Hello all, I am asking this for a friend of mine who lives in a very decent part of Queens. She has lived in the same rental building for about 9 years (the rent she pays is amazing). In the past 2 years or so, the amount of package-theft has gone up GREATLY. It's a large, non-doorman 6-story building. No security cameras exist. There is a single door with buzzer in the lobby which usually remains... [more]
Hello all,
I am asking this for a friend of mine who lives in a very decent part of Queens. She has lived in the same rental building for about 9 years (the rent she pays is amazing). In the past 2 years or so, the amount of package-theft has gone up GREATLY. It's a large, non-doorman 6-story building. No security cameras exist. There is a single door with buzzer in the lobby which usually remains closed, but people often hold it open for each other.
My friend has personally lost many items due to someone (or more than just one) taking their packages that have been left by USPS or by a private courier. She's also talked to others, and she's not alone, many others have had their stuff stolen too. There's often personal notes posted in the lobby explaining that someone's package has been stolen, or asking if anyone has seen their package.
Is there anything that can be done? My friend was thinking of starting a petition with the other tenants to try to get (at the very least) security cameras installed, so as to help dissuade these thefts. Is there anything else you'd suggest? Is there any legal recourse? Can the tenants demand anything of the management/owners? The management has always been HORRIBLE at fixing things or getting anything done. Most individual requests in writing are just ignored.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Response by fieldschester
about 12 years ago
Posts: 3525
Member since: Jul 2013
Has a police report been filed for each of the lost packages as the losses occurred?
How much is the un-recovered (ie not paid by insurance including the carrier's insurance) total cost of the packages?
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Response by columbiacounty
about 12 years ago
Posts: 12708
Member since: Jan 2009
are you the sheriff of greens dale?
or is it hunters burg?
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Response by CR123
about 12 years ago
Posts: 35
Member since: Apr 2013
As far as I know, no official legal actions have been taken or filed.
My friend's personal losses are probably in the area of the $750, I have no idea about the building as a whole.
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Response by fieldschester
about 12 years ago
Posts: 3525
Member since: Jul 2013
Seriously, never even called the police? Yet your "friend" wants someone else to take action?
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Response by columbiacounty
about 12 years ago
Posts: 12708
Member since: Jan 2009
does this stupidity make you tingle?
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Response by matsonjones
about 12 years ago
Posts: 1183
Member since: Feb 2007
Yeah - she should get a local PO Box (or mail forwarding service box) and have all her valuable packages sent there.
She should stop complaining - the rent she pays is "...amazing..." - and by that I assume you mean really super low.
But she wants extra services like security cameras installed and maintained instead.
But she wants to continue paying as little as humanly possible in rent.
But she wants to start a petition to demand that management/owners maintain the building nicely and safely.
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Response by columbiacounty
about 12 years ago
Posts: 12708
Member since: Jan 2009
more tingling.
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Response by fieldschester
about 12 years ago
Posts: 3525
Member since: Jul 2013
matsonjones, it isn't the OP's "friend's" fault this is happening. And the "friend" does have a right to the building being sufficiently maintained and safe. But the first step isn't to ask for more services based on crimes that haven't even made it to the level of police reporting. And your post office box suggestion is thoughtful.
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Response by columbiacounty
about 12 years ago
Posts: 12708
Member since: Jan 2009
bring in some more invisible friends.
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Response by fieldschester
about 12 years ago
Posts: 3525
Member since: Jul 2013
>bring in some more invisible friends.
like some more of all your County pals?
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Response by ANagin
about 12 years ago
Posts: 68
Member since: Dec 2010
The solution is to stop having packages sent to the location.
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Response by caonima
about 12 years ago
Posts: 815
Member since: Apr 2010
send in some poison and let the thief take it
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Response by REMom
about 12 years ago
Posts: 307
Member since: Apr 2009
I agree w/ ANagin. Have packages sent to your office or to a friend with a doorman.
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Response by alanhart
about 12 years ago
Posts: 12397
Member since: Feb 2007
I agree too. It was long customary in NY to have packages sent to one's office instead, or to have an arrangement made with a local shopkeeper (with whom the residents has a friendly rapport) to accept delivery and hold it.
At a minimum, the local postmaster should be notified that the building is not safe for leaving packages. Residents will just get those annoying little slips and go pick the packages up.
Life goes on.
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Response by fieldschester
about 12 years ago
Posts: 3525
Member since: Jul 2013
Are these postal packages? Much bigger deal if those are stolen. Don't mess with postal police. Have your "friend" file a police report.
