On Tuesday, when we all met up at the hilltop apartment, Tim and I were relieved to see that the pipe we were worried about hadn’t even been removed yet. In fact, not much more of the wall had been removed. After we were introduced to the architect, who we were led to believe worked for the city, he walked around scrutinizing our home. He agreed that the wall we were taking down was not load-bearing, but he recommended that we still support it, before taking it down. What he said didn’t make sense to us, but as I said, we thought he worked for the city, and we assumed that we were required to do what he said. It was at that point that I asked Nino if we could see the so-called damage that the neighbor said was done to her apartment. Nino translated my request and when we all went up to the apartment, it was clear to Tim and me, that the cracks in her walls, were stress cracks that were there before we ever started our renovation project. We were never told by this architect or anyone else whether there was damage or not. They talked in Georgian amongst themselves and Nino never translated what was being said. The only thing ever translated for us was that the architect recommended that we support the wall. Since we had brought up to the architect that our walls had moisture and damage to them, as a result of the upstairs neighbors not maintaining them, Nino told us they would have an engineer come out and give us a list of what we would need to make sure the apartment is structurally sound. Though we had asked, we never did get a clear answer to our question about whose responsibility it is to maintain the upper balconies, that we don’t even have access to.
When we got back to the apartment building, where we are staying, we stopped in at Nino’s office to talk with her. She told us that the upstairs neighbor, Zurich, had prepared a document that she would translate, have us sign, and they would send it to the Mayor’s office. the document stated that we had found some damage in our home and we were requesting that the engineer from the city come and advise us. I told Nino that we wouldn’t be signing the document. I explained that the whole reason we met the architect from the city was to determine if there was damage done to the neighbor’s property. It was during this part of the conversation that Nino admitted to us that the architect did not work for the city. Tim and I were baffled. We had just wasted another day listening to advice from someone who had no authority. We left her office very disappointed and a little angry.
With all the issues we’d been having, and since the neighbor continued to interfere with Dito’s work on the apartment, we finally contacted our lawyer, Anna, to make sure we could legally move on with our renovation. In the meantime, Dito contacted the city architect and brought him to the apartment on April 10th, to confirm that taking down the wall was ok. We called Anna, this time, to translate what was being said. Anna told us that the architect said we could do whatever we wanted to the inside of our home and that removing this wall was not a problem. When the architect went outside, he was confronted by the neighbor who insisted he go up and look at the damage we caused to her wall. When the architect came back down, Anna talked with him on the phone. He said we didn’t cause any damage, but the neighbor wanted to file an official complaint. We were told that all our work had to stop until the city could officially respond to her complaint. Anna told the neighbor over the phone, that we would give her a couple of days to file the complaint. Dito left that day saying he would come to finish the job of removing concrete and plaster, off the walls and ceilings, when we got an official document from the city, saying it was ok to resume working.
On the weekend of April 11th, a message was passed on to us, from either Nino or Dito, that we were to meet with an official from the city, at our hilltop apartment, on Monday, April 13th, at 10:00 am. We passed the message on to Anna, our lawyer, in Tbilisi, so that she could stand by to translate, over the phone, what the official said. We assumed we would be hearing from an official about the city’s response to the complaint, our neighbor was supposedly going to file. Nobody from the city ever showed up that day, and when Anna called the Municipality, to find out what was going on, she was told that they knew nothing about the 10:00 am appointment. The officials from the Municipality also told Anna that the neighbor woman had not filed her complaint. Anna assured us at that time, that we were within our rights, to do what we wanted, with the inside of our home.
On April 14th, Tim decided that he would take the wall down himself. He didn’t have a power tool as Dito did, but it came down easy enough with a hammer, a crowbar, and an ax. While Tim was taking the wall down, the neighbor stood outside, talking on her phone, no doubt, trying to get a hold of someone, to prevent us from taking it down. After Tim was finished taking the wall down, we got a call from Anna, saying that the neighbor had filed a complaint and that an official from the Municipality would be coming the next day, at 12:00 pm, to investigate. Once again, no official showed up at the property. When we talked to Anna, we asked her who had told her that an official from the Municipality would be coming to our home that day. It was at that point she admitted that she hadn’t actually spoken to anyone from the city. She had received the message from the former owner of the property. The lady who used to own our apartment had called Anna and said that an official from the city had called her and said the neighbor had filed the complaint and they would be coming at 12:00 pm, on April 15th, to investigate. I couldn’t understand why Anna was taking the word of this woman, who used to own our apartment, since I know she and her family didn’t like us and hadn’t been above board with us, during the closing proceedings, on the property. When I pointed this out to Anna, she called the city and they said that they would have come, that day, but they didn’t have a vehicle to get to the apartment. This all sounded very fishy to us. Needless to say, we are through worrying about what this neighbor thinks about what we’re doing in our own home. We just wanted to make sure that we weren’t breaking any rules. With Anna standing by to advise us, we feel confident that we can move forward with the renovation.
