Leak in Condo, What To Do?


I own a top floor condo unit that is rented out. Recently , some heavy windy rains have caused water to penetrate into the unit from the ceiling causing damage to my tenant’s property. The managing agent has been unresponsive to my calls for two weeks. Any thoughts about my next steps. Do I have to hire an attorney?

Categories: Legal
By ez | 12/28/2009 11:08 AM | Comment

Not Fair & Need Sleep


I own a townhouse which has a 3 family C of O. from the buildings dept. The Dept. of Finance mistakenly has it listed as a 4 family for tax purposes making it a class 2 property. OK, so now I pay about $7400 a year in taxes. My neighbor next door whose building is an identical 3 family with similar market value according to the city, pays $4700. In addition, he has a transitional assessed value of approx 28,000 compared to my taxable value of around 55,000. Why? In addition , the interiors of his building is nicer and would probably sell for more.
With a guaranteed increase every year of 8 percent, I will get choked out of my building in a few years with an out of control tax bill and unfairly so since I am legally a 3 family.
Has anyone changed their status and not gotten punished by the city for opening up this can of worms. Will the city ever reduce their taxable value of a property when changing the class? Does anyone know a great property tax attorney?
Stuff like this keeps me up at night and I need to sleep!

Categories: Taxes
By ez | 09/15/2009 12:00 PM | Comment

My Plants Are Dead


Last September, I bought two rhododendrons from the Liberty Sunset Garden Center in Red Hook to go in front of my house. Listening to their expert advice, I purchased two huge planters along with organic fertilizer, soil, etc. I watered the plants and tookl loving care of them. OK, so here we are just six months later and both plants are dead. I spent nearly $300 (not to mention the $400 for the planters). I went back to Liberty Sunset Center to ask for an exchange and they wailed and blamed me for the demise of the plants. Of course, in their hysterics they refused to do anything to help me. Does anybody think I deserve a credit towards some new plants or some other remedy?

Categories: Garden
By ez | 04/09/2009 9:31 AM | Comment

301 Cumberland Eyesore


Has anyone noticed the “planters” being built at 301 Cumberland? Though this building is not a townhouse is a pretty nice 1920-30′s apt. building with beautiful stone carvings. I didn’t notice any landmark approval for this eyesore of a job.

Categories: Landmarks
By ez | 06/25/2008 5:18 PM | Comment

throwing the baby out?


I own an investment condo unit which I’m attempting to sell, so far unsucessfully. It’s been empty a while and so I’m losing a lot of money each month. I’ve decided to rent it month to month for much less than the market rental rate. The tenants would have to allow my agent to show the unit and have open houses every other week-end. A nice couple is willing to take it and she is due to give birth in July. The absolutely know the situation; that, when I go into contract they will get sixty days to vacate and they have agreed in writing. Mentioning this to some friends, they think I’m crazy to rent to this couple because of the possibility of their staying on, using the newborn as an excuse. Again, they fully understand they would be moving in month to month. Any thoughts.

Categories: Landlord
By ez | 04/28/2008 10:31 AM | Comment

To Burn or Not To Burn


To my surprise my top floor tenants had a fire going in their fireplace the other night when I went up to check on the amount of heat they were getting (another issue). It was my understanding that the fireplace didn’t work according to the last owner who sold me the building a year ago.
I’m a little afraid of the open fire even though they did have a screen.
Beyond that screen though was a shag rug.
I hardly use my fireplace because of fears that the building could go up.
Any opinions out there on whether one should allow your upstairs tenants use of their fireplaces?

Categories: Fireplace/Mantle
By ez | 02/25/2008 11:48 AM | Comment

Really scary dog


Can anyone offer some advice? Opposite my backyard and separated by a right of way (for utilities) my neighbor has a rotweiler/mixed breed dog. Besides barking incessantly it approaches my backyard fence and scares my 3 year old to the point of him not wanting to play by viciously growling through my fence. The neighbor does not have any kind of fencing thus his/her backyard which should be about six feet apart from mine abuts my property. What can I do?
Is there a law regarding mandating the construction of a fence to keep the dog away and respect the right of way for what it is, no one’s property? Thanks.

Categories: Etiquette
By ez | 02/05/2008 4:47 PM | Comment