I live in a townhouse complex with a strata that contracts with a gardening company, whose costs make up a not insignificant part of the monthly "rent" we have to pay for the house we own.
Every week they bring in gasoline powered tools and make the entire complex sound like a biker gang HQ for literally the entire day. Not just a constant engine sound either, CONSTANT revving up and down because otherwise people would be able to get used to it and block it out and we can't have that. That was great back when I worked night shift and it's still great now that I work remotely and no one in online meetings can hear me properly that day. And then the exhaust fumes waft into your windows which is great in the summer in a house that doesn't have built in air conditioners (because they weren't necessary where I live until literally a few years ago, can't imagine why with all the fossil fuel powered tools we use constantly) and where the strata bans installing proper high efficiency split air conditioners. So we're forced to use only portable air conditioners that don't seal against the swing-out style windows properly and create a constant low pressure that draws the air from outside in. Even better when you can't afford an air conditioner in every room and get to choose between the room smelling like an oil refinery with the windows open or risk heat stroke with them closed.
Also, they used to not just maintain the common areas, but would go into each unit's private yard (again, which we own) and pull up any non-compliant plants (read: food). Though to be fair they haven't done that in quite a while so maybe the strata changed its policy. There are also quite a few bushes around here that are just sticks and branches because every time it tries to sprout new leaves they get trimmed back, and the strata wonders why they keep dying and keeps forcing us to pay for replacements that will die in a year from not being allowed to grow properly. Who needs green on your plants when you can make them unnatural geometric shapes instead?
And this isn't even "oh you demand neatly trimmed hedges but get mad when it inconveniences you" I don't want neatly trimmed hedges. Just let them grow naturally like plants are supposed to, the ends truly don't justify the means. Save that money and use it to maintain the aging buildings themselves instead of hiking up the strata payments every time something goes wrong while refusing to budge on any existing spending. Also, these are plants in the interior courtyard past the gate, who the hell are you impressing when the only people who see them are the ones living here?
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