Lost in NYC Coop world

153 - It is the thread entitled "F%$# COOPS" found at the following link: http://streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/discussion/33006-f-coops. Who knows what all the facts are, and I am not a qualified to render any opinion, but let's speculate that the plaintiff there has a case that is a loser; generally, an attorney will explain as much to the client and the client goes away, or the attorney may even turn the client away. That did not happen as evidenced by the complaint that has been filed. If the case is the loser that the SE Board believes it to be, this plaintiff is going to be out a lot of money, plus he has drawn a lot of attention to himself and is being mocked. Note that Mr. Fitipaldi (attorney in the other thread) may well have advised Mr. Thandrayen (plaintiff in the other thread) of everything he was stepping into, and Mr. Thandrayen may have decided to proceed anyway. That is Mr. Thandrayen's right, and a rich, fee-paying client who proceeds against his/her attorney's advice can be a great and fun client as long as there is some colorable claim. Again, none of us can know what is going on in your case, but a qualified attorney will act in your best interest, and I always recommend seeking more than one opinion, especially if any attorney paints too rosy a picture of your case. Your case may be great; I have no idea, but in any case, it makes sense to interview more than one service provider; law is no different than any field in this respect, and the fact that one attorney has already warned you away makes me wary for you, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that Mr. Lamb, or whomever you choose, will sort the situation out for you. Hope that makes sense, and again, I really hope that this ends with you and your coop board living in peace and your neighbors getting to know you such that all those things that appear to rub them the wrong way now will be viewed as charming down the road. I totally get how you feel, and while I cannot pretend to know all the facts, you strike me as someone who is really trying in good faith to get to yes. Please do let us know how it turns out and again, a number of us appear to be rooting for you.

NYCNovice, thanks a lot <3

you can only learn from people who challenge you. beware of too much agreement.

I agree, as usual, with columbiacounty.

CC - Exactly.
153 - Don't be turned off if your prospective attorney starts off by cross-examining you; beware if your prospective attorney jumps at the opportunity to represent you and agrees with everything you feel without asking lots of questions.

All "3" of us agree.

CC, encouragement does not equal agreement.
huntersburg, you're funny:)

You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. (T:White)

get over yourself.

own your problem.

no one did it to you.

Huntersburg is hilarious and very clever (hi HB). In this case, I actually believe CC was intending to be helpful. I can understand why CC's intent may have been lost in translation. Don't let his last comment get to you.

thanks again so much. i am thrilled.

CC might have misunderstood my comment/quote. Maybe because it's humorous.

That would make sense; humor is not CC's strong suit. :-)

columbiacounty, are you looking forward to Hurricane Sandy?
Cuomo has declared a State of Emergency, you must be getting excited.

columbiacounty
about 1 hour ago
Posts: 10961
Member since: Jan 2009
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you are definitely getting in the right sprit. here's to a complete uninsured loss for that asshole before the sale closes.

good luck 153

agree, at the end of the day, we all wish you well

I find both of them funny at times, although I think CC is the more intellectual of the two, and also funnier in many instances. TV's notwithstanding. Then again, some people haven't been around for long, and don't know the history. But at the end of the day I wish most well.

>I find both of them funny at times, although I think CC is the more intellectual of the two, and also funnier in many instances

Well, that's not a ringing endorsement of columbiacounty. Are there growing differences?

I appreciate all your advice and good wishes.
In the meantime I have decided that I will take care of the water leak problem, but once it's fixed, I will sell the apartment.
It has been too difficult and depressing (and the near future won't be easier), so that I won't be a happy shareholder even after one day hopefully the roof will be repaired.
Of course I didn't plan for that, and thinking about how I've designed and furnished the place, like a true home, with all the details, and that I will have to get rid of everything (somebody told me that apart from built-ins, kitchen and bathroom, apartments have to be sold empty in NY), is a bit overwhelming. But a clear cut will be best. And there are far greater problems out there, so I can't complain.

