John doesn't need to find a way to not return the $5k- he can just keep it, because you have no tenant rights. But if you stop paying rent, he has no legal rights to get it out of you, because he has no LL/lessor rights. I agree with whomever said stop paying rent for a month or two and move out, but don't tell him-- or, at the end, just tell him to use your security for the outstanding rent. You run the risk of him changing the locks but if you time it right, he won't, b/c it won't do him any good.

Posted by: blowfish at November 4, 2009 1:21 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

this is real estate website. its perfectly reasonable to talk about the aesthetic aspect of this, and to be criticial of it in the same way you would any real estate development. Why should a religion (yes, as it happens, a cultish insular one) be an exception? Fugly condos and their buyers are also not hurting anyone. This doesn't mean anyone is saying the value of their religious congregation is inherently linked to the building aesthetics-- that's quite a leap, Ditmas Snark, and bxgirl, you're all over the place.

Posted by: blowfish at November 4, 2009 1:09 PM in response to Church Reboot on Clinton Avenue

OK, sounds nice but nevermind-- I think they're looking for something about $2K, even if its tiny. Just the hubby working. Thanks anyway.

Posted by: blowfish at November 3, 2009 3:58 PM in response to Tenants Breaking Lease

Where is the apt? I know a couple that is looking to rent in Brooklyn for Dec. 1. They are coming from England so I'm helping with the hunt. Maybe we could talk offline.

Posted by: blowfish at November 3, 2009 3:47 PM in response to Tenants Breaking Lease

Arkady i'm serious about the smelly cat-- i was thinking maybe now that's she's 7, she doesn't clean herslef as well? she's a long-hair black/white domestic

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 5:45 PM in response to Open Thread

chicken- we wouldn't need to increase taxes by 10%, i think you know that-- already today, a good chunk of tax money goes to healthcare, and we pay out-of-pocket, AND, employers pay about 20% on top of wages for healthcare. SO, done and done.

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 5:38 PM in response to Open Thread

Joe: i'm a blonde (no homo) and i comment on my own posts (no homo). now i'm out 4 reals.

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 5:16 PM in response to Open Thread

Snappy said rob could head of dept of labor, i think (i'm too lazy and self-entitled to scroll back and check).
even DIBS said i have all the answers, so, sounds like an endorsement to me. BF, Deputy Mayor.

DIBS i didn't think you were quite so Rand-sian, but i'm too new this forum.

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 4:46 PM in response to Open Thread

i like that spelled "too" in every possible way, and that now i'm commenting on my post with a metapost. di'd like to be deputy mayor, please

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 4:32 PM in response to Open Thread

Whoa, DIBS, too little, too late, for two small a population. That kind of market solution is way to slow- takes things to reach crises level first, with decades of despair, and short-sighted corporations losing out on long-term savings in the interim

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 4:29 PM in response to Open Thread

QOTD: Try your Ding on someone else.

that was the funniest, ditto! say it at your meeting.

BTW, All your base are belong to us.

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 4:23 PM in response to Open Thread

no, benson, didn't say that. i happen to agree the personal, out-of-pocket mandate on purchasing private insurance is not the answer, and shouldn't have a place in the debate.

(Snappy '09) (No homo)

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 2:42 PM in response to Open Thread

OK, ok, so American Apparel blows, got it

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 2:37 PM in response to Open Thread

benson don't be daft. most statutory debts don't come with jail time. IRS just attaches to your return or your bank account or your creditors/account receivables. There is a criminal IRS provision but that was specifically excluded from the health reform debate a long time ago.

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 2:36 PM in response to Open Thread

That's all i was sayin, Joe from Brooklyn. I'm out.

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 1:35 PM in response to Open Thread

DH: oops. OK, duly noted, AA not a helpful reference!

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 1:33 PM in response to Open Thread

DIBS, are you seriously pointing to Oprah Winfrey as proof that no social welfare or even labor regulations are needed because everyone is self-made.

