eman1234
since when is making a pass at a woman considered a culture?
You't can't imagine how many men bug the crap outta me on a daily basis.
Tis the season to be jolly.........

Posted by: Ysabelle at November 6, 2009 10:20 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

I agree with you about contractors being chauvinist. The profession attracts a great deal of misogynists as well.

I need simple work done in my kitchen. They talk to me like I am brainless. One guy who was mexican with no papers thought I should pay him $3000. for a job that will take 5 days. No electrical or plumbing. Just some painting and putting down vinyl tiles in a small galley kitchen.

The best part is I should buy all my supplies and materials.
He wanted $3000. straight for his personal salary. He will do the job alone.

The contractors in Ny are a nasty joke.

The job is still open.

Posted by: Ysabelle at November 6, 2009 10:02 AM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

Contact Public Service Commission; They will resolve it on your behalf. If there is actual damage get in touch with con edison Claims Department.

Posted by: Ysabelle at November 2, 2009 12:44 PM in response to Water Leak in Basement

MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A CURRENT INSURANCE POLICY FOR A HIGH AMOUNT. Ask to see it and call the insurance company to verify.

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 31, 2009 11:08 AM in response to Renting Your Place for Movie

A big advantage with a trust fund baby is you can make arrangements with the trustee to send the payment every month.
This is good in case the little darling forgets.

Trustees are highly responsible individuals.

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 21, 2009 10:21 AM in response to Co-Purchaser vs. Guarantor

Babs... that might be so but brooke astor is not responsible for whats in the trust. After all, she didn't set it up. She inherited it. Brooke probably had no clue just that she had it and got a nice income from it.

More than likely she probably never added anything to it either.

I wish you the best of luck no matter what decision you make.

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 19, 2009 11:21 AM in response to Co-Purchaser vs. Guarantor

Here is a good one.

The trust fund of Brooke Astor.......Does it consist of drug and prostitution money?

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 19, 2009 11:07 AM in response to Co-Purchaser vs. Guarantor

Hey Rob
Trust fund money is generational. It consists of a stock and bond portfolio.

Aristocrats, daughters of the american revolution, old line families etc., have nothing to do with drug money. This social class has nothing to with deriving income from drugs or prostitution.

You watch too much tv and read too many trashy novels. Trust funds have nothing to do with watching"Dynasty or "Dallas". These programs are strictly fantasy.

Do you discriminate against everyone that is not like you?

Divirsity is good for the economy.

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 19, 2009 10:53 AM in response to Co-Purchaser vs. Guarantor

Plenty of people have more than one name on a coop. What happens if someone dies? it is easy to remove one name on the document.

Tenants with right of survivorship, tenants in common, etc.
Somebody is being misinformed.

What is important is whether the board likes you or not. The names of ownership is irrelevent.
it is your personal choice.

Trust funds if substantial income is derived should please the board. It is easy for the potential coop owner to budget his money and pay on time. The monthly income of the trust might stay the same.

So whats the problem?

Trust fund bohemians are just as good as anybody else.
Money is money!

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 19, 2009 10:20 AM in response to Co-Purchaser vs. Guarantor

I would kill myself if I was named guikazoid

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 14, 2009 5:20 PM in response to Annual End of the World Party

I would kill myself if I was named guikazoid

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 14, 2009 5:20 PM in response to Annual End of the World Party

Call kraftmaid direcrly.
Call another dealer to hear what they have to say.

Post the question on the gardenweb.com under kitchen forum.
Plenty of knowledgeable people there.

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 9, 2009 8:35 PM in response to Kraftmaid Venecia-filler Pieces

Is it an apartment or a house?

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 8, 2009 7:12 PM in response to Cost of Kitchen & Bath Gut?

It is difficult to rent this time of the year. Maybe try a 6 month lease with an option to renew for another 6 months at the same rate.

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 6, 2009 10:06 AM in response to Advice on Rental Market

I strongly suggest you use Traemand the certified Ikea kitchen cabinet installer. There work is good and their prices reasonable. Everything else do by piece work. You will save money and getva better job.
If you are doing corian countertops go to lowes. Their prices are less expensive than Ikea corian installers. Lowes sends Installers direct from Dupont. They are the manufacturer.

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 5, 2009 3:13 PM in response to Contractor Estimates

Start again but don't use spacers. this way it will look like one piece not squares.