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Response by cmpizz
about 12 years ago
Posts: 37
Member since: Feb 2013
Perhaps your friend can get a letter signed by all the tenants that are willing stating that you want something done (like security camera) and send it certified mail to the management. I also agree that a police report should be filed and you can make reference to that in the letter as well. This way if the letter goes unanswered, you have a paper trail that shows that management was made aware of the problem. Lastly, you may want to put in the letter that you fear that stolen packages are only the beginning. Someone could get mugged or worse.
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Response by ab_11218
about 12 years ago
Posts: 2017
Member since: May 2009
no doorman = no packages. plain and simple.
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Response by fieldschester
about 12 years ago
Posts: 3525
Member since: Jul 2013
ab is more on target than cmpizz. The certified mail strategy makes the assumption that this is the landlord's problem. It isn't.
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Response by Triple_Zero
about 12 years ago
Posts: 516
Member since: Apr 2012
If the management won't spring for security cameras, they should at least get storage lockers with adjustable combinations. My building has these and they work great; we have five for a building of 27 units. The delivery man puts the item in the box, sets a 4-digit combination, closes and locks it, and then writes the combination on a delivery slip, which goes in the recipient's mail box (which would otherwise be too small to hold the big package).
Unless the thief can get his hands through your tiny postbox opening and steal that slip with the combination on it, everything will work fine.
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Response by ab_11218
about 12 years ago
Posts: 2017
Member since: May 2009
3X0. you sound like an owner or a person who is paying significant amount $$$ for a rental. in queens, there typically aren't slots available on the mail boxes and the landlord of a 100 unit bldg will need 20-30 of those to cover.
when i didn't have a doorman, i did not have packages delivered. it's plain and simple. if someone steals your packages on regular basis and you keep ordering, you're the fool.
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Has a police report been filed for each of the lost packages as the losses occurred?
How much is the un-recovered (ie not paid by insurance including the carrier's insurance) total cost of the packages?
are you the sheriff of greens dale?
or is it hunters burg?
As far as I know, no official legal actions have been taken or filed.
My friend's personal losses are probably in the area of the $750, I have no idea about the building as a whole.
Seriously, never even called the police? Yet your "friend" wants someone else to take action?
does this stupidity make you tingle?
Yeah - she should get a local PO Box (or mail forwarding service box) and have all her valuable packages sent there.
She should stop complaining - the rent she pays is "...amazing..." - and by that I assume you mean really super low.
But she wants extra services like security cameras installed and maintained instead.
But she wants to continue paying as little as humanly possible in rent.
But she wants to start a petition to demand that management/owners maintain the building nicely and safely.
more tingling.
matsonjones, it isn't the OP's "friend's" fault this is happening. And the "friend" does have a right to the building being sufficiently maintained and safe. But the first step isn't to ask for more services based on crimes that haven't even made it to the level of police reporting. And your post office box suggestion is thoughtful.
bring in some more invisible friends.
>bring in some more invisible friends.
like some more of all your County pals?
The solution is to stop having packages sent to the location.
send in some poison and let the thief take it
I agree w/ ANagin. Have packages sent to your office or to a friend with a doorman.
I agree too. It was long customary in NY to have packages sent to one's office instead, or to have an arrangement made with a local shopkeeper (with whom the residents has a friendly rapport) to accept delivery and hold it.
At a minimum, the local postmaster should be notified that the building is not safe for leaving packages. Residents will just get those annoying little slips and go pick the packages up.
Life goes on.
Are these postal packages? Much bigger deal if those are stolen. Don't mess with postal police. Have your "friend" file a police report.
Perhaps your friend can get a letter signed by all the tenants that are willing stating that you want something done (like security camera) and send it certified mail to the management. I also agree that a police report should be filed and you can make reference to that in the letter as well. This way if the letter goes unanswered, you have a paper trail that shows that management was made aware of the problem. Lastly, you may want to put in the letter that you fear that stolen packages are only the beginning. Someone could get mugged or worse.
no doorman = no packages. plain and simple.
ab is more on target than cmpizz. The certified mail strategy makes the assumption that this is the landlord's problem. It isn't.
If the management won't spring for security cameras, they should at least get storage lockers with adjustable combinations. My building has these and they work great; we have five for a building of 27 units. The delivery man puts the item in the box, sets a 4-digit combination, closes and locks it, and then writes the combination on a delivery slip, which goes in the recipient's mail box (which would otherwise be too small to hold the big package).
Unless the thief can get his hands through your tiny postbox opening and steal that slip with the combination on it, everything will work fine.
3X0. you sound like an owner or a person who is paying significant amount $$$ for a rental. in queens, there typically aren't slots available on the mail boxes and the landlord of a 100 unit bldg will need 20-30 of those to cover.
when i didn't have a doorman, i did not have packages delivered. it's plain and simple. if someone steals your packages on regular basis and you keep ordering, you're the fool.