KENS, not financially possible? Two words: American Apparel.

m4l: you not getting into MIT because you did not work hard enough = everyone else that didn't go to college or otherwise advance themselves the way the wanted must be because they didn't work hard enough-- did i get that right?

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 1:25 PM in response to Open Thread

rob, turns out kids *do* trick or treat in nyc. i think that neighborhood produce maps of which houses participate-- maybe you could get a hold of a map, dress up like a butterfly...

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 1:11 PM in response to Open Thread

um, why does no one get my 'chance to succeed' jab? I was saying that we should be careful not to confuse 'chance to succeed' with equal opportunity for unaided success depending only on sheer individual will, and I don't think the latter is an objectionable goal

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 1:02 PM in response to Open Thread

No, Legion, ohmygod, I was saying that 'chance to suceed' is as relative a phrase as the word 'poor.' I was saying the boradest sense, everyone has free will, so even if the oppressed people in the other countires i mentioned conceivably could revolt, but that doesn't mean they are not oppressed. (BTW, we don't have 'mechanisms for revolutions? what deos that even mean?) Here in the states, just because people have free will doesn't mean everyone has equal opportunities to break free from the economic status, and that it is only a matter of individual will. God, my snarking is so clear.

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 12:35 PM in response to Open Thread

Snappy '09! I amking my own lapel pin out of office supplies as we speak...

Legion, people that work hard are due something, they are due the fair vaule of their labor. not everyone has a chance to do more than unskilled or low-skilled jobs, and thats not because they're lazy or don't 'learn from their mistakes.'

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 12:31 PM in response to Open Thread

i am asking you to examine what it is you mean when you say 'chance to succeed.' That is a phrase that thrown around too much. Maybe the people in the Congo have a chance to succeed, if they simply stage a violent revolution. Our working class people have systematic obstacles designed to keep them from advancing, designed to stop them from using their own labor as capital, despite the fact that some break through.

i am also thanking everyone for not pointing out my typo-bonanza today.

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 12:16 PM in response to Open Thread

did no one get me joke or i am just not funny?

what percentage of readers didn't respond the survey? Anyone?

and on that note, i must return to work...

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 12:06 PM in response to Brownstoner 2009 Survey Results

yes, there is a variation of wealth.

Legion, if your point is that our poor working class is better off than the people in the slums of india, north korea, or brazil, then I agree with you. is that what you are saying?

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 12:02 PM in response to Open Thread

also, can't believe you are comparing your inability to get a yankees ticket with the plight of the working class. i see first hand everyday what some these people are dealing with. people with 2 jobs, sometimes more. trust me, their problems are worse than not getting into the yakees game.

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 11:58 AM in response to Open Thread

No, DIBS, the pay-my-mortgage comment was in response to Legion's claim that stagnant wages have no real-world quality of life repercussions, and that a frank discussion about economic injustices was really only a tool to 'foster dischord.' i was saying that was as crazy as expecting he should pay my mortgage to avoid dischord.

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 11:56 AM in response to Open Thread

Oh y god Legion I cannot believe you are trying to argue that stagnant wages are meaningless. You almost made me use crazy all-caps. I cannot believe you are disavowing any difference between classes. Try an entire generation of thirty-somethings with advanced degrees and professional jobs that have to borrow money from their middle-class, lesser educated parents in order to make ends meet. seriously. Foster discord? ohmyfingod. you pay my mortgage, then, and we'll have peace. Is calling the top 1% of the county wealthy a statement clouded by 'preconceived notions of what wealthy means'? do you even listen to yourself?

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 11:42 AM in response to Open Thread

i did her change her foof, actually, i got the huge costco kind. but all of her fur smells like amonia. same litter tho.

um, incumbent won't bend to the will of his constituents? is that code for show up to work and represent his consituents? yeah, that's a really unreasonable expectation BIH

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 11:30 AM in response to Open Thread

oh, Legion, spare me the outlier poor-immigrant-cum-lucrative business owner. Stagnant wages for 30 years, despite a constant rise in productivity-- there is something seriously wrong with that, and you don't have to be a socialist to think so.

so, i have a cat that used to smell like nothing, and now she constantly smells like litterbox-- thoughts?