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 4, 2009 2:04 PM in response to Penny Tile Disaster?

You have to put in a lead pan. You don' know what you are doing. Now is not the time to be tighter than a frogs ass.
This requires a licensed and insured professional. Other wise you will have leaks all over the place/

I wish you the best of luck.

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 3, 2009 12:53 PM in response to Shower Advice Needed Urgently

what a nightmare. start documenting apartment info. proof of no c and o etc.
Bring it to the attention of the district attorneys office and the real estate board of ny. fraud is fraud.
keep records of all your monetary damages and any lawsuits brought b corcoran etc.

Tis a bad one....

The r.e.broker and firm were negligent.
They didn't verify landlords info before accepting the rental for a tenant

Posted by: Ysabelle at October 2, 2009 8:43 PM in response to Broker Rented Us an Illegal Unit

It is legal to add another name to your lease. Anybody can be added as long as they live there. You can also have a person who lives with you not to be on the lease. It is OK also. It's legal.
Don't call that idiot woman anymore. You'll get frustrated.

When you break a lease landlord can keep your security deposit.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 30, 2009 10:11 AM in response to Adding to/Breaking lease

as long as the rent is being sent and cashed......that is your contract right there

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 25, 2009 4:04 PM in response to Tenant Refuses to Return Lease

state farm gets my vote.
if you take a higher deductible you pay less premiums. don't forget to ask.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 25, 2009 12:07 PM in response to Renters Insurance

i have 45amps in an apartment which is 800 square feet. it is not enough. my power will be upgraded. Cooking is gas and no microwave.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 22, 2009 9:51 AM in response to 200 Amps enough for 8 unit Coop?

let the person stay on a month to month basis. written contracts between friends are silly.

Whatever happened to trust in friendship?

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 21, 2009 11:48 AM in response to Renting Room to a Friend

try a range from fisher/paykiel. Its from new zealand. Its great looking with luxury feautures at a good price. it should save you some money but its a high end look.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 21, 2009 11:44 AM in response to Range Suggestions (Part 2)

Call public service commission in albany and file a comlaint over the phone. It sounds like your gas bills are an estimation not a monthly reading.
In the meantime con ed is forced to provide service during the review.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 21, 2009 11:42 AM in response to Conned by Con Edison?

Ringo is right. Kall Da Kops!

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 19, 2009 9:33 PM in response to Ignoring Coop rules

its more oomplicated than you think. Don't do it.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 16, 2009 10:56 AM in response to Where Should I start?

Speak to the tenant in a casual way and find out why that person won't allow the work.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 13, 2009 11:34 PM in response to Intercom Problem/Safety

PV...I live in manhattan in a 40 year old high rise.
The bookeeper put my monthly payment in someone elses account which automatically put me in arrears. The bank said the check was cashed and I never got the credit. I chasd them for months over this. What happened was they kept on fining me each month including compounded interest.

Meanwhile i pay on time every month including during this mess. The bills kept getting bigger. The phony lawyer bills started to kick in and the building still continued to harass over their own negligence.

I got fined $1000 for having an overnight visitor in my place.
I was home at the time and alone. Remember this is private property not a dorm or hotel. Another costly mistake.

When I did a very minor renovatio a returnable deposit was required. Two years later they never returned the money when the work was done.

My records are accurate and I keep sending them copies of cancelled checks and they are ignoring it.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 11, 2009 1:15 PM in response to Condo By-Laws

Don't forget to ask for the house rules. different documents from by laws. You will be surprised at the house rules and the penalty charges if you break them. another interesting read is how much you are charged for day to day repairs.
Try to get a copy of the tenants rental package for subletting. it is all in there. house rules repair charges etc.

None of this has to do with the by laws. get that before ypu bid/ What happens if you don't like the dictatorship way the building is run and all the penalties?

If you don't pay the petty bullshit fines they will put a lis pendens on your condo and drag you to court which is more expensive. Another trick for the building to increase their income. Everyone knows its cheaper to pay the phony fines than go to court.

It is called intimidation by the board. They screw up their ledger and you the owner pays.

In NY it happens all the time. It happened to me twice.