I'm not in NYC right now, but have been reading about hurricane Sandy. I hope the storm won't be too severe and you all will be safe.

153:
It's a mess and I have experience with bad coop and condo boards.

I don't agree with the suggestions not to contact city agencies to report the problem.

Call 311 and they will connect you to the HPD. Have video-tape of your entire apt, to show the condition of the apt., in case the managing agent/sponsor/board there sends somebody in while you are away/out of the apt., to mess it up/break something, whatever. Don't put it past them to do that and blame it on you. They have a copy of your apt. keys.
Time to get tough. Get a tiny video camera from one of the "Spy" stores and install it in your apt., hidden and facing your apt. door. (Better yet, get the "Spy" store to install it.)

The HPD will first contact the managing agent by way of sending a copy of the complaint to them.
They will call you to see if its been repaired. If not repaired,
An HPD inspector will be sent to your apt.
If you aren't home, they will leave a green notice on your door, informing you that you can make an appt. and the inspector will return on that day and time. The HPD will call you, prior to the appt. to ask if its been repaired and also to ensure that you got the notice.

The inpector does the inspection and sends notification again, giving the managing agent orders to repair within a set amount of time.
Have all of your communications with the managing agent and board (please have the copies of all e-mails printed out, to show the inspector.)

If they refuse to repair it, the HPD will send a contractor to repair it. (They will first send another inspector to do mold testing and take photos.)
If the super refuses to allow the contractor into the building (because the doorman alerted the super), the court will order an "access" and the local NYPD precinct will send an officer to accompany the contractor.
HPD will send the bill to the managing agent. As a shareholder in a coop, the HPD considers the managing agent/board to be your "landlord". (Not the same as a condo, as I owned at the time. The HPD sends the bill to the owner. I was already in litigation with the board, they sued me with the objective of forcing me out of the building, because the leaks (one in living room from terrace 2 floors above flooding, another in the bathroom from the sponsor's unit above me with mold, and also broken ventilation system: were caused by their own negligence and mis-management. The sponsor controls the board. It was a mess but I have the money to fight it out with them.)

Ear, Nose and Throat doctor for health problems from mold. (If not from mold, move on. At least you will get your cough checked out and treated by a doctor.)

The complaint form has info on how to contact housing court, a lawyer will be provided for you if you can't afford one. The lawyer will follow-up after repairs are made and the board will have to "close" the HPD violation. That requires $300 fee for the post-repair HPD inspection.
The board will have to pay it. If they refuse to pay it, you can pay it. Worth it not to fight over it.
Your apt will then be ready to be put on the market to sell with the repairs done and HPD complaint closed.
(A lawsuit would need to be resolved before you can sell.)

Never mind that the board will be angry at you.
You will get the repairs done by HPD and will have official
documentation from them. ( I don't know how you could "take care of the water leak problem" by yourself.)

Be sure to communicate with the managing agent by e-mail only, and to video tape anybody who they send to your apt and ask for I.D. of the repair-person before they enter your apt.
Do not be home alone.

I actually had a private investigator who is a retired NYPD detective there with me.
He video-taped the whole episode. (The managing agent showed up with goons who are non-repair employees of the sponsor.
One goon claimed to be "the ventilation guy". They refused to show I.D. and give their names and reason for being there. I recognized the goons because I had seen them in the building throughout the years I lived there. They refused to be video-taped and did not enter the apt.)
It was worth the money for the protection.

If you want the name and contact info for the private investigator, please let me know.
(He had a T.V. show on the Court T.V. channel. I think the goons recognized him.
In any case, he's a big guy who doesn't look like he can be messed with.
He also had a big gun on him.
If he wasn't there, the goons would have tried to muscle their way into my apt.
I can fight but there were 4 goons, so I was out-numbered.)

P.S. : Why would you "have to get rid of everything" in your apt.? Move your furniture out with you.

Good luck.

P.S. to NYCNovice: this situation will never have a happy ending with the board, who want 153 out of there.

