Turtlejam19's Profile
- 2000
- Brooklyn
- Park Slope
- House
- Female
Author's Posts
June 29, 2009
Brooklyn Fireworks
Does anyone know if there will be any July 4th fireworks viewable from locations in Brooklyn?
March 10, 2009
Cabinet recycling
We will soon be replacing the kitchen cabinets in our rental apt. Does anyone know of any service/organization that would reccyle the old wood cabinents? I hate to just throw them out in the trash.
March 4, 2009
Changing plumber on open permit
Does anyone have any experience with changing plumbers on an open permit with the DOB? Basically we have a situation where the plumber who pulled the permit to complete work necessary to obtain a sign-off has turned into a bit of a disaster. He just does not seem to know what he is doing, and causes more problems than he fixes. We actually did not choose to work with him. He was chosen by the previous owner of our house who initially opened the permit, and now we would like to ask a new plumber to finish the job. Can one plumber take over the permit from another at the discretion of the owner? What if the initial plumber objects?
February 6, 2009
Late Rent Notice
I need some advice on an awkward situation that has come up with our current tenants. Over the course of the last 1.5 years our tenants have often paid their rent late. Usually, this is no more than 3 or 4 days, but on occasion it has been over a week late (they do incur a penalty if the rent is more than 7 days late, but this is not what the issue is about.)
We have asked the tenants to let us know on the due date if they will be late with the rent. We live in a two family house and so are paying the typical costs of a residing landlord. Our request for them to give us a heads up is only so that we can make the necessary arrangements to cover the short-term decreased cash flow. However, our tenants feel that they are not obligated to do this given that the lease does not state that they are to communicate with us if the rent will be late. Aside from how we feel about this argument, we have decided to honor their preference and amend the future rental agreement accordingly.
So my question is what kind of clause would you recommend that we include in the lease to ask them to communicate with us on the due date if they will be late. Does anyone have a similar clause in their lease with their tenants/landlords? Or should we take a different angle and enforce stricter late rent penalties to avoid the issue all together? Thanks for any and all advice.
October 16, 2008
Neighbor's extension
We need some advice on a problem that we are having with our neighbor. She recently began work on a one story extension in the back of her house. Unfortunately, the previous owner of our house placed a dryer vent in the side wall of our house adjacent to her property. The new extension will block the dryer vent. Therefore, we are trying to find a solution to either move the dryer vent so that it exhausts abover her extension, or to build the vent into the outer wall of her extension. She says that the dryer vent was placed there illegally, and although she is probably correct, she did not take this up with the previous owner and allowed the vent to be there for the last 5 years. What are the city's regulations for vents or similar placed at the side of row homes? Since our extension/dryer vent was there first do we have any argument to ask her to work around the vent? Or do we have to suck it up and deal with the fact that our dryer will now be useless? Does anyone have any possible alternative solutions?
September 18, 2008
Dunrite Renovations
Has anyone ever worked with Dunrite Renovations? I am considering using them for some siding work. Or if anyone has a recommendation for a contractor who does aluminum siding then I would appreciate it. I just need a small area of siding replaced on the area of wall that extends over my neighbor's house.
Thanks
August 25, 2008
Plumbing roughing
Can anyone tell me what "roughing" is in relation to plumbing? My house, which I purchased last year, has an open permit on it from 2003 which I am trying to resolve. The DOB site says (under the plumbing inspection info) "first floor rear roughing OK, basement roughin OK" but I don't understand what this means. Any adive would be appreciated.
August 19, 2008
Permit sign-off and C of O
Last year my husband and I bought a house that still has an open permit on it for work that was begun in 2003. At closing we signed a contract with the seller stating that they would finish the work and complete the inspections in order to obtain the sign-off within 3 months. Some funds were put into escrow to ensure that they did this. Unfortunately, a year plus later they have not and so according to the contract the escrow money should now be released to us so that we can complete the work. The seller has agreed to handover the escrow money, but on the condition that we release them from any liability relating to the C of O or the legal usage of the property. The house was built circa 1899 and so (to the best of my knowledge)does not have a C of O, but is noted as a 2 family dwelling in the finance records on the DOB site. Does this raise any alarm bells to anyone? On one hand, we want the issue resolved with the permit so that we can move forward and will have no problems selling in the futre. But on the other hand I'm worried that trouble is lurking around the corner with this C of O thing. Can anyone offer any advice on how to best proceed? Should I go to the DOB to ask them if there is any problem with the legal usage of the building before deciding to take their offer?