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 11:25 AM in response to Open Thread

yeah, Republicans are not just motivated by wealth, that's so unfair-- they also want to exploit prejudices, curb civil rights, and curb worker's rights! hahaha. J/K. i mean, its true, except that northeast republicans don't really match up with that otherwise RNC description. I am voting for Bloomberg, even though I'm mad at him for the homeless shelter clearing-house thing. I think he's got an impressive urban-pplanning vision; again, apart from homeless shelter clearing house.
otherwise-- Mark Winson Griffith for the 36th! Let's talk local!

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 11:20 AM in response to Open Thread

DH: i'd be curious as well. my kid is likely public-school bound, but honestly, i'm going to whatever i can to avoid the school i'm actually zoned for...i just may not have any other option

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 10:53 AM in response to Brownstoner 2009 Survey Results

count me among the lawyers making less than $100k (i work for a non-profit), and my car is '95 Oldsmobile Royale. actually don't count me, i didn't do the survey. what's the percentage of readers that didn't particpate in the survey?

Posted by: blowfish at October 29, 2009 10:51 AM in response to Brownstoner 2009 Survey Results

love it. looks gorgeous. tho i may love anything that's finished, since not one space is my own home is, despite it being a developer's gut reno

Posted by: blowfish at October 22, 2009 2:53 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 105

wasder, where are you? Aren't you near me? There's a new block association for the Lex, Classon, Quincy, Franklin square. Before you get to the appointments and by-laws, I think they got started by advertising a list-serve to join, on posters at local retailers. this is prob less sophisticated advice than you got above, i didn't read. i do think they can make an area safer, for e.g., if there was an attack or a mugging and there was a suspect's picture posted, and the BA responds visibly and is actively on the lookout for the suspect, that must be a deterrent, especially teen criminals that strike in their own neighborhood

Posted by: blowfish at October 20, 2009 6:06 PM in response to Thoughts on Block Associations

we used a great tile/grouter named Rob. We got his name off Brownstoner. (Sorry, don't have time to serach the site for him, but he came well recommended and was v good)

Posted by: blowfish at October 20, 2009 5:55 PM in response to Tile/Grout Repair

i looked at the clinton hill coops, at least four of them, and was underwhelmed

Posted by: blowfish at October 16, 2009 3:26 PM in response to 270 Greene Avenue Hits the Market

mksk,
this is virtually the same as my location, and i think its not bad. you can walk to the main areas of ft. greene (15 min), clinton hill (5 - 10 min), and prospect heights (15 min). if you have friends in williamsburg, its just a quick bus-ride or a bike-ride straight up classon. you can take the shuttle to prospect park. the bike lanes and bike parking is pretty good. due west is a library and community garden. if you have a car, street parking is also pretty good. lots of playgrounds. a great hardware store. east, there's a great bar on franklin called sweet revenge. great cafe on fulton due south called Outpost. enough grocery, restaurant, and delivery options. you have access to both the C and the G. the blocks are quiet and there a neighbor-hoody feel, apart from what appears to be some drug dealing in front of that bodega.
there's really a lot more around than meet's the idea, it took me a long time to discover that

Posted by: blowfish at October 16, 2009 3:25 PM in response to 270 Greene Avenue Hits the Market

i am definitely going to see WWTA

Posted by: blowfish at October 16, 2009 12:48 PM in response to Open Thread

THL: i almost positive that is an illegal form of discrimination. state law controls marriage licenses, but that are federal laws that prevent discriminatory state laws for certain protected classes-- i think its arguable a 14th amendment case...sorry this is vague....

