Bessie's Profile
- 1987
- Brooklyn
- Park Slope
- Co-op
- Architect
- Female
Author's Posts
June 26, 2008
Real Estate Tax
I just got the real estate tax bill for my store. There's an increase of over 75% from last year, not that last year was cheap. I think they are over-valuing the property. Does anyone have a suggestion for handling this through the Department of Finance? Anyone done this who would be willing to share their timetable and outcome?
Renting a Store
Who is the best broker in Park Slope to use for renting a storefront? I'm letting my tenants out of their lease at the end of the month and I'd like to get someone else in their as soon as possible.
May 16, 2008
Park Slope Open House Tour
PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN, MAY 18 From noon to 5 p.m., guests can tour nine houses, the Montauk Club and the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, which is in an 1881 mansion. Houses include an 1889 Romanesque Revival home with carved woodwork, stained glass and original tapestry wall fabric; an 1867 row house; and an 1881 Neo-Greco house decorated with the owners’ collections of Asian artifacts and textiles, as well as a collection of neckties from the 1920s to the 1950s. No children under 10. Tickets, $25, at the Berkeley Carroll School, 181 Lincoln Place (between Seventh and Eighth Avenues). Advance tickets, $20. Information: (718) 832-8227 and parkslopeciviccouncil.org.
April 14, 2008
Thin Wood Strips
The wood floor in my living room has seen better days. In many places it seems thinner than paper matches and much more brittle. I did some research and it looks like its narrow 1" strips may have been purchased in rolled sheets backed with felt. The floor doesn't have any continuous areas wider than 4' of the 1" wood. These wide bands are separated by a feature strip of darker wood that appears to be in excellent condition. I gather that someone has refinished the floor before because the numerous nail heads appear to have been well sanded. Does anyone know where I might find a similar replacement floor?
March 18, 2008
DEP Damage
I'm looking for tips on what we should do. After I called 311 about a fire hydrant outside my house leaking into my basement and creating a sink hole in my side yard, they came out and repaired the hydrant and told me they'd be back to fix the sidewalk they broke up and refill my sideyard with dirt. They haven't been back. Today I called 311 again and found that their records show that DEP has closed the case and plans no further work. Well I still have the sink hole and the busted up sidewalk. Now the City tells me that I can either file another complaint with 311 who will send out DOT who will perform the work and then bill me and then I can seek reimbursement from the City by filing a claim with the Comptroller or I can have the work performed and file for a claim. It all seems so, so, wrong. The City's workers can just make a mess of things, write it in their reports and walk away and the homeowner has to fix it and file a claim? I'm not so keen about having DoT inspect and make the repair because a lot of the sidewalk is the original bluestone, warts and all and we don't have the money to redo it now. Suggestions? Advice?
February 5, 2008
Sports Fans
I just watched sports fans trying to view the Giants parade ruin, completely ruin 8 cars (the only ones parked within my range of view). First about 6 people stomped in the roof and windshield of a cab, broke into the vehicle, and pocketed all the paperwork. Then they went back up on the roof and jumped up and down a bunch more. The roofs of the other 7 cars were similarly caved. A City van had its windshield smashed with someone's heels and then 12 people tried to turn it over. Another car has it's tires slit. People removed rear view mirrors from several of the vehicles. The police, who were about 30 feet away and in great numbers didn't do anything at all for a full 25 minutes. Not sure if the pic will come out.
I hate sports fans. I say leave them in New Jersey..
January 31, 2008
Gavin Young Maloney
I like the photos shown on his ad. Has anyone out there worked with him? I'm looking for someone to do non-major construction replicating missing portion of some historic details and rehabilitating some salvaged architectural millwork.
Author's Comments
And I see now in news reports that the police say that they made only 9 arrests for "minor incidents." As a rough estimate, I'd say the damage I saw was at least $80K and that was only in a < 1/2 bock area.
Posted by: Bessie at February 5, 2008 6:02 PM in response to Sports Fans
That is such a nice looking building. I've always admired it.
