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My building is now trying to bill repairs to shareholders and keep our maintenance staff from doing work on the side, ie their lunch break etc. I'm asking my fellow board members to come up with a list of billable repairs vs those we would not bill for, ie furniture moving, cleaning of balconies, changing light bulbs etc. What can be billed vs what is customary for the building to just do for a shareholder, maybe unclogging a drain? There also appears to be no consistent scale for what is charged and who is charged. Any ideas??? Being new to the board I've been asked to see where we can improve and I think this needs addressing.
Join the Conversation Comments (3)i wouldn't want the super moving furniture, even if it was billable,unless small items, with everything cleared off. To much risk of injury , and if furniture is expensive , claims to co-op. I worked for a public utility and we had to do installs inside the house, we were told never to move furniture, that is the customers responsibility. even changing bulbs, is more of a favor, but not a requirement to a resident. Tough to draw a line, since when in the apartment to work on a covered item, before they leave they could change a light bulb. Since tips are given to the super at the holidays, the light bulb changing fee is kinda included in them. The co-op i live in also tips the super and to my total opposition, the managing agent. Who doesn't even do the basic work required of him. We had fire dept fines for fire door rusted shut and unable to be opened, yet they tip and give raises, it's the prez in cahoots with the managing company with a puppet board.
If you really think about it - it is just a bad idea to allow staff to do side jobs. You open the coop to hundreds of dollars being used in building supplies (plaster, etc) to say nothing of liability issues and conflicts of interest regarding priorities towards regular building maintenance. Many buildings are told otherwise - usually by the managing agents or the board members hwo gett treated favoribly by staff. Beware.
As far as what people say has been the historical supers duties in the building, People pass down what they want you to believe or what someone told them , but not what the house rules state. Our house rules state that the super is not allowed to do any personal work or errands for the residents.
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1) Ask some longtime residents what has been traditionally repaired by the coop.
2) Make a list: Usually: washers for drips in sinks, showers and toilets, changing plugs and light-switches, plaster and prime coat paint when there has been an in-the-wall leak, window problems, radiator leaks, snaking drains, etc.
3) If staff does any work beyond the traditional repairs it could be that, legally, the staff member is a independent contracctor without workmans comp and the coop could be laible. Be careful. Put your policy in writing.
4) Find a good licenced handyman (outside the bldg) or two that the building can recommend for minor work by residents and give out his/her name and number.
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Board Talk members who registered prior to March 9th, 2016 will need to reset their password.