Not a lot had changed for us, living here in Chiatura, Georgia, during the first 5 weeks of the Pandemic. The only changes that we noticed were that many people opted to wear masks, and grocery stores and pharmacies were only allowing a couple to enter at a time. On April 17th, however, when Georgia was celebrating its Orthodox Easter, confirmed cases of the Corona Virus had reached 411, and the government responded by extending the quarantine lockdown from April 21st, to May 22nd. New restrictions were also implemented to include, a 9:00 pm curfew, and a ban on driving unless it’s by individuals who have essential jobs. Our neighbor, who lives in our downtown apartment building, was brought here from Turkey before the Pandemic began, to manage the project of redesigning the water system, to provide water for Chiatura, 24 hours a day. He was one of the individuals who was given special permission to drive his personal vehicle since he has to be at the main water plant in Sachkhere, every day, and that plant is about 20 km away. Another new restriction that was put in place is that no one can go, in or out of the cities of, Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, or Rustavi. Since wearing a mask was also made mandatory, and Tim and I didn’t have them, we had to cut the sleeves off his old tee shirt and use those to cover our faces when entering grocery stores or pharmacies.
On April 24th, the government posted a re-opening and economic recovery plan for Georgia, that will take place in 6 different phases. On April 27th, the restriction on driving was lifted. Dito messaged us on the 26th to let us know that he would now be allowed to drive from his village to Chiatura, in order to finish the job of removing concrete and plaster off the walls and ceilings. We met with him at the hilltop apartment on the 27th, and with Nino translating on the phone, we told him that in addition to having the concrete and plaster removal done, we also wanted the lath removed from all the ceilings. He agreed to do the extra work for 300 Lari, or $100.00. He also agreed to clean out the rooms of all the excess wood, for free, since he wanted to keep the wood for himself. He assured us that he was aware that we had a legal right to move forward with our home renovation and he would not let the neighbor interfere with his work. He will resume work on April 29th.
We were very happy to read that on May 11th, when the next phase of the re-opening plan takes place, construction businesses can open up, and we will finally be able to buy materials for our apartment renovation. By then, we should be ready to buy metal studs, for hanging sheet-rock, and electric lines.
On May 25th, retail shops that have street access will be re-opening, as well as open-air markets.
On June 8th, shopping malls, open-air restaurants, and beauty salons will re-open.
On June 22nd, all restaurants will re-open.
On July 6th, all restrictions will be lifted.
For us, as American citizens, living currently in Georgia, the Pandemic has been little more than an inconvenience, but to the people of Georgia, it will most likely cause much more financial hardship. The government will only be able to minimally compensate its citizens with the following economic anti-crisis plan.
The average citizen, who has lost their job due to the Pandemic quarantine, will receive 600 Lari, or $200.00 a month, for 6 months.
Citizens who are self-employed will receive a one-time payment of 300 Lari, or $100.00
The disabled will receive 600 Lari or $200.00 a month for 6 months.
Pensioners will get a raise of 20 Lari or $6.00 a month.
I pray that the people of Georgia and of the World will recover from this Pandemic crisis and that we will be stronger than ever.
Thank you for joining me. God Bless You All.
Christina The Traveling Diva
Hi Christina, wow, I read this yesterday, but wanted to sleep on it before I commented. As you said, it’s a nightmare! I’m so sorry that you’re going through this, what an enormous pain for you both. I hope you can get it sorted out soon. Do you know why your neighbour doesn’t like you? Is it ‘just’ because you’re foreigners? Is she ‘old’? A lot of people from the former Soviet Union are still suspicious of foreigners, even if they’re not old enough to have lived during the ‘dark’ times. I imagine not living in the capital, also, means that she (or they) may not have had a lot of contact with foreigners and therefore may be very wary of you. We have a friend in Russia, not from Moscow, and he told us that his mum has never met a foreigner! I really hope that you will come to some arrangement with your neighbour about the balcony repair. I’m sure it’s not in your budget to fix that as well as renovating your flat.
I love the old photo! How incredible that you were able to get this! Is the entire first floor yours? I love it, I can see why you bought it. I’m dying to see it! Thanks again for sharing your journey here, it’s really mind blowing that you’re doing all this! 🙂 xx
Hi Cheryl. I’m so happy we were able to get a hold of those old photos. did you notice the picture of Stalin in the interior photo? I don’t know why the neighbor doesn’t like us. It’s really frustrating to not be able to speak the same language. I feel like if we did maybe we could work out the differences. I even tried to be nice and say hell to her before she started interfering with our work, but she turned right around and acted ugly. She only has one tone and that is screaming, unfortunately. We’re quiet people and don’t like screaming or loud noises. Today we filed that complaint with the city and I’m hoping that they will require her to fix the balconies. We can do it ourselves and would prefer to, but we were afraid if we started working under her balcony, she would complain about that. I hope one day when the apartment is done that you and Olivier will come to visit. Thanks for visiting and being so supportive. Though we haven’t met, I feel like we’re good friends.