>In the meantime I have decided that I will take care of the water leak problem, but once it's fixed, I will sell the apartment.

Fix the leak problem.
Then make a decision about staying or going. No need to make that determination now.

huntersburg, I have to get out of this dire situation. I will have to fight for the repair and won't make new friends on the way, so my situation in the building won't improve going forward.

Truth, so far I thought it was my primary mistake to go for a Coop vs a Condo, and that I just wasn't cut out for Coop living, but your story doesn't make Condos look like a safe haven either.
I am glad you were able to defend yourself and fight for your rights.

I will have to get rid of everything once I sell the apt because I won't make another attempt to have a home in NYC.
Shipping stuff to Europe is too difficult (e.g. electrical appliances won't work in EU, things can't contain wood, and other regulations)
I have been told before that NYC is tough and not for dreamers, but it took a while for me to believe it:)

I have gone through some horrendous situations with the manager of my building I didn't describe here. There were no witnesses present. The board didn't believe me.
I have asked for a board member to accompany the manager for an inspection of my apt, but it was ridiculed and denied.
It is difficult to deal with an abusive situation alone. I am terrified of the manager.

Please send me the contact information of the ex-NYPD detective to se153153 at gmail.

By "taking care of the water leak" I meant consulting an attorney.

Thank you for the very helpful description of how the HPD process works. It is a relief to learn that as a shareholder I could ask them for help as well.
Somehow I feel like it's more official, and the management would (have to) respect them more.

153:
I had a feeling that there was more to the story than you included in your comment.
The coop board and managing agent are in cahoots. The managing agent is a puppet of the board.

The HPD inspectors will come up to your apt. even if you have a doorman. He can't stop the inspector.

If the managing agent has threatened you, go to your local precinct and ask to speak to a detective and file a harrassment complaint against the M.A. Do this before any litigation, as it is a criminal complaint. (Litigation will be a "Civil Court" matter.)
Everything by e-mail only for your communications with him. No phone calls. Carry your cell-phone and keep it on camera setting as you go into and out of your apt and the building.
Carry a small tape recorder and keep it on, same as your cell-phone.

Continue paying your maint. each month. The Warranty of Hab. is only good if the conditions in your apt have forced you to move out and that isn't the case here.

Housing court will give you a court-date, your income will determine their decision about providing a lawyer for free. You should be able to get an attorney through their legal dept. anyway and at least you will have a lawyer. A consultation with Mr. Lamb couldn't hurt. I think housing court will be a faster way to resolve the issue. You really don't have the time for litigation. It's slow and expensive.

As for your furniture and continuing to live in N.Y:
Yes, you are in over your head. When you sell the coop, if you have enough money to rent an apt. for a year in Brooklyn, you will at least get a good year of NYC living (but not perhaps up to your design standards)
It's difficult to sell furniture for anything near its cost to you.
You can donate it to charity for a tax-deduction.

Will e-mail you within an hour.
You will know that it is really me because it will be my real, full name @yahoo.com and I will leave you my phone#.

huntersburg: she needs to get out of there. It's too much to expect her to tough it out.
as I said to NYCNovice, this will never have a happy ending, it will continue until she moves out of the building. How's the edge of Gotham storm surge?

I have met with the attorney recommended by NYCNovice, Mr. Todd Lamb, today.

What a competent, nice and helpful attorney!

He even came to my apartment to look at the problem areas. He laid out all my options for me, and what would be the most efficient way to proceed.
He took his time to explain every little detail to me (since I'm European I am not familiar with how the legal system works here) and answered all my many questions.

He appears very experienced and knowledgable and informed me exactly about how he would proceed if things took a turn in either direction.
At the same time he took care not to raise any unrealistic expectations - regarding time and effort it would take to get the problem areas repaired.
I am quite confident, though, that even a letter by T. Lamb to my M.A. (he gave me a preview of what he would write) might already lead to results.

