JH's Profile
Author's Posts
April 1, 2008
Repairing or Replacing Window Screens
We recently bought a Victorian house in a historically protected neighborhood. The screens are a mess. If possible, we'd like to have them repaired or replaced, rather than replacing the whole windows (which would be much more expensive and require landmarks commission approval). The screens are probably from the early 1960s, and have aluminum frames. Does anyone know where I could have this done?
November 7, 2007
A Tree Dies In Brooklyn
One of the trees in my backyard is dying, and I need to find someone who can cut it down. Can anyone recommend a company that does this type of work?
November 6, 2007
Do Not Hire D&D Plumbing!
I was referred to this company by the person who installed a window with a vent for a new dryer in my basement. D&D was supposed to insall a gas line. When I asked "Mike" for some idea of how much it would cost me, he went ballistic and told me if I wanted a bargain, to hire someone else, and that he was only doing this as a favor to the window guy. His reaction to what I thought was a reasonable question for a customer to ask was truly bizarre. Needless to say, we are now looking for another plumber to insall the gas line. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
September 27, 2007
tankless hot water heaters
Has anyone installed a tankless hot water heater in their home? Are you happy with it? In your opinion, what are the relative virtues and drawbacks of tankless vs. traditional hot water heaters?
Author's Comments
I am a lawyer. OP, please proceed with caution. A landlord is never entitled to engage in self-help, i.e., putting someone's belongings on the street and changing the locks. Only a marshall can do this, and only pursuant to a court order. If you simply "throw the smoochers out on their ass," as quest has advised, you would be breaking the law.
Posted by: JH at September 27, 2007 10:16 AM in response to RENTERS
It's a little complicated, I guess. They don't have a legal right to be there, but that has to be determined by the housing court. Once someone is living in the premises, you don't have the right to kick them out without following the proper eviction procedures.
Posted by: JH at September 27, 2007 1:59 PM in response to RENTERS
Wait, aren't you 12:54?
Anyway, yes, as I said, they have no legal right to be there, and the court would certainly find in your favor and evict them. However, you can't just call the police and have them thrown out. Think about it: what if you were my tenant, and I didn't like your taste in music, so I called the police and said, "quest is a squatter, throw him out!" What would the police do? The police can't make this judgment. Only a court can. Do you understand now?
Posted by: JH at September 27, 2007 3:30 PM in response to RENTERS
I don't know if this will help, but I just moved from a small but densely furnished 2 br apt in the East Village (3rd floor, with a tiny elevator) to a single family house in Prospect Park South. Because our place was so small, we couldn't do the packing ourselves (nowhere to put boxes) so we hired FlatRate, and got the deluxe package, where they pack everything up and move it. It took 4 guys about 8 hrs, and it cost about $2400.
Posted by: JH at September 28, 2007 10:49 AM in response to Are these Movers Ripping me Off?
Before you demo, are there any original details left in the houses that I might scavenge? Are the interior doors original?
Posted by: JH at January 22, 2008 12:09 PM in response to asbestos removal
Thanks for your input, everyone. We are considering all of our options, including getting new storms & screens, rescreening by our local hardware store (Almac at Newkirk Plaza was recommended by a neighbor for this), and now doing it ourselves - I googled it and it really doesn't look that difficult. We'll do an inventory this weekend to see just what kind of shape everything is in.
Posted by: JH at April 2, 2008 9:59 AM in response to Repairing or Replacing Window Screens
We had the exact same experience as 6:28. Heimer's contract expressly says that you're not allowed to talk to the inspector while he's doing the inspection. We chose them based on a post on this site that said the inspector walked them through the inspection and gave them helpful information about how things in the house worked and how they should be maintained, so we were very surprised and disappointed by our inspector's refusal to speak to us.
Posted by: JH at May 30, 2008 12:11 PM in response to home inspection?
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
the side note is that your tenant is responsible for all of this, and you can sue him for the money.
If the tenant throws them out and changes the locks, that isnt your problem.
Posted by: slick at September 28, 2007 3:41 AM in response to RENTERS
Please note that the landlord is not the one throwing them out the tennant is.
Posted by: guest at September 28, 2007 5:05 AM in response to RENTERS
If you've not used a moving company before, keep in mind that the guys who come to do the job don't get much of the money you spend unless it is a small outfit and they own the business. The movers really rely on tips so factor this in the price for good service.
Posted by: 1910 at September 28, 2007 10:54 AM in response to Are these Movers Ripping me Off?
I can't believe people still use the term Hipster.
It's ridiculous.
Posted by: guest at September 28, 2007 11:03 AM in response to Are these Movers Ripping me Off?
After you get a couple of quotes from reputable outfits, pick the one you like and try to negotiate, possibly varying the day of your move. Don't pick the first, middle or last day of the month when all of the renters are moving in and out. My experience is that they'll all try to match the best rate you've found if they have extra capacity on a particular day, to keep their crews working.
Posted by: guest at September 28, 2007 11:18 AM in response to Are these Movers Ripping me Off?
I have always used, and recommended, Moving Your Way based in Park Slope. Reasonable rates, etc. Just be sure to ask to have mattresses/upholstery wrapped. I think some crews are more careful than others - can't beat the price!
Posted by: shasla at September 28, 2007 11:40 AM in response to Are these Movers Ripping me Off?
A lot of these companies are very very nice on the phone. They sound as though they're professional and courteous, and that you, as their customer, are in great hands. They're full of shit. When they send the scam artists, er, movers, to your house, they're done with you. Try calling in the middle of the move to ask a question and they'll get really aggressive. Go with an insured, reliable, well-established company; not one of these fly-by-night hack-jobs.
Posted by: guest at September 28, 2007 12:56 PM in response to Are these Movers Ripping me Off?
We used Flatrate, but I wouldn't recommend them. They were fast, cheap and relatively cheerful, but they were kinda rough with our things and didn't put boxes in the rooms we labeled them with. Left some scratches in the floor when they put down the bed, broken case of wineglasses (granted, I packed them, but I used the same method I've used for 3 or 4 other moves and never had a problem). So, no tip.
I'm not a particularly anal person about these things but it was the first time I actually used a commercial mover. I always just hired guys from street flyers and helped them with the move.
Posted by: guest at September 29, 2007 1:30 PM in response to Are these Movers Ripping me Off?
Ya know, yeah, yeah, yeah, we all understand the law and why the landlord can't just kick this douche/squatter to the curb, but can somebody here please acknowledge that in this case he SHOULD be able to? Stupid. Git out of my house, loser. I mean, please.
Posted by: Rehab at September 29, 2007 11:13 PM in response to RENTERS
The person who signed the lease is your tenant, and remains responsible for paying rent in accordance with the lease despite his decision to sublet or to move out. The sublessors have no legal right to occupy the apt. Now for the bad news: in order to enforce your rights, you will probably have to go to court. You can sue the tenant for the rent he owes, and you can file a motion to evict the sublessors. You should be aware that if you accept rent from the sublessors, you may be creating a legal tenancy. Therefore, it is in your best interest in the long term to reject any checks you receive from them, and to demand that the tenant pay the rent. Good luck.
Posted by: JH at September 27, 2007 9:54 AM in response to RENTERS