ez's Profile
Author's Posts
June 25, 2008
301 Cumberland Eyesore
Has anyone noticed the "planters" being built at 301 Cumberland? Though this building is not a townhouse is a pretty nice 1920-30's apt. building with beautiful stone carvings. I didn't notice any landmark approval for this eyesore of a job.
April 28, 2008
throwing the baby out?
I own an investment condo unit which I'm attempting to sell, so far unsucessfully. It's been empty a while and so I'm losing a lot of money each month. I've decided to rent it month to month for much less than the market rental rate. The tenants would have to allow my agent to show the unit and have open houses every other week-end. A nice couple is willing to take it and she is due to give birth in July. The absolutely know the situation; that, when I go into contract they will get sixty days to vacate and they have agreed in writing. Mentioning this to some friends, they think I'm crazy to rent to this couple because of the possibility of their staying on, using the newborn as an excuse. Again, they fully understand they would be moving in month to month. Any thoughts.
February 25, 2008
To Burn or Not To Burn
To my surprise my top floor tenants had a fire going in their fireplace the other night when I went up to check on the amount of heat they were getting (another issue). It was my understanding that the fireplace didn't work according to the last owner who sold me the building a year ago.
I'm a little afraid of the open fire even though they did have a screen.
Beyond that screen though was a shag rug.
I hardly use my fireplace because of fears that the building could go up.
Any opinions out there on whether one should allow your upstairs tenants use of their fireplaces?
February 5, 2008
Really scary dog
Can anyone offer some advice? Opposite my backyard and separated by a right of way (for utilities) my neighbor has a rotweiler/mixed breed dog. Besides barking incessantly it approaches my backyard fence and scares my 3 year old to the point of him not wanting to play by viciously growling through my fence. The neighbor does not have any kind of fencing thus his/her backyard which should be about six feet apart from mine abuts my property. What can I do?
Is there a law regarding mandating the construction of a fence to keep the dog away and respect the right of way for what it is, no one's property? Thanks.
Author's Comments
could be a problem with the pipe venting. try pouring some
water into the floor drain. If it hasn't been used in a while gases can flow back if the trap is not full.
Posted by: ez at September 25, 2008 5:43 PM in response to weird smell- closing soon
ez wrote a review about Bubby's Brooklyn on September 17, 2008 5:20 PM
i always hate it when someone suggests the group go there. if i didn't have a kid, i would never waste my money
thanks all. i decided not to rent it to the couple.
Posted by: ez at April 28, 2008 3:10 PM in response to throwing the baby out?
no way would i write this to generate postings Putnamdenizen suggests above. i have better things to do...
Posted by: ez at April 28, 2008 12:31 PM in response to throwing the baby out?
Thanks for all your advice. For your info, this tenant complains about no heat when she leaves her windows open and so you get the picture.
Her fire place is in the front section of the building above mine which was bricked up and so I was surprised to see hers working.
We never talked (which she might dispute) about the fireplace since she was an existing tenant from the previous owner. In fact , she doesn't even have a lease.
My working fireplace is in the rear section of the building and I had it checked out and its OK to use. Having experience a huge loss as a result of an arson fire (my studio burnt down and all my work) I have been extremely cautious with open flames. The two times I used my fireplace was for Christmas and New Years day.
Personally, I don't give a shit if she doesn't like it if I told her to stop using the fireplace. By posting here, I'm just feeling out the situation as to right and wrong and the concerns I have for protecting my children and life's possessions.
Posted by: ez at February 25, 2008 2:39 PM in response to To Burn or Not To Burn
Thanks for the suggestions. For your information , 9:59, there is an area that divides all the backyards on the block. Most homeowners, myself included, have fences, that mark their property lines. All of the fences go up to the beginning of this right of way. The result being a six foot wide buffer between the rear boundaries. The property owner whose dog is at issue never built a fence and so the animal is able to pace this area and growl menacingly at my child as he plays.
Posted by: ez at February 5, 2008 10:18 PM in response to Really scary dog
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
Yes but by law you must now rent to the first eligible tenant you show the apartment to. Here is the evidence for them to move right in.
Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 12:36 PM in response to throwing the baby out?
Time flies.
Soon you will be going to a bar mitzvah and a graduation.
Posted by: Ysabelle at April 28, 2008 1:00 PM in response to throwing the baby out?
Okay, but "ez" I am still concerned that you aren't protecting yourself. While you could certainly decide not to rent the apartment at all, you can't decide not to rent to someone because of a legally protected characteristic (such as family status).
Posted by: Putnamdenizen at April 28, 2008 1:02 PM in response to throwing the baby out?
Don't do it!
Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 1:59 PM in response to throwing the baby out?
Dude, 10:59 is right: the law is not on your side. By renting out an apartment which you intend to sell, you are creating a Pandora's box. It's hard enough to evict normal, non-pregnant tenants. Either you decide to sell this place, in which case you must sell it vacant; or you continue renting it for the foreseeable future.
Another point to consider: you potential buyer may not want to buy a condo with tenants in it, even if you provide reassurances that the tenants will leave. As someone who just spent 6 (six) months waiting to buy a house with problematic tenants, I can say this with certainty: never again will I consider buying a property that is not vacant.
My advice: tighten up the belt, take on some debt, but continue showing the apartment vacant. Lower the price if there's no interest. There's a price for everything.
Posted by: Sputnik13 at April 28, 2008 2:05 PM in response to throwing the baby out?
As a landlord myself, I would sooner lower the price than take on a risk like this.
When you're a landlord, you're taking responsibility for someone else's home. I think it's important for all landlords to act with that basic responsibility in mind. If you are going to need them to leave and they can't, then you are going to find yourself overextended, and the law will not and should not be on your side.
(Omigod, I just agreed with Ysabelle...)
Posted by: vanburenproud at April 28, 2008 3:00 PM in response to throwing the baby out?
thanks all. i decided not to rent it to the couple.
Posted by: ez at April 28, 2008 3:10 PM in response to throwing the baby out?
Not renting it to the couple?
Be careful about going and renting it to someone else now that you've posted on a very public forum that you are not going to rent it specifically to this couple now that everyone's talked about how difficult it might be for this pregnant couple to move once a baby is born!!!
That's breaking the law, you can get in big trouble for that!!!
Posted by: vanburenproud at April 28, 2008 3:17 PM in response to throwing the baby out?
3:17....how you going to track down ez and report him to the authorities?
Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 4:08 PM in response to throwing the baby out?
"Okay, but "ez" I am still concerned that you aren't protecting yourself. While you could certainly decide not to rent the apartment at all, you can't decide not to rent to someone because of a legally protected characteristic (such as family status)."
Wrong. This was covered in another thread recently. Owners of one condo unit or apartment in their home can rent or refuse to rent to whomever they want for whatever reason.
Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 7:38 PM in response to throwing the baby out?
one guy came over to measure my windows and to give me a price. I kept calling them for four months for their estimate and they gave me the runaround. really bad company
Posted by: ez at November 13, 2008 6:37 PM in response to Heights Woodwork