He also laid out exactly what my expenses would be in various scenarios, and even how he would prevent the management from dragging out the matter in a way that could become costly for me.
His initial consultation was free.
Also, communication with Mr. Lamb works like a breeze - I've been in touch with him via e-mail from abroad before my return to NYC, and he responded to my e-mails the same day, which I find very valuable.

I have faith in Mr. Lamb and feel very relieved and confident going forward.
Normally I try to avoid dealing with lawyers whenever possible, but this was by far the best legal consultation I have ever received.
I have been in touch with an attorney in this matter before, so I can tell the difference.

Thanks again, NYCNovice, for recommending Mr. Lamb to me.

And for everybody out there who might need the assistance of an excellent attorney, I would like to pass on the recommendation:
http://toddvlamb.com/

T. Lamb's areas of practice include
LANDLORD-TENANT DISPUTES
COOPERATIVE AND CONDOMINIUM DISPUTES
CONTRACT DISPUTES
CONSTRUCTION DISPUTES
REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Very Good. That is what I would expect from a good lawyer. See, justice doesn't have to be very expensive all the time.

153, I certainly wish you all the best but do be careful talking about your legal matters on a public comment board. One of your antagonists at the building might be reading this as well, you know. Again, best of luck & perhaps AFTER this is completely resolved you could let us know how you fared.

thanks, vic64, drdrd.
will report what happened once it's over.

A point to the forces of good!

Keep us posted...

ali

153, I think you are sincere and I truly feely sorry for you. The problem is that the people in the coop, the board, and probably everyone in the building - all all typical New York assholes who think only of themselves. I bought a coop recently and had a similar experience, but afer getting nothing but insults and innuendos from Cuntersbug, truth and front porch, I realized that I needed to sell and get out of town. At that point, I could care less that I was selling an apartment with serious issues to an ignorant New York asshole who was impressed that I designed and decorated the apartment in such a way that no one could even remotely imagine that there could be serious issues (a seriously leaky terrace). I sold it at a HUGE profit and came back to my beloved San Francisco, where people are civil and where condominiums (condominia for cuntersburg) are the norm. Only a moron would buy into a coop and experience what you went through. New York is a sewer. PERIOD.

Riccardo, when you first came to this board, you were looking in 300 West 23rd and London Terrace, and I pointed out that my firm has been working in Chelsea for 20 years, and offered to help.

But when did I insult you ever? And whatever on earth would be my motivation for doing that?

smh

ali r.
DG Neary Realty

Buh-bye!

ali: You and I never insulted him.
He got a rude welcome to se from others.
They e-mailed him and claimed that they were really me and that my real name is "Jennifer".
Although my e-mail address has my real name, it took a while to explain to him that
I use only one e-mail address and he was receiving and sending e-mails to me at that e-mail address.

Who knows if they are still e-mailing him, claiming to be us or claiming that we post comments here under
other noms de se.

Best to move on, ali. We tried to be helpful.

>Riccardo, when you first came to this board, you were looking in 300 West 23rd and London Terrace, and I pointed out that my firm has been working in Chelsea for 20 years, and offered to help.
>But when did I insult you ever? And whatever on earth would be my motivation for doing that?

Not sure why you'd ask that question. Isn't it clear by the rest of his story that he's a nutcase or some version of caonima/petrfitz/JimHones?

>ali: You and I never insulted him.
He got a rude welcome to se from others.
They e-mailed him and claimed that they were really me and that my real name is "Jennifer".
Although my e-mail address has my real name, it took a while to explain to him that
I use only one e-mail address and he was receiving and sending e-mails to me at that e-mail address.

Not sure why you'd think any of that has any relevance. He's a fictional nut. You and Ali were drawn in by his fiction, lick your wounds if you feel you have them and then move on.

huntersburg:
I don't feel wounded.
I moved on long ago.
Stop talking about licking!

Riccardo - trashing your buyer and admitting to hiding a problem with the unit isn't great fact pattern if you ever get sued over the deal...