CG: i don't usually lurk on the OT, because the one other time I opened it, it felt like arriving really late to a party and discovering everyone had dropped acid hours ago

Posted by: blowfish at October 16, 2009 12:45 PM in response to Open Thread

Tara:
I am female, I am shy-ish, and I will definitely go next time if i can get a sitter or if my husband stays home. he's not as addicted to this site as i am. but i am addicted in the most unhealthy way-- i check it regularly to torture myself over my uneducated first home purchase in 2007

Posted by: blowfish at October 16, 2009 12:09 PM in response to Open Thread

i am in shock. this is near me. is this the same developer that is responsible for developing those bluish-black brickbuilding with the stylistically inconsistent balconies, the one that buys the land, build the buildings and then advertises to sellers who want to to sell the individual aprtments? there's a few of those on classon, and they are almost as disappointing. but this building, which i've only ever seen one or two guys working on in slow motion, i always assumed would be low-income income housing, and so it didn't really bother me. i've certainly seen worse looking buildings in other nabes. but to find out they are trying to sell at those prices, with the f'n exposed fedders units, after what must of been a huge waste of money protracting construction, i am so f'm angry. WHO BUILDS THIS CRAP? idiots.

Posted by: blowfish at October 16, 2009 11:32 AM in response to 270 Greene Avenue Hits the Market

ENY you're wrong wrong wrong. this guy is a very rare guy-- willing to sacrifice all creature comforts for an extended period of time, willing to try a lifestyle that involves zero consumption or waste, able to do it with creative innovation that sets a great example for the world, by way of sustainability. I couldn't do this, and i doubt most of the 20-something fashionable indie-music loving Billyburg residents could either, funds or not, hard-working or not, harmless or not.

Posted by: blowfish at October 9, 2009 4:57 PM in response to Closing Bell: a Bike, a Voyage

m4l: what halloween shows?

Posted by: blowfish at October 6, 2009 1:01 PM in response to Kids Clothing and Toy Store Opening on Clinton Ave.

i have an 11 mo. old and live on the CH/BS border. i am so there. i think. this is probably a 15 min walk for me.

Posted by: blowfish at October 6, 2009 12:59 PM in response to Kids Clothing and Toy Store Opening on Clinton Ave.

i agree. they are tasty and convenient, and there are no other similar options around this immediate area, but i have to say, i think they're a little expensive for the amount of food you get. i paid $12 for a dinner that was tiny, to go, and mostly white rice- i had to supplement with some cereal from my cabinet. i wish it were just slightly cheaper.

Posted by: blowfish at October 5, 2009 3:25 PM in response to Streetlevel: Pilar

it's hard to move on once you've fallen in love with a place, but don't stop looking at other places-- love can strike twice. There are brownstones and limestones in 11238 that have been converted to condos which are lovely. neighbors of mine had put their floor-thru with a yard up for sale, > $300 mo. maintenance, but took it off the market after lack of interest, because they didn't need to sell.

Posted by: blowfish at September 25, 2009 2:23 PM in response to Getting into Desirable Condo

ugh, this blows. i love that store, and i've already decided to quit visiting red hook.

Posted by: blowfish at September 24, 2009 5:00 PM in response to StreetLevel: Red Lipstick in Red Hook Coming Soon

Lothar- what kind of food?

pls not Nigerian. Or Senegalese. Or anything French-African. If African, Ethiopian would be nice.

Posted by: blowfish at September 22, 2009 2:41 PM in response to New Restaurant/Bar for Fulton Street

vinca you're an idiot. seeking advice in this situation from other tenants and landlords is invaluable-- they can point you toward resources, and share their limited knowledge of the law, so you can decide whether it worth fighting or spending more money on, before ever going to an attorney. I got news for you: until you are at the point of starting a legal action (before you need to know civil procedure), you can get the lay of the land yourself. Especially in landlord-tenant law, which is specifically designed to be user-friendly, and accessible by laypersons. But maybe not idiots.

Posted by: blowfish at September 10, 2009 10:51 AM in response to Lease Notice & Termination

the puritanical comment, that is

Posted by: blowfish at August 19, 2009 4:02 PM in response to House of the Day: 180 Washington Park

I think the issue is black and white. You all agreed to pay what he was asking. It doesn't matter what he is/was paying.

If I felt an item is worth $100 and I buy it for $100, do I have the right to to get my money back if I found out someone else bought it for $20? No.

I still agree that "John" is a douche... AND he is the one who has his credit at risk here. If you want to stick it to him, you have the option.

