someone gave an anonymous call to the fire department concerning a non functioning fire door in the garage.
The fire department came and gave the co-op a fine.
The door was rusted shut, the frame which is steel is rusted so dad that it too has to be replaced. i neighbor called me and asked me about it, i didnt even know there was a fire door.I did go to that spot and take pictures of the car parked there , since the president of the BOD made a space where there was never a space and squeezed the original space and her car so she had trouble getting out. i also want to make sure that they are paying for the spot. I made a big deal when i found out the pres and vice pres where self dealing and giving their grandson/son a prime upstairs space, when he was not a renter or shareholder, and people who were shareholders for 10 years were downstairs skipped, one was down there for less time but she was disabled and they skipped her , plus others, and there is no elevator going down there, just a horrible battleship like steel staircase.
The president of the board or managing company is on a witch hunt to find out who turned them in, which i find appealing and disgusting. I called the fire department a couple days after i found out about it and i told them i want a copy of the violation, i heard first that the door was locked, but that was from a person that may confuse terms, i spoke to the super he told me it was rusted shut. i want to get the violation, since if it was locked with a chain or wedge, that IMO is criminal. Rusted shut may be criminal if someone couldn't get out, that would be a court matter . However rusted shut shows that the managing agent and agents have not checked the door in many years. We have had potholes on the walk path that people could trip in, that in spite of being called in were not fixed in a year. I could temp fix them, make them safe in 30 minutes. I then noticed that the main vestibule the main entrance, i rarely go out or come in that way , the paint is peeling visually , this is the way they bring prospective buyers in, First impressions mean a lot. Coming home through a big rain storm, I saw a puddle on the floor that had no origin, on the 5th floor, I wasnt sure if it was piss, or a leak from some place so i had to drop off a card to the 6th/.top flor and saw all these wet spots on the hallway ceiling, i rarely am on the 6th floor. i decided to check the fire door to see if any leaks and the pictures will show what i saw plus the fire door and the vestibule. Meanwhile the pres praises the managing company and tries to find out who dared call in a violation. IMO unbelievable stuff and i am the only one who see's a problem
http://www.flickr.com/photos/escapefromyonkers/
Con Edison and National Grid are both revamping their policies and procedures with regard to potential #6 heating oil to gas conversions (either firm rate or TC) in an attempt to streamline the process and provide potential customers with quicker responses.
Also, the Morningside Heights area is currently being considered as a prime location for gas conversion projects. With that, Con Edison is looking to "bundle" or "cluster" projects together in an attempt to reduce overall construction costs. Keep an eye out for info on this...I would give them about 3-5 weeks before anything definitive happens, yet at least know that it is being discussed.
Also, if you have had "service layouts" issued from either utility and they are now claiming that they are "inactive" due to lack of action on a buildings part...know that a signed conversion proposal will fast track your case out of the "inactive" doldrums.
Have a great day.
I'm curious to know in other buildings how long you allow someone to be in arrears before you move to have them evicted? We have 3 Shareholders who for the past several years are ALWAYS in arrears. They owe as much as $4500 at a time and will make arrangements through our attorney to pay it off and pay for about 2-3 months and then stop paying again until we threaten to go legal on them.
My concern is because lenders are tightening up on finance regulations re: co-ops, how long should we allow this to continue? It has literally been going on since 2005 (and in some cases before then). How do we get these Shareholders to realize that enough is enough?
Our super has amassed a reasonable amount of large refuse items that we need to dispose of - rugs, furniture, doors, and other large debris. Our management company has received quotes for >$2,000 to rent a dumpster and remove the debris. I'd like to find a less expensive solution as it's not a lot of debris (although it's more than the City will pick up for us). What alternatives to dumpster rental have other buildings and boards used?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
David Robinson
President - Chocolate Factory Condos (Brooklyn)
i want to make a copy of the by laws, but i also want to have it scanned into a digital file, it would be easy for anyone to dl or read on-line, same with proprietary lease. Plus if my Managing company changed items without proper voting as they have already done with the cumulative voting. it would be very easy to find the unauthorized changes. i would have to get that one in a digital format and there are ample free software that will highlight and list items that do not match.
the annual financial budget should also be provided in a digital format if requested by a share holder using a open source format or software that had a reader that could be DL.
Since they use software to make it, it is already in a digital file .
I cant believe we are getting info on our finances the same way we did 25 years ago. Are all the co-ops as behind the times as this bldg.
Plus the better use of technology for spreadsheets you can see at a glance 10 to 15 years of payments and charges. You can have the computer check and highlight anything that is different in documents or contracts. Sure would be easier and quicker, and much easier and quicker to find embezzlement.
