Birds are unwelcome visitors in condo at The Vineyards
When Katya Blake bought a two-bedroom condo for her parents in 2022, she didn't factor in some unwelcome guests.
Since January, four European starlings have come through an outside vent and made their way to the vent of an interior bathroom. All died after failing to find a way out.
“The smell is horrible,” said Blake.
Her mother, Nina Blyumental, agrees. “You can hear them on the other side of the vent,” she said while pointing to the vent cover located near the ceiling of the fourth-floor condominium in the Vineyards off Route 9. “There were at least two, and then two more came in. They’re still in there. That’s why the vents aren’t working.”
Whenever possible, Blyumental tries to air out the condo by keeping the windows wide open.
A visit by Critter Control proved pricey at $500 to remove the birds, and that was just for the first round.
Blyumental helps care for Blake’s father, who has Parkinson’s disease. Before removing the birds, Blake said another caregiver complained of the smell. Blake said it irritated her throat.
“I’m worried about how this is affecting the health of my parents,” Blake said.
After contacting property manager Seascape Property Management, Blake said she was told condo owners are responsible for the vents, even those from the outside.
When contacted for comment, Seascape sent the following statement: “The association has not linked the birds in the owner’s vent to a common element. The board can only authorize repairs to common elements. The association continues to investigate the issue to make sure the common elements are operational and maintained properly. If they find any common element deficiency, the association will repair it.”
From the fourth-floor elevation, Blake questions how she’ll reach the outside vents, and even then she’s not sure where they come out.
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to mountain climb to fix it,” she said.
She said she plans to call a vent and duct company, but wants to get the word out to her neighbors, in case they are having similar issues.
“It has been more than a month since this happened, and the situation is getting worse,” Blake said.
