watch what owners are doing, without their consent. This is a human rights violation to people rights. (But this money could have been spent paying a bill for success village bills, instead of installing cameras).
Management making full autonomy on behalf of the owners and not following the bylaws by informing the community of daily decisions. (no letters, no meetings, etc).
No election to date (9/12/2024} another violation to the owners and not following the bylaws.
Mini-splits: Many units have split units, and residents have continued to pay the complete monthly common charges, special assessment fee would have residents paying three times in 1 month, since mini-split units run by electricity. According to success village bylaws the lease hold requires SVA to utilize common charges to provide heat and hot water, the owners are paying for heat twice. Someone needs to question, why would owners pay a special assessment if bankruptcy is approved and which means giving a fresh start. What would this special assessment fee be used for if the boilers are not repairable, and mini-splits owner’s don’t have to pay for boilers since it works on electricity.
Special Assessment of $1,000 if and after the trustee and bankruptcy approves sva plan to repay back the creditor’s. There are elderly people who live on a fix income, who barely can afford to live in this economy currently, what happens when an assessment is added to their accounts. They will probably become homeless, because they can’t afford to live in the homes that they grow up in. There are single mothers with children, who could barely afford the high common charges right now they would probably become homeless with their children. But the worst part is that these poor victims at Success Village would be paying twice for the responsibility of the poor management, and the defendant would be continuing the behavior of hurting his victims, because he would not be held accountable for what he has done and continues to do to these poor victims. I understand we live in a new generation and this world has been stressed with many things happening and justice is not always fare, but this is injustice in their face without remorse. These poor folks have been through so much in the last few years with this narcissistic management team.
The fact reminds that TY Bird is a egotistic greedy human that seen the opportunity to rob hundreds of people of their money. His position at Success village is not a volunteer position if he is earning millions of dollars from the home owners every month. (This is a paid position). No one is questioning what has he done with all the millions of money he gets monthly from the residents, and why he didn’t pay our bills (past and current). No one is questioning why he isn’t having elections, and community meetings monthly, to keep us informed. No one is questioning why he is trying to have the home owners pay back double for the money he took from the members common charges, now he wants a special assessment $1,000 so the poor victims can pay back his accountability. He wants a press release to let people know he needs more money, this is unethical and unprofessional. As a president he is suppose to call for a community meeting, not letters, but a face to face meeting with everyone, and tell them why he wants to get