June 9, 2008
Open work permit
My husband and I purchased a house on 14th Street one year ago which has an open permit for some renovation work don in 2004. We knew about the open permit before closing and so a contract was written up with the previous owner giving them 3 months from closing to do what was necessary to have the permit signed off by the buildings dept. It is now almost a year and the previous owner has made little effort to close the permit. There is money in escrow that is being held in the event that we must do the necessary work to get the permit closed, but the previous owner and their lawyer are dragging their feet. We have spoken with the original architect of record who has given us a list of what needs to be done to complete the work and we are getting an estimate from a contractor for the cost, but once we go to the owner and his lawyer with this my worry is that they will still find reason to delay. Technically, the owner is already in violation of the contract given that the 3 months are up. How can we demand that they hand over the escrow money so that we can do the work? Thanks to anyone who can offer advice on what we can do to expidite the situation?
Author's Comments
OK, next question. Where can I buy my own fireworks?Preferably some of those kick ass smoking snakes.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at June 29, 2009 1:58 PM in response to Brooklyn Fireworks
Ouch! I agree. Its way too much. I also paid only $2,000 2 years ago.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at June 19, 2009 12:15 PM in response to Is Lawyer Fee Reasonable?
Zachgee - In NYC landlords can use the security deposit in lieu of unpaid rent. Check it out - http://www.housingnyc.com/html/guide/basics.html#Security
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at June 15, 2009 12:42 PM in response to Tenant Breaking Lease?
Sorry to hear about that Wasder. That is just bad karma for them - they gonna get theirs one day too.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at May 15, 2009 3:32 PM in response to Open House Picks
The purpose of putting your security deposit in a bank account is so that it earn interest which is transferred to you when you leave. If your lease said that the deposit would be put into an interest accuring bank acount then you have a right to expect a little something extra when you vacate(minus and cost for damages.) Also, your landlord cannot control your comings and goings. If you move out of the apartment two months before the end of the lease, but you still paid the rent for those two months then he/she has no cause for complaint. You are still liable for the final two months - not being physically there is irrelevant. I think that it would be an ideal scenario for any landlord. They get their rent, and have two fully paid months in which to enter the apartment to do repairs. Sounds like your landlord is being unreasonable. On the flip side, I would never let my tenants use their security deposit as rent. Its meant to be held against any damages to the apt. But if your landlord said that you can use it for rent then that is within his/her right to do so. I only mention this because the scenario would be different if he/she told you that you CAN'T use the security for rent.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at May 15, 2009 2:59 PM in response to Do I break my lease if....
How will the DOB find out about the illegal deck or any illegal deck that they can't see from the street for that matter? Unless a neighbor rats you out - of course. Do they monitor the realtor sites looking for violators, or do they have deck sensing equipment in vans that they drive around? :) Just curious really. I don't have one, but would like to know how they find out about this kind of thing.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at May 15, 2009 2:40 PM in response to Open House Picks
I recommend Sessa Plumbing. They've been helping me with a permit sign-off and some shoddy work done by previous plumbers. They are a real professional outfit.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at May 6, 2009 4:11 PM in response to Riddle Me This (Plumbing Questio
I'm having a similar problem with my neighbor. They turned on their central air unit (which sits in the back of their garden) during last weekend's heat wave and the loud noise it produced was incredible. Given that I've never heard it before (its been installed for almost two years) I assumed that the unit needed to be serviced. But when I mentioned the noise to my neighbor he told me that they turned it on for the very first time ever last weekend. If this is what the unit sounds like normally it will become unbearable to be out in our garden this summer. We will deal with our neighbor directly to resolve the issue, but does anyone know how we can test the decible level - just in case? Is there some inexpensive device that you can buy, or do you have to file a complaint with the DEP to get them to come to take the reading? We definitely do not want to go down this route. We like our neighbor and want it to stay that way - but the noise really is beyond tolerable.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at May 4, 2009 12:55 PM in response to Retaliation for DEP Complaint
Hello again. Sorry, I don't know anything about the 2009 vs. 1999 code issue. The main problem with our situation is that the original plummer lost the right to "self-certify" the job according to the DOB. So even though Sessa can usually self-certify, they can't do it on our permit. Therefore, the DOB sends round an inspector every time. If your job has not been designated "cannot self-certify" then this may make things easier for you.