Posted by: Bessie at February 6, 2008 12:24 PM in response to Update on the 166 Montague Street Conversion
Further clarification. The flooring was probably installed within a few years of original construction. Around 1875-1880. Our neighbors have all the same trim as us but their flooring is the wide plank sub-floor. Any leads are greatly appreciated!
Posted by: Bessie at April 14, 2008 1:24 PM in response to Thin Wood Strips
Baluchis is a small chain. I've never found the food that impressive. They do a fairly good job at decor, though.
I have found the food at Star of India on 5th Ave. to be fairly authentic and tasty, though I think it's Pakistani owned. I never see many people in the place and have always wondered why...
Posted by: Bessie at April 14, 2008 3:08 PM in response to StreetLevel: Slope Baluchi's Still in the Works
My thoughts exactly so I thought I'd just post this info from the NYTimes and not make an issue. It's been such a great tour in past year's...
Posted by: Bessie at May 16, 2008 5:49 PM in response to Park Slope Open House Tour
I'm holding two month's rent from them and won't return any of those money's to them unless I have a tenant. I'd love to have them pay even more rent but they have been such a pain that I think it worth my peace of mind to let them go now.
Have you advertised in the commercial section of The Times lately? There are so few ads that I don't feel it's as much as a "go to" place for commercial. But I don't know where else to go, either.
Posted by: Bessie at June 27, 2008 12:05 PM in response to Renting a Store
Just get the language down exactly like they requested and type it up and post in a frame. They seem to like aluminum frames but I got away one place with some plastic ones from a 99 cent store.
I got a similar letter. Mine wasn't a free offer - it sounded more like half off or so. Having had actual inspectors come in, I would be hestitant to do this if you don't have to.
Posted by: Bessie at July 16, 2008 5:19 PM in response to HPD Self Certified Violations
Concertina wire. Illegal for use in NYC but seen in all the finest spots. I especially like the way it looks when a bunch of plastic litter gets caught in the razors.
Posted by: Bessie at July 17, 2008 2:56 PM in response to Security Fencing - Whats Best, Whats Cheapest, Suggestions?
I've heard bood meal sprinkled on the ground and plants and wetted a bit will keep squirrels away. Maybe it will work for cats.
Posted by: Bessie at July 18, 2008 5:07 PM in response to Wood fence
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
Double check the letter from HPD. I've never heard of certifying violations w/out a fee being involved. It's usually $300 for an inspection - HPD will generally not remove any violation w/out the inspection.
HPD has sent these notices out to all property owners w/ violations on record. In many instances the violations were previously corrected & HPD failed to properly record them as such. This is just a revenue generating scheme for the city. I rec'd a notice re a violation for not having a C of O. Was told by HPD that the bldg must be inspected even though i have the C of O certified & signed by the DOB in 1975!
owner12 - you should be able to get the signs at your local hardware store.
StuyMom - i strongly suggest you do not have an inspection while your renovations are in progress. the inspectors have been known to look for new violations while clearing old ones. just send in the required paperwork by the deadline & postpone indefinitely or not be home for any scheduled inspections.
Posted by: BK Slumlord at July 16, 2008 8:38 PM in response to HPD Self Certified Violations
Try a local real estate managment company - or the super of an apt building they may be able to help you out with the signage you need or point you in the right direction.
Posted by: couldashouldawoulda at July 16, 2008 9:33 PM in response to HPD Self Certified Violations
We got the notice last fall. If you certify the repair, have it notarized, and submit everything on time, they really do remove the 20-yr old violation, or at least they did for us. They didn't come out and inspect.
Unfortunately they only give you a week to correct the one type of violation (i.e. Boiler room notice) - we received the notice after the deadline had passed, had it notarized immediately, sent it in with a letter, and they still didn't accept it.
It does have to have the yellow copy included in the package for it to qualify for the no-fee program. New violations aren't included.