My 2 condos are paid for with no mortgage and I pay my common charges on time and I pay my 2 property taxes one year in advance. I never owed money or took out loans in my life.
No pets, no kids, no musical instruments etc. but they still find ways to harass the shit outta me by digging into my pockets.
In addition to defective repairs made to my units which brings them more money by fixing twice.

I am a single female living alone.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 11, 2009 11:29 AM in response to Condo By-Laws

I thought your homeowners policy covered it.

When people work for you in construction make sure they are licensed with department of consumer affairs.
Make sure they have a workers compensation policy.
Don't forget a minimum of one million dollar liability insurance.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 10, 2009 11:52 AM in response to Renovation Insurance

To guest poster john Ife get a life.

Are your balls the size of raisins?

If it is not John Ife I apolagize. for the remark.

If it is john Ife the remark sticks like crazy glue.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 2, 2009 11:08 PM in response to Contractor Recommendation

I had an appointment with jamie grubb. He never showed up or called.
About a month later he calls and says he is 2 blocks away can he stop by. Believe it or not he still never showed up.
Unprofessional fruitcake just like the fruity colors on your wall.
By the way the fruity colors look nice.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 2, 2009 3:21 PM in response to Excellent Painter

Please share the name of your contractor who knows ikea kitchen installations.
If you want you can email the info.

ysabelletheloon@yahoo.com

Thank you.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 2, 2009 10:33 AM in response to IKEA Kitchen

my situation is similar. my condo is in a highrise building. The problem I am running into is people don't want to show their income or they don't make enough money to cover the rent.
Meanwhile i dropped the rent $600. a month. Still no tenant.

It is a tough crowd out there with no inocme.

Last year I got the full amount for rent. This year not even a nbble.

Posted by: Ysabelle at September 1, 2009 2:28 PM in response to Question for Landlords

The Ikea installer Traemand has a website. it is self explanatory. They accept all credit cards.

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 31, 2009 9:47 PM in response to IKEA Kitchen

If you bought it at lowes or home depot and have your receipts it can always be returned for a refnd

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 31, 2009 9:29 PM in response to 3 x 6 Subway Tile for Sale

Did your contractor have a department of consumer affairs license? if he did not you will have an easier time with the money.

If he puts a lien on yout property the judge will remove it because he worked with no verifiable license.

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 22, 2009 7:57 PM in response to fight with contractor

Try the mailorder companies for shades. I just bought some white room darkening roller shades from selectblind.com.
They were reasonably priced ad showed up in a week.
I gave the measurements and the order was not screwed up.

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 20, 2009 10:21 AM in response to need window shade recommendation

I think the the tile pattern is harlequin.
It is sorta like what clowns used to wear or maybe puppets.

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 19, 2009 8:56 PM in response to What kind of tiles are these?

First find out if the apartment is rent stabilized. If there is a minimum of 3 apartments in the building it might be.
If it is stabilized it is easy to resolve.

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 19, 2009 11:31 AM in response to Landlord Problem

Running to the DOB reminds me of running to the bathroom.

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 18, 2009 5:47 PM in response to Bathroom Reno?

PS
Don't forget to rip up the lease and get something from the person stating she has the money and rheir is no contract.

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 17, 2009 9:52 AM in response to Tenant's Deposit

PS
Don't forget to rip up the lease and get something from the person stating she has the money and rheir is no contract.

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 17, 2009 9:52 AM in response to Tenant's Deposit

Return the persons securiy deposit in full. Consider yourslf lucky the person never moved in. You would have had a headache for the duration of the lease. in addition to rent being late always.

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 17, 2009 9:50 AM in response to Tenant's Deposit

Thanks Denton. Now we all learned something new and valuable.(performance bond)
Why don't they say performance bond?

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 15, 2009 11:34 PM in response to Bond for renovation work

Thanks Denton. Now we all learned something new and valuable.(performance bond)
Why don't they say performance bond?

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 15, 2009 9:39 PM in response to Bond for renovation work

The less the public understands the more things cost. The more profitable it is for someone else. It is ridiculous!

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 15, 2009 9:58 AM in response to Bond for renovation work

i think the phrasing is confusing. It might mean in simple english that the contractor has to be licensed and insured for a certain amount.

Call Utica first insurance company for a clarification of the definition of the phrase. They insure many contractors in the ny area. They will tell you with no obligation to purchasing a policy. Maybe this will solve the mystery.

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 15, 2009 9:56 AM in response to Bond for renovation work

WHAAAT?