Also, I should mention that the reason why this has taken so long is largely due to the fact that they seller took forever to release the escrow money. Even though the contract said they had 3 months from the closing date, they still took 1 year and 6 months. So we have really only been dealing with the DOB for the last 6 months. Good luck!!
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at April 30, 2009 1:22 PM in response to need rec for DOB savvy plumber
Hello. I am in the exact same situation myself. I recently hired Sessa plumbing to facilitate the sign-off. We are having our hopefully final inspection this week. Sessa is fantastic (they know how to navigate the DOB), but they are expensive. Its worth it to us to be sure the job is done well. But even they cannot say for sure exactly what the DOB will want for the sign-off. The DOB is a total conundrum. So be prepared for this to get very frustrating -and for it to take a while. We bought our house 2 years ago and are still working this out.
Why didn't you get the original owner to put money into escrow to ensure the sign-off? Are they taking any responsibility for it? We had our seller put money into escrow, and when the deadline passed for the sign-off (3 months from closing date) we made them pay it out to us. We are now fully responsible, but at least we have some funds to cover it.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at April 29, 2009 6:30 PM in response to need rec for DOB savvy plumber
Hello again. The issue that I reference above is called "adverse posession." Or something similar. You may find information about it from older posts here.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at April 24, 2009 5:29 PM in response to ISO mason & electric
How long has the extension been there? Its my understanding that if its been there for a long while (10 years or so) and your neighbor never complained about it before then he/she may not be able to force you to remove it. I don't know for sure, and have heard this only through other similar posts on this blog before, but it is worth looking into it. You may at least be able to negotiate with your neighbor to share some of the costs.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at April 24, 2009 12:22 PM in response to ISO mason & electric
Was there any lease document even one held at the beginning of the tenancy that then went month to month after the intial period? If so, did it require 30 days notice of departure?
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at April 16, 2009 6:29 PM in response to Deposit on M-t-M Tenancy
I have a large stack of Cambridge paving stones left over from our patio. Am in southslope/Gowanus area. We have a variety of sizes, but all are a brownish/greyish color. You can see them at http://www.cambridgepavers.com/cfiles/dgallery.cfm?gtype=pp
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at April 13, 2009 11:58 AM in response to Used Bricks in Gowanus/Prk Slope
I recently purchased a quartz countertop using the IKEA recommended company, Marviks (or something similar) and was very impressed with the service from start to finish. It is convenient to do it in one shot and they have a wide selection to choose from. Also, given that the recommended company fabricates the counterop themselves it is just like using an independent company anyway, except that you don't have the hassle of independently finding a company, choosing a countertop and having it installed. We got out countertop 8 days after the template was taken and about 2 weeks after the inital purchase. Easy peasy.
Also, if you use a debit card at IKEA to pay for the cabinets and countertop you get a coupon for 3% of the total purchase back. For me that was well over $100 which ended up paying for a very nice swanky faucet to go with my new cabinets and countertop. Lastly, I would swing the extra $175 for the IKEA kitchen designer. I didn't and ended up with a drawer that won't open because it hits the ovendoor handle. The designer would have caught this for me. Darn it!
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at April 8, 2009 3:05 PM in response to Ikea Countertops?
Congratulations! You should know that your success has even reached Britain. My father-in-law was telling my husband recently about a book that he is reading about social-marketing and blogs. He told my husband about this one blog "in Brooklyn" that was doing a lot for community-networking. My husband then told him about Brownstoner to which he replied "thats the one." My husband can't remember the name of the book, but I can find out if you want.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at April 2, 2009 12:24 PM in response to Brownstoner Monthly Traffic Tops 1.5 Million Pageviews
HI DIB, did they build that wooden flower box on your terrase as well? That is exactly what we want to add to our back garden, but at ground level. Gorgeous garden!
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at March 12, 2009 12:05 PM in response to Fence
Thanks for the info on Build it Green.
HI Slopefarm. We are definitely putting in IKEA cabinets. Why pay more when they look so nice? I'm picking them up on Friday cause they told me that they are starting a 10% off sale that day. Cool beans.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at March 10, 2009 5:12 PM in response to Cabinet recycling
How funny! I also live on 14th Street, just rented an apartment to new tenats, and am planning on having the floors refinished before they move in. Thanks for posting this and welcome to 14th Street.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at March 9, 2009 1:05 PM in response to Good, cheap floor guy in slope?