Posted by: Heatherie at July 17, 2008 4:02 PM in response to HPD Self Certified Violations
If you're not pressed for time, which I imagine you are, a chain link fence covered in climbing roses. Nature's razor wire.
Posted by: Steve at July 18, 2008 12:40 AM in response to Security Fencing - Whats Best, Whats Cheapest, Suggestions?
hey, you're the guy moving into my neighborhood right? i don't think of the neighborhood as 'high crime'; it's not Park Ave but it's generally a nice neighborhood. i'd be more concerned about the security of your windows and doors. if somebody wants to break in, the fence is not gonna be the thing that stops them. chain link can be cut, wood fences can be broken ... and i gotta say, razor wire doesn't send a very nice message to your neighbors! :)
Posted by: Jimmy Legs at July 18, 2008 10:38 AM in response to Security Fencing - Whats Best, Whats Cheapest, Suggestions?
OP here.
to answer above, my cover page gave me Until Sept 1 to clear these
thanks everyone for your advice/ experience. I am wondering if anyone has gone through this process and had it backfire ( i.e. an inspector came out and found a bunch of NEW violations). I just found out some of the backfiling will cost me $3k and some of the work around $2K. Having just finished a major renovation and received a new C/O I am tempted to not address these issues until a later date or sale ( at least 8-10 years away) and pay the fee for the clearing of the violations then( all are class A and B so the penalty woud not be huge). Thoughts? Advice?
FYI, I bought the building with owner financing and then refi through a bank with no issue.... I am wondering whether these HPD violations would block a sale or prevent financing.
Posted by: owner12 at July 18, 2008 11:27 AM in response to HPD Self Certified Violations
Razor wire is not just illegal and not neighborly, it could present a potential liability issue.
Razor wire can cause serious injuries, hence its deterrent value. On the off chance you actually catch someone with it, you could get sued.
If you're worried about the security of your back yard, think high visibility instead of privacy. If all the other neighbors can see what people are doing in your yard through your chain link, then there is no value to going into your yard. If your backyard is secluded, then it becomes valuable to kids seeking privacy and criminals as well.
If you decide you can't live with a fishbowl yard, then put in lights on motion sensors.
Posted by: vanburenproud at July 18, 2008 9:58 PM in response to Security Fencing - Whats Best, Whats Cheapest, Suggestions?
For a more long term, and possibly unhelpful (?) solution, you could contact one of the city's Trap-Neuter-Release programs. They will trap the cats, get them fixed, and help stop the population from growing. I'm assuming it isn't your neighbors' cats, but feral ones.
Posted by: mshook at July 19, 2008 7:53 AM in response to Wood fence
We deal with the same issue except we have been taming them, getting them to the vet to be fixed and releasing them. There is a large feral cat colony on the block and they have numerous feed stations as a lot of people are kind to them here. I see almost no mice, never a rat. they tend to stay close to where they are fed so we have a group that for the most part stays in the yard, but it's never 100%. They're still feral. But better by far than rats.
When I lived on Schermerhorn there was a cat colony for years and then as 96 got built and the units sold, someone complained and CACC took the cats away. within 2 years we had a serious serious rat problem. Not one or two- literally dozens- maybe more. You could walk by garbage left out for sanitation and a veritable carpet of rats would run out and hide.
wood fencing with the long upright staves with pointed tops(is that the right term?) seems to discourage them from climbing- not totally, but i did notice that when the neighbor behind us put up their fence the cats don't like walking across it. I think Home depot might have it.
Posted by: bxgrl at July 19, 2008 10:44 AM in response to Wood fence
Cats seem fairly undeterred by our wood fence, but I have been using "Repels-All" which has helped keep them using our garden as a litter box (although it's not perfect).
Posted by: Back40 at July 19, 2008 9:21 PM in response to Wood fence
Minimalist storefront? Looks more like a methadone clinic. The interior is great, though.
Posted by: Bessie at January 31, 2008 4:06 PM in response to StreetLevel: Weather Up on Vanderbilt