Nevermind, Freebird. huntersburg may be right.

I invited Riccardo to sing at a Phil Lesh and Friends concert because he told me he was an opera singer.
Phil is coming to town now and either Riccardo would show up and sing opera (Phil got a kick out of the idea)
or he wouldn't show up.
Whatever.

At least 153 is for real.

Proceed with discussion.

No limo?

A limo in Columbia County sounds nice. How many actual horse power?

Truth, he's for real, but something went wrong. Started out gushing about NY, and then swung to throwing c-word around, fibbing, etc. His SF condo is off the market, and nothing bought here. The opera bit jibes with something on google about the SF opera and wigs being flushed down a toilet.

Also on google is stuff about chronic pain and OxyContin, so let's chalk the volatility up to that.

Sue the Board

Holy shit! I've been away from this place far too long. So much missed intrigue!

>and then swung to throwing c-word around, fibbing, etc.

It takes a real solid man to throw around the "c-word".
Who else uses the "c-word" frequently?
Jim?
Columbia?
w67?

all solid citizens.

NWT:
Good fact-finding, as always. Thanks.

Too bad, I would have liked to see and hear him singing with Phil&Friends.

Wigs being flushed down a toilet?!
That's kinda rock&roll! ;)

Truth, Riccardo is a nutcase, and you are still talking about him with enjoyment.

lucille: Can I interest you in an opera-singing gig with Phil&Friends?
I was thinking a nice operatic version of Cumberland Blues, Scarlet Begonias, or whatever you feel like
singing. Phil has tasty Italian opera music charts ready to go for the standards.

(Another kind of chart. Fun, not friggin')

huntersburg: I do like opera and those talented enough to sing opera.

The wig-flushing is kinda rock&roller.

Keith Moon used to crazy glue the hotel room toilet-seat closed (and the phone receiver to the phone
amongst other things).

Moon also stocked-up on fireworks down South on the first Who tour and blew up a toilet with them.
That's the only thing I know of that got thrown down the toilet.

See the book: "RoadWork" by Tom Wright.

Now I get it. Truth and Cuntersburg are one in the same: Barbara, a desperate fag hag who can't get laid in the real world, so goes on SE and pretends to be some impressario. Phil Lesh? Who the hell is he? Some over the hill queen? And to set the record straight, yes, I flushed wigs down the toilet so I could sport my gorgeous, white blond spikey do!!!! I was the prima donna assoluta!!!!! You guys are too dumb to know what that is, but that's OK.

Jesus loves all you nut cases

truth, i have a terrible singing voice, i could never sing in front of people. only alone in the shower or car.

"I was the prima donna assoluta!!!!! You guys are too dumb to know what that is, but that's OK."

It's Italiano for "absolute first lady."

Hi, Mrs. Obama!

NWT: Confirmed.

Riccardo65, if I remember correctly, so many people were kind and offered you great advice and suggestions. I'm sorry you had a bad experience in NYC. Best wishes!

Wow - this thread took a strange turn. There is that saying that everyone should live in SF, but leave before they get too soft, and everyone should live in NYC, but leave before they get too hard. I am guessing Riccardo stayed in SF too long and was not remotely prepared for NYC.

153 - So glad you have found representation with which you feel comfortable. Nothing beats having a great lawyer at your side, but do heed drdrd advice - under no circumstances should you discuss any communications you have with your attorney lest you waive attorney-client privilege. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.

NYCNovice: I've encountered far worse on se.

153 is going to be O.K. She's getting the hang of it all.

Remember that dude from Chicago that would turn ever thread into a pro-Chicago / anti-NYC rant? He was eventually revealed to be a disgruntled Columbia b-school reject. Was his name Rufus?

that was rufus?
He was pissed off at NYC because he didn't make the grade at Columbia?1

Yes - here's the thread. Amazing detective work!

http://streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/discussion/8131-rufus-mystery-solved

Riversider / Cracker Boy!

