Photo by PoPville flickr user Melodious
“Dear PoPville,
We are a small 6 unit condo building in DC and are looking to transition from using a management company to self-management to manage our association. We welcome any tips in the transition, including any paperwork that we would need to file in DC and how to best work with our current management company in that transition. Any experience or guidance is highly appreciated! Thanks!”
Photo by PoPville flickr user slatifolia
“Dear PoPville,
[TL;DR: This post office is a mess. Between refusing to not allow us to sign for deliveries, taking weeks to redeliver packages that are signed for, packages that are said to have been delivered but never arrive, and fighting endlessly against insurance claims for those packages, we are extremely frustrated with this post office. It is where all packages in DC deliver from, so dealing with other offices will only result in being directed back to Brentwood. I am seriously considering public, collected action of customers. We can’t be the only people experiencing these issues, judging from the Google reviews for this post office and the remarks made by the national customer service representatives.]
Since moving to DC, my girlfriend and I have had more issues with USPS than we can recall or count, so you will have to excuse me if some of my details are limited or if I do not recall all of them entirely. I can, however, look back at my insurance claims and see how many have been filed. All but one have been awarded, and that is one I am currently fighting to get awarded. My USPS claim page suggests I have filed nine insurance claims since moving to DC. These are only packages that I paid to have mailed to me using my account; packages I have reported as undelivered that were paid for by the sender account for maybe twice as many. I am in the second appeals on the most expensive claim, which ironically is an office in DC. I have called once a day for a week and, despite the voicemail saying they will respond within 24 hours, I have never heard back. This is a similar issue I have with the Brentwood post office entirely (the consumer advocate office is in the same building but a different office, and even they don’t communicate with eachother). (more…)
Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr.TinDC
“Dear PoPville,
One more request if I may of the community on behalf of the family. Could I ask of the PoPville community, especially those in the legal community or familiar with lawyers in the DC metro, any recommendations for the best lawyer in DC to litigate a hit and run crash? Thanks!”
“Dear PoPville,
Are you (or your readers) aware of any organizations in DC that sell Christmas trees to support a good cause? We’d love for our purchase to support a charity, if at all possible. Happy Holidays!”
Besides 6th Engine I’ve gotten a lot of emails from Elementary Schools having fundraiser tree sales – Ross – 17th and R St, NW; Bancroft – 18th and Newtwon St, NW; Eaton – 3301 Lowell Street NW. If you know of others please add in the comments.
438 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Photo by PoPville flickr user Jonathan Rogers
“Dear PoPville,
I write in to warn others about a man posing as a good Samaritan helping with car trouble. My partner and I were driving from Brookland through to Hyattsville on Friday evening, 11/20 around 8pm. My partner was driving and I was in the passenger seat. Somewhere along Riggs Rd. NE, a guy driving an early 2000s silver ford windstar minivan pulls up on our passenger side, honking and motioning for me to roll down my window. I do and he tells me that our right front wheel is wobbling a lot and looks like it will fall off. My partner says he did feel something off when turning, so we made our next right and pull off the road into an alley to check things out. We notice that the man in the minivan had pulled up behind us and he got out to point out what he saw. He was very specific and said it was the lower ball joint nut that was coming loose, and that all the potholes in the dmv area cause this frequently. He demonstrated that it was loose, saying he knew what he was looking for given that he was a mechanic, and was able to convince my mechanical engineer partner who built a race car in college that it needed adjusting right then and there. The man said he had the tools to fix it and could do it in three to twelve minutes and we’d be on our merry way. (more…)
via google maps
“Dear PoPville,
Seeking help from community for ideas / resources. Friend was hit by a construction truck on the crosswalk crossing Eckington Pl NE next to Florida Ave around 1:30 / 2 am 11/21/15. Friend was dragged and had leg and pelvis crushed. They are fighting to recover at the hospital but the family is needing help to seek answers and find the person responsible. All we know it was a construction truck turning right onto Florida Ave NE headed westbound from Eckington Pl NE (truck didn’t look right as pedestrian light was on and friend started to cross). The truck had a part of the load hold area that’s red. MPD took a police report but how could someone have the lack of humanity to hit someone and run?!
Did look around and didn’t necessarily find traffic cameras pointed towards the intersection. Any ideas/help to give family answers appreciated. Thanks in advance.”
Photo by PoPville flickr user andy ward
“Dear PoPville,
I’d like to ask the clan for recommendations of great restaurants in DC (or compelling cases in the VA ‘burbs) for office holiday parties in a private or semi-private setting, accoomodating a group of around 20 people. Specifically, for 20 people who love to drink.”
Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric P.
“Dear PoPville, I was once a refugee.
While there is a nation wide discussion about the refugees of the war in Syria, I wanted to share my own experience.
I still remember the day when I came back home from school; I was surprised to see my mother there at the time when she should have been at work. I asked her something and she said no because we have to leave the country. Then she told me that the night before, 2 of my aunts and her husbands were killed by the military. My dear cousin, the one I used to play with, was also killed. I was around 12. Who knows, we could be next.
The day after that, we landed on a country that now is synonym of “wonderful vacation” for most people, but not for me. Living there was not easy. We had to line up to get food, be constantly harassed by immigration asking us for papers, people there made fun of us because of our accent. But there was also that private school that allowed me and my cousins study in the meantime. The teachers were particularly nice and understanding.
Once the situation of my country went back to normal and safety, we returned. That’s where our friends and family were, our culture, our home. Thanks for reading.”
Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr.TinDC
“Dear PoPville,
Do you know whether any of the 10,000 Syrian refugees are coming to DC? If so, are there any organizations that need volunteers/support to help ease their transition? I believe we can spread peace one conversation and one person at a time. When I lived out of state I volunteered with a group that worked with new immigrants/refugees and paired me as a “buddy” with a wonderful family. It was a great experience for both of us.”
Photo by PoPville flickr user Lauren Parnell Marino
“Dear PoPville,
I was recently involved in a car accident. I am, fortunately, okay but my car was, unfortunately, declared totaled. Insurance is giving me a decent amount of money for it, but I’m trying to figure out if it’s actually worth throwing that money back into another car. I don’t need the car at all for work (I bike or bus) and was averaging using the car for grocery runs or random trips in the DMV area about 4-6 times per month. I’d love advice on all of my options for car sharing/rentals. I have car2go (I used even when I had a car because of the parking perks) but am interested on better services for when I need to make short trips just outside of the city or runs to home depot, costco, etc.”