Two years ago the asking price on our house was 1.275. We offered 1.150 and got it. If I did it all over again I would definitely ask the seller to pay the mansion tax. Go for it!
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at March 9, 2009 12:57 PM in response to Making an Offer?
My tenants just informed me that they will be breaking their lease 4 months early. So if you need a short-term sublet we can work with you. It can take a few months to close on an apt in any event. The rent is $3,000 and is in South Park Slope. If interested, you can give me your email and I will send you the details. Or I can send you mine - either way.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at March 2, 2009 5:20 PM in response to Negotiate Lease Renewal
Hi Turnandrun
What does the landlord say? The realor should have made his fees known in full upfront before showing you anything, but I'm not sure if you will be able to getthe apartment without paying the fee. If it doesn't work out I have an apartment in Park Slope available for April 1st - and it is definitely a no fee apt. If you give me your email I will send you the details.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at March 2, 2009 5:16 PM in response to Non-Working Broker Demands Fee
Nick is going to be a busy guy this spring as we are hoping to also use him for some upcoming renovation work. Also, he recently did some work in our rental apt a few weeks ago and he was fantastic from start to finish.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at February 25, 2009 6:02 PM in response to contractor feedback
Brian Piersol has done some handyman jobs for us in the last year. He is a sweet guy and easy to work with. He will tell you up front what he can and cannot do and his prices seem reasonable. piersol33@gmail.com
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at February 24, 2009 6:32 PM in response to need handyman/handicapped bars
Hi Wasder, My husband and I installed sod last spring for our new home. There are two important tips that I would like to add. 1. Make sure that the sod you buy is fresh. We got ours from Dragonetti Landscaping after reading a review on this site. Some places may sell you old sod which has already begun to die. Obviously, if the rolled sod is starting to go yellow then it is dying. 2. Water the sod every day for at least the first two weeks and then perhaps every other day for the next couple of months or at least until you are sure that it is established. Don't saturate it with water, but definitely don't let it dry out.
Our sod has gone a bit patchy, but this is due to two large trees which overshadow our yard so it doen't get as much direct sunlight as we would like. My husband fills up the patchy bits with shade resistant grass seed. We are eager to see how much of the grass will continue to grow this spring, or if we will be back to the drawing board.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at February 24, 2009 3:17 PM in response to Seed or sod that is the question
Thanks again to everyone. This has been hugely helpful and we will be taking the good advice offered here on a number of issues. Among other things we will change the late rent penalty date to the 3rd on the lease for all future tenants - whoever they are. We are first time landlords and we inherited these tenants when we bought the house 2 years ago. So we are still learning, but the advice has opened our eyes quite a bit and will help to make us wiser landlords.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at February 6, 2009 1:25 PM in response to Late Rent Notice
If I were you I would call 311 myself to ask what fines (if any) there are for dog barking and who would be liable for them (you or your tenant). It would help you to understand what could happen if your neighbor did call 311.
I would also talk to your tenant about ways to calm the dog during the day. Sounds like the dog is stressed about something and there are vet recommended methods for calming a nervous dog. We once had a problem with our cat peeing on our stove (weird I know), but the cat was just reacting to stress. We got this spray called feliway which is designed to calm nervous cats, and it took care of the problem. They have a similar product for dogs. I'm sure its easy to find on the internet.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at February 6, 2009 12:20 PM in response to Dog Barking Fine
Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the guidance and it is very helpful. It took me a great deal of self control to not go into a rant about how we really feel about them and their attitude in this situation. Much as I wanted to...
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at February 5, 2009 5:15 PM in response to Late Rent Notice
I went to the openhouse last Sunday for 237 14th Street (I live on this block so wanted to have another looksey). I asked the realtor why it was back on the market. He told me that due to a sudden job change the owners have decided to remain in Manhattan. The downstairs bathroom was ripped up due to a burst pipe. The house definitely looks worse for the wear now that there is no staging furniture inside. The view from the master bedroom is the nicest feature, but agree that this price makes no sense.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at January 23, 2009 1:45 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later
I get the British version of The Week delivered to my house once a week. You can buy a yearly subscription online at www.dennismags.co.uk/theweek
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at January 20, 2009 5:11 PM in response to int'l newspapers
You must have a more discerning eye than me then. Cause I was a bit green with envy given that my house used to look like that on the inside, but went through at least two "rushed/cheap" renovations of its own before I bought it. Still I love her. No matter.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at January 16, 2009 3:00 PM in response to Open House Picks
The house on 14th is a few doors up from our house. I thought 1,950,000 was an outrageously high asking price so cannot believe that they think that they can get another 200K. Especially given that the adjacent apt building runs along the full length of the backyard on the right side. So you basically have about 5-6 apts looking straight into your "private" backyard. I know that in Brooklyn privacy has different meaning than elsewhere, but it really gives you a fishbowl feeling when you are back there. Aside from that it is stunning on the inside, and would certainly welcome some new neighbors. :))
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at January 16, 2009 2:51 PM in response to Open House Picks
I've been in this situation from both perspectives. My husband and I were tenants in a house that was sold, and we inherited tenants in the house that we bought in 2007. I would definitely tell your tenants that you are selling your house as soon as it is on the market. If you want to have an openhouse then you will need to give them notice so that they are away during the viewings. I agree with dittoburg that you can then put them on a month to month rental agreement after June 1st to allow the buyer to decide if they want tenants in place or if they want the place vacant.
When our first landlord decided to sell he did something that most would advise against - he signed us up for a new 1 year lease so that the new buyer would have to keep us. He thought that the house would be more appealing to a new buyer if it had good tenants paying market rate rent. He found a buyer who agreed with him and we lived with our new landlords happily for 5 more years.
We also liked the idea of buying a house with tenants in place, but our experience on this side of the coin has not gone so well. The previous owner did not deal well with the news of the sale. He tried to hide it at first and then once it came out he let his broker communicate with them on any questions that they had rather than dealing with them directly. This resulted in quite a bit of resentment. When we moved in they were extremely nervous about our plans for the apt. (as we were when we went through it ourselves) and so they were relieved when we told them that they could stay. But some of that resentment that they felt over how the former owner handled things carried over to us. Things are fine now, but it took a while for them to relax around us.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at January 13, 2009 4:54 PM in response to Telling Tenants We're Selling?
I've been watching this place since it went on the market early last year to see what would happen. The price is definitely way to high. We bought our victorian frame "farmhouse" in South Slope about 2 years ago for around 200K less than this one. Granted this house has many more of its original features(and that would be noted in the price), but our place is more than twice the square feet, has a rental and is above 4th Ave so I would think that this would make the prices much closer in comparison. I've also walked by it on a number of occasions on my way to lowes and it does not seem to have been maintained all that well. I think that it will sit until its closer to 1 million or under.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at January 12, 2009 2:45 PM in response to House of the Day: 205 12th Street
Of course I remember you Biff! We had a lot of fun that night. I'm often on here, but it seems that usually by the time I get a topic things have been hashed out so much by others that everything I want to say has already been said. It is nice to see the comments from the people that I met.
I did see your spiderweb Slopefarm. Very cool. Did you see our garden graveyard? Next year I may get a creepy animatronic ghost or something to add to the effect. I love cheesy halloween decorations.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at January 9, 2009 4:02 PM in response to Open House Picks
I also live on 14th Street one block up from this house. I drive along this block every so often on my way back from "Park Slope Shores" and am actually quited impressed to see what they are doing on this block. A few homes are being renovated, some (like this one) seem very nice - others not so nice or at least not to my taste. It also seems like a friendly block although there is a lot of traffic, just like on my bit of 14th Street. I worried about this when we moved there almost 2 years ago, but got used to it really quickly. More tree along this block and the one between 4th & 5th would be fantastic. I put a request in with the city to plant more along my block, but don't know if this will ever actually happen. I also got nervous when I saw the price as I thought it was too low given the finishings, but then saw that it was below 4th. I think for a starting offer it is a decent price, but I don't think that this is what it will end up selling for.
Hi Slopefarm! We met a few weeks back at the Brownstoner drinks gathering at Union Hall. Loved your holiday decorations.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at January 9, 2009 3:19 PM in response to Open House Picks
Oh, one more thing. That little box in the lower lefthand corner on the machine. That is the dryer's installed lint catcher. It has to be cleaned out regularly (every 3 months at least). Given the placement on the machine it is a huge pain. I did it the first time and then told my tenants that they had to do it from then on. I even put in their last rental agreement a clause stating that they are responsible for cleaning out this lint catcher to ensure proper operation of the machine.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at October 30, 2008 3:38 PM in response to Tenant Wants to Install Own W/D
I bought and installed an LG brand unit like this in my tenant's apt about a year ago. From my research the LG units seem to be the best quality machines. I got the larger capacity unit given that my tenants have two children - so lots of laundry. I would definitely recommend the bigger unit as they are more efficient overall. So far I have found two downsides to this arrangement. 1. Although the machine is comparatively quiet it does have an audible hum and vibration sound that can be heard in my bedroom which is located immediatly below where the unit is installed. It was enough to keep me awake a night (although my husband did not mind it) and so I had to ask my tenants not to run it between 11pm-2am. The machine has a timer so can be set to go on at 2am and then be done by the following morning. 2. I have had to have a plumber out 3 times in the last year to clean out a clog from my tenant's plumbing system. The dryer vents into the plumbing pipes and lint collects causing the pipes to clog. A plumber suggested that we have a catch installed between the dryer and the drain pipe to eliminate the clogs. The catch would have to be cleaned out regularly. We will probably do this in the near future. Overall, my tenants are happy with the machine - they certainly prefer it to going to the laundromat. They pay their own electricity so I am not sure how much this bill went up. Our water bill has not noticeably gone up. I say do it.
However, I would most certainly recommend that you have a professional plumber install the machine to ensure there are no leaks, and to ensure that your plumbing pipes are large enough to cope with the lint that will result from drying. Our pipes are too small which is why we have had the clogging problem.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at October 30, 2008 3:34 PM in response to Tenant Wants to Install Own W/D
Thanks for the advice everyone. It looks like we are going to be able to work this out with our neighbor. She sent her contractor round today to look at placing the vent above the roof of her extension. Seems like it should be an easy fix. Its true though - the former owner should never have put the vent there in the first place. At least our neighbor is generous enough to want to work this out so that we both win.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at October 17, 2008 5:37 PM in response to Neighbor's extension
It was great meeting everyone last night. Thanks for the warm welcome. My friend was so impressed with everyone that she may turn into a B-stoner regular herself.
Hey PitBullNYC - did you drink that water I gave you? Always a good idea after an evening of boozing.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at October 17, 2008 10:58 AM in response to Here's To Our Future
Hi B-stoners. I hope it is not too late to join the party tonight. I agree 100% with wasder in that a bit of community bonding is good for us all. Me plus one should be there around 7:30.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at October 16, 2008 3:06 PM in response to End of the World (Or Maybe Not) Party
I think that these may be two different companies. The person that I've worked with at Dunrite is named John. But I have in the past worked with at contractor by the name of Herbie and he was a complete disastor. Not sure what kind of car he drove though. I'll still give you an email to get a recommendation. thanks!
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at September 19, 2008 11:59 AM in response to Dunrite Renovations
Thank you! That makes perfect sense to me now. I was worried that we would have to rip open the walls, so this will save on that expense.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at August 25, 2008 5:56 PM in response to Plumbing roughing
I'm looking forward to this place opening. Its close to my place and I kind of like this area of Gowanus/South Slope. I wouldn't say it is sketchy, edgy definitely, but not sketchy.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at August 20, 2008 12:53 PM in response to New Bar Coming to Third Avenue
Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and advice. We feel a bit more secure with the situation given that it is not that unusual, and that this issue of the legal usage of the property seems to be not such a huge one.
The open permit is an Alternation type 2, and we do have a copy of the architect's plans, but not the perforated (approved) plans from 2003. Not sure if these are the same or not, but I will make a trip to the DOB to get them just in case. We have also been in contact with the architect of record on the permit and got a list of the items that need to be completed inorder to secure the sign-off. One of these includes a plumbing inspection which may end up a problem area as some of the plumbing work seems not up to code. We also got a quote from a contractor on how much it will cost to do the work, and it is over the amount in escrow. Its just a first quote, and it he did try to base in on a "worse case scenario" so it is possible that the end cost will be closer to the amount in escrow.
We do have a lawyer, but he seems to regard this siutation as an annoyance so is not always forthcoming with contructive advice. Thanks again for being there for us Brownstoner bloggers.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at August 20, 2008 12:48 PM in response to Permit sign-off and C of O
Excuse my ignorance, but what does "LPC" stand for?
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at August 14, 2008 1:21 PM in response to House of the Day: 132 Cambridge Place
Recommend to them that they clean their AC filter. Solved the problem of a dripping AC for me once. Very simple to do. But that was an extreme case as the filter had not been cleaned for about 4 years. Worth at least trying.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at July 30, 2008 1:15 PM in response to Help! My neighbor's AC is dripping on us!
Check out Olde Good Things. They have antique under stoop gates. They have a location in Manhattan, but I think you can get a better deal if you go to their main location in Scranton, PA. http://oldegoodthings.com/
On their website it also looks like you can negotiate the price on certain pieces.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at July 30, 2008 1:12 PM in response to Need an original Brownstone (under-stoop) Gate
I have a similar situation in that my father-in-law gave me and my husband a money for our downpayment. He also does not expect a shortterm return as he sees this as a long term investment. Our understanding of gift tax is that the donor pays the tax on the gift, but the receiver does not have to claim this as income. I did (what I thought at the time) was quite a bit of research on the issue as I knew that we would not be able to afford the tax on the amount so wanted to avoid this if possible. From these comments I fear that I may have made a terrible error, but I just looked at the IRS's website again and it still seems to me that the donor pays the tax on the gift - not the receiver. Any thoughts? Fortunately, for my father-in-law he is not a US citizen and does not live here so was not subject to US tax laws on his gift.
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at July 30, 2008 1:09 PM in response to How to pay back family investor for downpayment contribution in 20 years?
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
Come on, the economy has been tough on lawyers too -- just pay the man!
Posted by: Jail_Bait at June 19, 2009 4:22 PM in response to Is Lawyer Fee Reasonable?
oh, and lechacal -- what every happened to greedy associates?
Posted by: Jail_Bait at June 19, 2009 4:23 PM in response to Is Lawyer Fee Reasonable?
I paid around $800 3 years ago. 2Fam/~600K. He's far out in Flushing, NY. Santucci, Michael A 718 886-7900
Posted by: gates_ave at June 19, 2009 4:27 PM in response to Is Lawyer Fee Reasonable?
I paid around $2200 last October.
Posted by: Architerrorist at June 19, 2009 5:00 PM in response to Is Lawyer Fee Reasonable?
Jail Bait: Do we know each other?
Posted by: lechacal at June 19, 2009 5:19 PM in response to Is Lawyer Fee Reasonable?
tybur6
What wabbit writes weally weally well?
Are you married to bugs bunny or was your real estate lawyer bugs bunny?
I am the wabbit patrol.
Posted by: Ysabelle at June 19, 2009 6:28 PM in response to Is Lawyer Fee Reasonable?
i paid $1000.. Gilmer. 718-864-2011.
Posted by: sPecific at June 19, 2009 7:58 PM in response to Is Lawyer Fee Reasonable?
Our lawyer's flat rate is $2000. We paid him less, as friends, but I think the consensus is that $2000 is pretty standard.
They bargain on most transactions being straightforward. So you pay less than the hourly fee would come to in a complex closing, more than it'd come to in a simple closing. The thing is, you don't know until you start signing things just how complex the closing is going to be. In our case ... well. We got way, way more than our money's worth and I still thank my lucky stars that we had a good lawyer.
$5000, though? Woah.
Posted by: serpentor at June 20, 2009 12:25 PM in response to Is Lawyer Fee Reasonable?
I used Robert (Bob) Dubno twice in the last 6 years and found him to be very thorough. I dont remember what I paid but I highly recommend him for brownstone purchases or sales as he is very familiar with all. He is on 7th avenue and President
Posted by: deanst at June 20, 2009 4:52 PM in response to Is Lawyer Fee Reasonable?
i hadnt thought about the comparison of value added by lawyers and brokers.
Now I'm pissed off.
Posted by: slick at June 21, 2009 2:35 AM in response to Is Lawyer Fee Reasonable?
Hi Slopefarm. Alas, that big hulk of a condo does completely block any view of Manhattan. if only they had stopped at 10 floors. Oh Well. I was hoping that there would be something at Grand Army Plaza or in the harbor. May try Redhook, but then again may wait till next year. I'll join any petition to get the fireworks back to the East River. Darn Jersey! Don't they have fireworks in Newark?
Posted by: Turtlejam19 at June 29, 2009 6:29 PM in response to Brooklyn Fireworks