Posted by: Ysabelle at August 11, 2009 9:26 AM in response to Bathtub nonslip strips

"Males of all different occupations have very strange thoughts about women. It just hardware supply store blokes do not talk to any women so when they see you they cannot hold their ideas."

LOL, bobjohn.

Posted by: mopar at November 6, 2009 5:33 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

There are plenty of skilled professional contractors and suppliers out there so just keep on not hiring the a$$holes. If they have no respect for you then they'll do what they want on the job instead of what you're paying for.

I have my own tools and I know how to use them. I sweat pipes. But I don't have to prove anything to them. I'm not doing any heavy lifting - that's what I'm paying them for.

She who holds the checkbook holds the power.

PS I bought a wreck a long time ago. Got a lot of 'YOU'RE the owner?'. I assured them that it was OK, that it was legal for women to own property in New York State. They rarely GOT the sarcasm. rarely get that attitude any more.

Posted by: jfss at November 6, 2009 6:28 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

"where they called my husband for a decision, who would have to call me; who would call the plumber/electrician, who would then call my husband back instead of me."

Seems like your husband's fault here, lol. Why didn't your husband just tell the contractor you were in charge, and refuse to discuss it?

Ask him that tonight over dinner :-)

LOL -- we talked numerous times about how asinine it was that contractors refused to call me. It was like they were going through contortions NOT to talk to me. My husband and I would both tell them to stop calling him and to call me, yet they couldn't get it through their thick heads. Like a mental block or something that a woman would have decision making capacity.

I used to deal with this nonsense all the time when I worked in IT as a programmer and doing tech support. I worked at a huge academic medical center and the doctors would always questioned my ability when I showed up to fix their computers; my male colleagues never got second guessed like I did. Since they were essentially paying me, I took more BS than I would have liked, but when I'm doing the hiring, I reserve the right not to work with any contractors who have a pathological inability to respect women!

Posted by: brooklynstyle at November 6, 2009 7:14 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

the stupidest part of this is that some of my employees are women. and we still make dumbass sexist jokes..

Posted by: eman1234 at November 6, 2009 8:30 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

eman1234
since when is making a pass at a woman considered a culture?
You't can't imagine how many men bug the crap outta me on a daily basis.
Tis the season to be jolly.........

Posted by: Ysabelle at November 6, 2009 10:20 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

Listen, the reality is that women get hazed in stereotypically male work environments, and shouldn't need tougher skin than men in similar positions but absolutely do.

As a woman who has worked on way more jobsites than offices, I have survived and thrive because I have a very dirty mouth, am not afraid of conflict and am just about impossible to offend. I also go ahead and sympathize with how weird it looks to see a tiny blonde woman lifting a 100-lb bag of cement, actively point out that I am smaller than my co-workers, and generally don't try to act like everything's normal. I am a novelty, and honestly it's easier and more honest to work with it than it is to work against it.

You can't change people, but you can behave as if you will be treated the way you want to be treated, and empathize with the fact that a lot of people in the trades have very little formal education, come from countries that are really sexist, and live in a much more gendered world than you do. This mixture of integrity and empathy is strong. It doesn't work instantly, and is more about developing relationships than negotiating the hardware store, but it works really well.

Posted by: vanburenproud at November 7, 2009 9:33 AM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

The surprising thing about this thread is it is full of women I had previously assumed were men.

Posted by: mopar at November 7, 2009 10:36 AM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

"The surprising thing about this thread is it is full of women I had previously assumed were men."

You sexist :-)

Posted by: denton at November 7, 2009 5:30 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

People who renovate brownstones are spending tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. And while doing so they're being told by people like eman and denton they have to just accept and try to fit into the "culture" of these workers?

Whatever. Not by me. I would never hire anybody who made comments like the ones that were listed. How about these contractors and workers trying harder to fit into MY culture as their employer? You know, like I have to do when I'm hired by somebody! I think that's argentina's main point, that the new "culture" of homeowners in the United States is this: Women are a significant group of homeowners and even when married are more often the boss on these jobs, so act professionally and with courtesy or you don't get hired.

Posted by: traditionalmod at November 8, 2009 8:20 AM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

I didn't say that, tmod. I think my post was a little more nuanced than that.

Posted by: denton at November 8, 2009 3:46 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism