Perilously Placed on Exterior Wall Without Fixed Device
Management Office: "Difficult to Enforce Removal as It Is Personal Property"
A resident who saw flowerpots placed on the exterior wall of an apartment repeatedly filed complaints through the management office, but the issue has been neglected for months, sparking controversy.
According to Yonhap News on the 27th, Kim (26), a resident of an apartment in Seosan, Chungnam, contacted the management office on July 20th after seeing a resident on the 5th floor place flowerpots on the railing outside the window and requested their removal.
The flowerpots were precariously placed without any securing devices, and it was judged that if they were to fall over residents' heads, it could cause a serious accident. Photos taken by Kim showed various sizes of flowerpots placed on the exterior wall decoration just below the window of the 5th-floor apartment.
The management office said they contacted the resident at the time and promised to take action, but the flowerpots remained in place. When Typhoon Khanun, the 6th typhoon, struck the Korean Peninsula around the 10th of last month, Kim again contacted the management office after seeing the flowerpots on the exterior wall, but only the large flowerpots were temporarily removed, and the situation did not change.
In response to Kim's ongoing complaints, the management office repeatedly stated, "We can broadcast a recommendation to move the flowerpots within the complex, but since they are clearly personal property, we cannot forcibly remove them."
Contacted management office again on the 24th but received the same response
Kim contacted the management office again on the 24th after seeing the flowerpots but received the same response.
He pointed out, "The flowerbed below the flowerpots is an open space accessible to anyone, and there is a children's playground right in front. What if children enter the flowerbed and a flowerpot falls?"
Kim added, "The apartment exterior wall is not personal property, and it is certainly not a place to put flowerpots. I have been requesting this for months, so I hope the management office will take this seriously."
Netizens who saw Kim's recent post and photos on an online community also criticized the behavior as "irresponsible."
Comments included, "Check the apartment management regulations for safety-related clauses and protest to the resident representatives," "It's horrifying to think someone might get hurt because of this," and "An excessive disregard for safety," expressing anger.
The head of the apartment management office said, "Since these are personal belongings, it seems there was no way for the management office to enforce removal," and added, "We will assess the situation, inform the resident involved, and find a way to rectify the issue."
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