Posted by: mrkknox at November 4, 2009 3:55 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

oh whatever. John gave you and your broke a$$ friends a place to live, for cheap i might add, and he threw in chips and salsa. you sound like a whiney brat. you have no recourse. Judge Judy would rip you a new one if you were in her court.

*rob*

Posted by: Butterfly at November 4, 2009 4:06 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

If he made you pay more than a month for security then that is most certainly "business" and not "friendship". That should have been a big tip-off as to the kind of relationship you were getting into when dealing with him.

I was friendly with a former landlord before renting from her. When I agreed to take her apartment she suddenly asked me for 2 months security deposit. I was a little taken aback by the request but still gave it to her. I also quickly downgraded our relationship from friend to business- a very good call. Particularly over a year later when she casually mentioned that it was "cheeky and resourceful" of her to ask for 2 months security because she really needed the cashflow at the time. Now a friend might have been rather annoyed by such a statement. However, somebody who did "business" with her chalked one up for experience and moved on.

And please do not take bkrule's advice unless you are looking for a shit ton of drama. If you are so unhappy with the arrangement and civilized behavior and dialogue isn't creating a satisfying resolution for you then you really should just move on. It's not worth the negativity, especially when you have to live in it.

I will add that I do think John is a douche, too, but that has nothing to do with the arrangement you made with him.

Posted by: Snarkypants at November 4, 2009 4:07 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

Also Post your question on www.tenant.net in the forum section.

Posted by: 1910 at November 4, 2009 4:19 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

Try preemptively paying the rent one month directly to the LL. Entice him with cash if needed and get a signed receipt. This will complicate the situation and give you rights to the existing Lease in that the LL has tacitly approved your tenancy by excepting the rent. I think you would be protected from an eviction proceeding by uberTenant. You could also stop paying rent and probably continue to occupy the space for enough months to break even on your security.

Posted by: modsquad at November 4, 2009 5:02 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

quote:
. You could also stop paying rent and probably continue to occupy the space for enough months to break even on your security.

uh yeah cuz that's just SO fair to the landlord. dont take this moron's advice.

*rob*

Posted by: Butterfly at November 4, 2009 5:19 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

It sounds like the LL is complicit in this case buttface. Why should the sub tenants have any responsibility to the LL. They enjoy zero rights at this point.

Posted by: modsquad at November 4, 2009 6:02 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

So, wait. You all "SHOULD" be paying $500/month and instead 4 of you are paying $700 and the leaseholder is paying $200? Math is not my strong suit and I wasn't paying close attention, but wtf. Yes, $200 can seem like a lot of money when you're young and broke and in the city, but for christ's sake, the guy isn't even LIVING there most of the time... so... who cares if he pays less? He still has responsibility. He still has the lease. He still put down the initial money with the landland and built the place.

And, frankly, as I discovered when I was young and broke in the city, it's an amazingly common story. And the moral is simple: get your own lease, probably at another apartment.

If you want the bad karma and potential repercussions, then by all means, stop paying rent and move out. Not that big a deal. When John assumed the lease, he assumed the risk that you all would do that. So give him 2 months notice and do so.

Posted by: Heather at November 4, 2009 6:13 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

did you seriously just call me buttface? hahah. i KNOW the subtenant (psoter) has no liability to the owner, but heather made an excellent point. it's an absentee roommate essentially who pays less. duh of course they should pay less! case closed. and yeah like she said it's very very very very common, it's essentially how the rental share market works for people who HAVE to have roommates and cant get their lease. im in a good situation now where it's 50/50 but it was never always that way.

*rob*

Posted by: Butterfly at November 4, 2009 6:56 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

I'm just answering the question without the predictable agendas many on this blog have.
OP was looking for any "rights" he might have, not moral navel gazing or a spanking. I personally don't think there's much of a screwing going on here.
Did I call you buttface? Do you turn your head whenever you here some kid shout out, "Hey Asshole!"?

Posted by: modsquad at November 4, 2009 8:04 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue