Hoarder in Coop–Legal Options?


Slightly complicated legal situation here. My coop still has about 6 sponsor-owned units (out of 25); one is a rent-controlled tenant who long predates the building’s becoming a coop. He is a hoarder and has been a constant problem in terms of odor, bugs, etc. We’ve periodically fined the unit owner and demanded they send in cleaners but the tenant is noncompliant at best. Now he has bed bugs. He has allowed an exterminator in to treat the unit but has not done any of the laundry, mattress encasing, follow-up, etc., that would make the extermination successful, and the hoarding behavior obviously only makes it worse.

I have made a referral to Adult Protective Services and they are trying to get in to assess the apartment, but he refuses them access.

The landlord/sponsor is trying to be helpful, but they’re not the most on-the-ball people either.

What do we do? Can anyone either advise on legal options wrt either tenant or owner/sponsor, or recommend a lawyer?

The owner is obviously in breach of the proprietary lease right now, but the last thing we want is to terminate the proprietary lease and end up as the landlords ourselves in this situation!

Categories: Lawyers
By LLL | 05/19/2011 1:45 PM | Comment

Coop Property Managers


Does anyone have a good recommendation for a management co for a 25-unit coop in Boerum Hill? We’ve been with Goldin Management for several years now and growing increasingly unhappy; most recently, their rapid staff turnover is about to put us on our fourth manager in six months and they’re being…less than helpful or upfront about the situation.

We’ve got a relatively small percentage of actively involved owners and now I feel like we’re spending as much time managing our managers as managing the building.

We need someone who is good with billing and finances, primarily, but also proactive in helping us identify and solve problems as we’re all relatively inexperienced property owners. We’ve also had some serious financial issues this year (due in part to mismanagement by our Goldin rep from 2008-2010).

Categories: Management
By LLL | 05/19/2011 1:06 PM | Comment