Jolly Mariner Apartments - Satelite Dish Restriction

To whom it may concern

On the 23.09.2013 most of the Jolly Mariner residents received a letter from the Galway Property Management in regards to their satellite dishes installed on their balconies. Below you can read the content of this letter:

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Dear Residents

We note that you have a satelite dish installed on the outside of the building. I attach a copy of the house rules which states that the erection of external wireless, television aerial or satelite dishes is not permitted. Can you please arrange to have the dish removed as soon as possible. If the dish is not removed by friday the 4th October 2013, we will arrange to have it removed and the cost of doing so will be applied to the relevant unit.

Should you have any queries, re: the above, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Ann Marie Gilsenan

On Behalf of The Jolly M Management Co. Ltd

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Dear Ann Marie Gilsenan/ Jolly M Management Co. Ltd

We the residents of the Jolly Mariner Apartments do not agree to your request of removing our satellite dishes from our balconies. This is because the rules of the house have only been shown to the tenants yesterday the 23rd of September and for the last few years there was no request of removing satellite dishes from the balconies.

We also wanted to inform the Jolly M Management Company that in our contracts with the Letting Agencies there is nothing stated that the tenants are restricted from having a satellite dish on their balcony. It is against the EU rules to restrict the access to the media and the tenants should have full access to information. This is stated in the link below from the European Commission:

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/ecomm/doc/info_centre/communic_reports/satellite_dish/antenna_en.pdf

If the Management company want us to remove the satellite dishes, then they are obliged to install a communal dish for the entire complex,  otherwise the dishes will stay installed on the balconies. By removing the satellite dishes from our balconies then you are affecting our rights in regards to our properties and the restriction of receiving information.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at anytime by sending an email to jollymarinerathlone@gmail.com.

Below please see the signed petition by the tenants from Jolly Mariner in Athlone.