Hi Christina, it’s actually Lenin in the photo. 🙂 but no, I didn’t notice it until you pointed it out. What amazing history you’ve bought! I’m really sorry about your loud angry neighbour. I don’t have any advice for you, except I guess just wait until the city acts on your complaint. I’m sure it will all work out in the end. You’re welcome for the support, not much I can do but I feel like I’m with you every step of the way, and, as you say in America, I’m rooting for you! I feel our friendship too, and I’m looking forward to finally meeting you! 🙂 xx
Hi Christina, thank you for giving us this update of your renovation as well as how life is for you and Tim. Not only have you dealt with the frustrations of construction, communication in a language that is not your own, people who are trying to undermine your efforts, but also the effect of the global pandemic. I admire your patience and perseverance through it all, and trust that you are safe and well, and hope that your renovation is now moving forward smoothly! Take care and be well, my friend. xo
Hi Candi. It was so nice to hear from you. We are doing well and I hope you are too. It has been rather frustrating and my patience has been tested in ways that I never thought it would. I think the tough times with the neighbor are behind us now. We’re just waiting for the hardware stores to open, then we can proceed with our renovation. I’m going to pop over to your blog now and see what’s new. thanks for visiting. Take care. xo
I found your blog through Cheryl. This is very interesting and I’m sorry you are having so much trouble with your neighbor! Hopefully, her heart will soften over time!
Hi Rita, Thank you so much for visiting my blog. It’s good to know you. I’m not too worried about the neighbor anymore. I did let it get to me for a while, but I think I’m over it now. I hope you’ll come back and visit again.
You handled this nightmare very well. What else can you do but what you did? Handle it step by step with grace and dignity. Well done!
Thank you for your encouraging words Rebecca, and for visiting my blog.
Oh My!
Sounds so stressful with your neighbor! I hope things resolve soon. That is a lot to go through in addition to the current crisis. I love hearing and seeing the history of old buildings and how neat that you have the pictures that you’ve shared.
best of luck to you!
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
Hi Jess, You are right, it has been very stressful. I’m hoping we will finish this demolition portion of the renovation, in the next couple of days, so the neighbor will quit bothering us. I hope to have a new post up soon when we are able to put up sheetrock and treat the stone walls. Thanks so much for visiting.
This article was a real treat to read. We live in Savannah, Georgia in an 1888 building we renovated. It sounds like you’re involved in an epic, artistic adventure!!! Sorry about that neighbor. But I bet everything will work out for you. Hey, if you haven’t already watched it you might enjoy a movie called, “Under The Tuscan Sun.”
Suzana Barton
http://www.happygreatday.com
Hi Suzana, We lived in Florida for many years and we used to love taking trips in the South. Savannah will always hold a special place in our hearts, since we spent our Honeymoon there, 37 years ago, this month. I’ll never forget the Inn that we stayed in. Is the Eliza Thompson house still there? I would love to hear more about your home in Savannah. I’ll have to look you up. Yes, I have seen the movie and I read Under the Tuscan Sun when we were staying in Zagreb, Croatia. My daughter and I both enjoyed the book the most. Thanks so much for visiting. It was a pleasure hearing from a kindred soul.
Hi Christina – well the saga certainly continues doesn’t it? You lead such an interesting life, but it’s not without its hiccups along the way. Living in a country where you don’t speak the language must be so frustrating at times – and with all the repair and reconstruction work needed, it will be an epic journey and you’ll look back on these blog entries and videos in years to come and be so amazed at what you’ve achieved. Keep blogging and updating us because it’s such an interesting life that you guys are living!
Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 😊
Hi Leanne, I really appreciate your encouraging words. It has been challenging but also very interesting and that’s what keeps me going. Thanks so much for visiting.
Hi Christina, welcome back to #MLSTL and you have certainly shown your resilience. I admire you and your husband for continuing your adventure despite language barriers and all the problems associated with renovating an apartment, multiplied by the fact that it is in a different country. It must be very frustrating at times, but it is a great idea to make videos and document your journey thus far. Take care and you are certainly an inspiration.
Hi Sue, it’s so good to be back at #MLSTL. I’ve made so many great connections and really enjoy reading everyone’s blog posts. I have been enjoying this travel lifestyle, and though we have property now, it’s not going to change things too much. We just won’t have to take everything we own with us and we won’t have to stay as long in one country. Thanks so much for visiting, Sue.
Hi Christina, Thank you for sharing what it’s like to live in Georgia during the pandemic. Home renos are usually challenging and you have the language barrier, foreign country, and a not so friendly neighbour to deal with on top of everything else. I hope everything will work out for you. All the best and take care. #MLSTL
Hi Natalie, This renovation has been challenging, but in the end, we’ll have a base to continue to travel from. The language barrier and cultural differences have been the biggest challenges, for us, renovating in a foreign country, but I think it will all work out in the end. I’m looking forward to the stores opening up here, so we can just get on with things. Thanks so much for visiting. I’ll catch up with you on your blog.
What an adventure Christina. I hope someday soon your apartment is a lovely living space for you and that all goes well with your neighbor. Life is never dull, is it? Take care and stay safe! #MLSTL