Also every board member could have read only permissions to check the bank accounts daily, all independent, in fact give it to every shareholder who request it , we own the building, we should not have to wait until someone embezzles for 10 years and it is caught , because someone finally does their job. But the co-op is SOL on recovering the money.
I have alerts on my banking and credit card that tells me when a transaction has been made. I have total knowledge of my finances on real time via email and cell phone. If we had the same for our monies in the coop,our monies would be much safer. No shuffled money in accounts cover the missing funds The more people that know, the less chance of co-ops being victims.
We have to watch out for our monies ourself and since the AG isn't going to do squat, which i am going to follow up on.
Get rid of that department , why pay them to do nothing except approve plans, and not back up the law.
the price of the co-op prosecuting the thief , could be throwing more money away for no repayment.
we need to start engaging the politicians and get them to pass bills and new laws, i have read horror stories here, coops that were embezzlement and the AG office would not follow through,
co-ops conversions which the AG approved have turned out to be the biggest scam going. managing company when it was rental style manging company as coop, but no longer did they have to do much. No boss overseeing the building managers as it was when it was rentals. the building manger/managing agent cost the owner money for not doing his job, he was gotten rid of.
Now the coop boards who know nothing about the hidden world of contractor tricks and managing agent tricks.
a bunch of people that know nothing taken on face value ridiculous stuff i heard them accept by the MA in annual meeting. there is no way to stop the noise from the pneumatic brass auto door closers on the stairway doors,some slam shut,some squeak and make noise. impossible to fix them.
the old small 12 by 15 incinerator doors. one woman has been wondering if they can be made bigger. no cant be
it may be expensive. but how expensive is it to take a sawzall to the bricks and make a bigger hole and mount a door. it may be worth her while to pay for her floor herself if it really bothers her. i read here where there whole building was done, i tried to ask him how much one floor cost but got no answer, he probably is off list.
impossible to put storage lockers in the storage room, MA said the guy came and said*ipes, but the president of the board has the room filled with 95% of his stuff, he doesn't want to lose his free space.
we need political force and get some laws with teeth.
i started a Google + circle group
NY Coop Apartment Shareholder Action Group
no one there yet but join! i don't know much about it , but i am also going to start one called something like contractor scams and tricks so we can learn from other honest stand up craftsman what the bums are doing to steal your money and the managing agent is in on it ,but he gets a piece. As as we get people we can share knowledge and help each other if we live close, such as serve subpoena to managing agent or managing company pres or BOD . You cant serve one yourself, so you can pay someone to do it or get anyone else, you just need to point out the guy, and let another person help.
we need to crowd source and take direct action
Curious to know how you handle slacking by the Super in the middle of the day. Many (verbal) complaints come in that he isn't doing enough to keep the building clean, but the Board members have to go to work everyday and the managing agent can't be there on a daily basis to monitor the work getting done, so it seems that other than reprimanding and going over the work schedule that needs to get done, it's hard to hold the Super accountable through documentation. He seems to be doing the bare minimum to get by, but 'finding him slacking' or catching him not doing work is difficult and can't be proven. Are there some other ways to hold the Super accountable through documentation or, better yet, ways to incentivize so he does a better job?
Anyone have similar situations that you can lend advice on this? Complaints are verbal as people don't want to put their name on a written complaint, so documentation is necessary, I believe.
Can anyone recommend an inexpensive, yet conscionable, management company? Please do not respond with your own management horror stories, as I am trying to solve this problem, not be an ear to even more nightmares.
I'm on the Board of a financially-compromised coop building in a financially-compromised neighborhood in Brooklyn. Our management company, selected by the sponsor (who used to represent more than 50% ownership) does not do its job, which is costing the coop even more money. We're in a bind. Surely there's at least one reputable Management Co.?
Thank you!
I am interested what are in your co-op standards and procedures about budget. I mean, is there a law that requires that budget must be approved before it is distributed to shareholders? If yes, who approves the budget? A Board, manager or treasurer?
Do you have a discussion about budget?
Where can I find information about budget requirements?
our Super has a friend who is an electrician. This electrian works in apartment that the Super does "private jobs' in - some of the sponsor apartments. The managing agent/ coop has also used this electrician for buiding project and now a board member has used this elecrtician for his apt. It is suspected the Super gets a kick baclk. Is this a conflict?
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Did you have a point here? A message? A question? Or did you just want to vent? I got lost. I can tell you're angry and frustrated, and probably with good cause. However, I believe this venue is for people to assist one another with their coop issues, get questions answered, receive suggestions and recommendations from others having experienced similar problems... NOT to be a sounding board for inarticulate, rambling rants.
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