A metal window frame and a baby bathtub were among the pieces of killer litter that have landed on her ground-floor patio at the D’Leedon condominium over the past two years, said a homeowner.
The homeowner, who did not want to be named, told The Straits Times that her children were playing outside just minutes before the metal frame came crashing down last year.
These incidents have led her to seriously consider installing a fixed awning, a roof that can act as protection for her family against such falling objects.
The resident even made a police report, although according to her, it was never confirmed how the metal frame dislodged and landed in her garden.
The baby bathtub was suspected to have been blown down by strong winds.
“I really worry about the safety of my young children, who always run around in the garden. Must we wait for something to happen to take things seriously?” said the resident.
Residents like her in D’Leedon, which is located off Farrer Road, can now install retractable awnings, following a ruling in June by the Strata Titles Board (STB), which had agreed with the condominium’s management corporation (MC) on its insistence on retractable instead of fixed awnings.
Two ground-floor unit owners had brought the matter to the STB after the condominium’s MC rejected their requests to install any kind of awning in their garden, which is considered part of their private enclosed spaces.
Another D’Leedon resident, identified only as Mr Pang, felt that the STB’s decision was reasonable, even though it falls short of allowing residents the choice between fixed or retractable awnings.
“Allowing retractable awnings is a step forward, considering that previously we couldn’t install any type of awning,” said Mr Pang, adding that he is considering installing one for safety reasons in his ground-floor apartment.
At the Caribbean at Keppel Bay, located near HarbourFront MRT station, resident Jerry Low, 55, has a similar tale of a near miss.
Several years ago, a glass panel dislodged from a unit above, smashing onto his ground-floor unit’s patio.
His daughter was of a young age when the incident occurred. “It was definitely concerning, but thankfully nothing happened,” he said.
While there are those who love awnings in their own enclosed spaces, there are also those who are against their neighbours having them and have gone to court to get them removed.
Ms Rosalina Soh, who lives in the Suites @ Newton in Surrey Road, was so distressed by the fixed awning installed by her neighbour below that she took the case to the STB to have the neighbour remove it.
She had claimed that among other things, the noise that came from the awning when it rained affected her.
Meanwhile, Mr Goh Shih Yong, a resident of Regent Grove in Choa Chu Kang, has no desire to install an awning at his ground-floor unit. “The cover would block sunlight and cause the living room to be too dark,” said the 70-year-old retired public servant.
He added that items rarely fell into his unit, with the exception of the occasional tissue paper.
But whether condominium residents love or hate awnings, it is not an easy task to get their way.
At the Caribbean at Keppel Bay, a notice issued by its MC on June 4 stated that it would be taking the stand to no longer authorise the installation of roof covers using the existing by-law, after taking advice from lawyers.
The MC declined to comment when contacted by ST.
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