Riversider: ignore.
That's how we can continue civil discussions here.

It's Friday night and I'm going out.
Maybe we should put security on guard at the door of this discussion thread?

I nominate "BigPapi".

how much are you paying the baby sitter?

columbiacounty, have you gone that low that you think you'd be allowed to babysit children again?

Good job, BigPapi. Thanks.

huntersburg is here to control the troll.

Riccardo65, while I don't intend to sell before the leak got fixed, which will keep me here for some more months, I can certainly relate to your Coop frustration and how one's love for NYC in general can suffer along the way. It has become a dread for me to come to NYC now, and I just want to leave. Even if it means selling on a loss. There are people with good Coop experiences out there, so this seems to exist as well. But the proposed advantages of the system are not convincing to me. It's not like there's anarchy reigning everywhere else. It is always rather an exception that people don't respect each other or don't pay their bills, and from what I've heard, it happens in Coops as well.

Riccardo65 and 153 about 80% of the buildings owner are co ops with the remainder being condos. I don't know what happened to the two of you that made you so bitter and especially Riccardo against New Yorkers but I can tell you that I believe most owners who live in co op buildings are very happy. If they weren't they would have moved out like you. Real estate prices would have plummeted by now. I believe most co op owners are happy with their building. You two just had the misfortune of living in buildings not suitable for you.

lovetocook:
Let's review:

153 is having a bad experience with the managing agent and board of her co-op. She's not bitter just frustrated and unhappy it didn't work out. Now she just wants the needed repairs to finally be made so she can sell her coop.

The other never actually bought a coop. See: NWT comment above. Scroll up a bit.

Riccardo65 was interested in a specific unit in a co-op that he just had to have (by his own admission). A lot of people suggested that he rent and try various neighborhoods before committing to a particular place/block/building. Additionally, based on the information that he shared, people suggested that he may be a less than ideal buyer for a co-op given his lack of income.

The unit in question went into contract in mid-October, however, it was relisted last week. Just guessing here, but perhaps this could explain Riccardo65's sudden change of heart / attitude.

Nope. NWT explained that, in his comment.

It's great to see all the voices here encouraging 153, one of the more feisty discussion boards I've come across. Applause to all who are positive. I'm fighting a corrupt coop board and representing the case myself since I can't afford a lawyer at all. A few things I've learned. If you are a coop owner, you have to derive your knowledge from Corporate law and not act like a renter (you own shares, but strangely your apt, is "leased" out to you). NEVER stop paying your maintenance - you lose your rights to act or interact as a shareholder and therefore any and all claims can be booted out. Don't be a defaulter. Don't have a laissez faire attitude towards your annual shareholder meetings. Your indifference makes the corruption possible. Understand and know your by-laws - do they state that they are responsible for apt. repairs or only structural repairs, etc. Any litigation against a coop board has to begin as a commercial case (i.e. you are part of a corporation). 153 I'm sorry to hear of your troubles, and yes it can be a bit disempowering to be a foreigner dealing with such problems. Vic - most of the coops in NYC resort to tactics worse than third world dictatorships. USA, especially, this city is not above corruption and greed. There's my struggle - fighting a board that held elections illegally, intimidates any shareholder who dare ask a question at the meeting to downright harassment of senior citizens in the building. Since I have started my Supreme court case, they're behaving themselves and keeping low. Also, I have a major newspaper poised to pick up a story if any of you have experiences (which you can support with evidence) with corruption. Feel free to reach out to me at garganator@yahoo.com. It can be a more meaningful expose if we approach this story as a community.

Hi, 153. I wondered if you've seen any new developments with your situation? I am/have-been facing a nearly identical situation for the past 4 years. Appreciate your thoughts...

Withhold your maintenance and use those funds to compensate for any losses that occurred due to the leak. That should get there attention. Be sure to keep all correspondence with dates etc. as proof if legal actions arise. Check with a lawyer first, but I wouldn't give it a second thought if it was my apt.