iddelz's Profile
Author's Posts
July 18, 2009
Claims Against an Architect
maybe a touchy subject but has anyone ever sued their architect after a project for E&O (errors and omissions). what was the experience like? what was the outcome? would you do it again?
ours has made three errors related to fire code that has resulted in ~$10K in unnecessary costs. he acknowledges an overly conservative reading of the regulations, apologizes and then ... that's it. i'm glad he's learning as he goes but its absurd that he does it on my dime.
i contacted a construction claims and litigation specialist who said its too small a claim to hire a lawyer/outside consultant. but it's a real hit to my wallet and i want him to share that pain.
is it just too tedious to pursue for that amount? is it up to me to vet his decisions before i sign off on them? or is it all "buyer beware"?
i know there are great architects out there. i won't let him sully your profession.
July 15, 2009
fire-rated door question
we're doing an alt II renovation on the upper unit of a 1920's two-story brick building (units upstairs and down). inside the entryway are two of those classic wood doors with glass panels and chintzy curtains behind them.
for some reason, we're told we need to take these out and put in fire rated doors.
does anyone know why? i haven't been able to get an answer from the expeditor or the snarkitect who has already gotten so many things wrong w/regulations that i don't trust his judgment. (he's the architect that gives architects a bad name.)
there are thousands of building in brklyn like this why does ours need fire rated doors? tx / iddelz
June 9, 2009
a/c rooftop dunnage
A prior poster wrote: "Not all roof top a/c units need their own separate steel support framing ..." Does anyone know who can spec out the dunnage? Our architect drew up plans to run iron beams across the parapets and every contractor we talked to said that was unnecessary and overly expensive. What is the right way at the last cost? Does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks / Iddelz
June 8, 2009
setback on central a/c condenser
are there regulations on how close to the property line one can place the condenser unit for a central a/c?
May 19, 2009
"Expeditor" = "Pay to Play"?
Can someone please explain to me how DOB is NOT a pay to play exercise. I’m starting construction on a renovation of our new house in WT tomorrow and I’ve got a $2,000 bill due to the expeditor. So I’ve asked for information on what meetings they went to, with whom, when and for how long, and I get back this absurd response “JUST PAY THE INVOICE.”
Do projects get done if you don’t use an expeditor? It seems that DOB has no incentive to make its resources user friendly if it can generate fees solely by being inefficient. The whole experience seems awfully squishy from a legal / ethical standpoint. I might say it’s even corrupt.
A curious brooklynite
Author's Comments
same. yes. and yes. all around idiot. 10 gallon ego and 1 oz brain. lookit, we all make mistakes, and certainly there are judgments involved, but i shouldn't be the only party carrying the impact of his consistent and expensive mistakes.
so ... last post from me ... has anyone done this before? what's the process? how long does it take? i assume it starts with a letter and ends on judge judy. can anyone recommend some reference material? tx / iddelz
Posted by: iddelz at July 21, 2009 11:01 PM in response to Claims Against an Architect
it's a standard AIA contract. the architect is licensed. they just don't know the code and have twice over-designed to regulations that don't apply to this property. the first time we realized well before we did the work, but he did not reimburse us for the significant amount of his time spent creating a plan that was totally inappropriate/unnecessary based on his erroneous interpretation of the code. he acknowledged the mistake but did not make us whole on it. the second time involved the fire doors. i appreciate the feedback. tx / Avi
Posted by: iddelz at July 19, 2009 7:32 PM in response to Claims Against an Architect
the architect and his expeditor. he asked that we use "his" expeditor not scott schnall, who seems to be everyone else's expeditor. therefore, we're probably going to try to get an opinion from another expeditor then see where that goes.
i'm so angry at our architect. this would be his second E&O regarding fire regulations. the first cost us > $10,000 in additional fees to him for his idiocy. lesson to everyone; hire an architect for their knowledge of the regulations not just their design sensibilities.
Posted by: iddelz at July 17, 2009 3:07 PM in response to fire-rated door question
i'm with you. we're replacing windows in our home and i've been to four different vendors as its been a v confusing experience. in the end, we've settled on trimline wood clad. there not the best but they last. LWP and Windows We Are are the two biggest trimline vendors in brooklyn. good luck!
Posted by: iddelz at June 15, 2009 10:03 PM in response to replacing 10 double hung windows
zeebe: the initial quote was $3,500 to put iron beams on the roof for the condenser plus $3,000 to bring power to the roof. i'm looking for alternatives, then i'll negotiate. note that i don't live in a brownstone but a detached brick square.
i was quoted $11.5 for the system itself, a 3-ton 13 SEER carrier + air handler + ductwork installed. i wasn't going to install a/c at all but the beam rafters are exposed, they're high and i thought the price was good. / iddelz
Posted by: iddelz at June 9, 2009 2:49 PM in response to a/c rooftop dunnage
hi smoky: i've taken your suggestion and asked the architect. however, so far he has been wrong with just about every regulation issue we've faced so that's why i'm seeking alternative solutions.
our architect is just a glorified designer - a v. good designer in my opinion - but lesson learned for everyone on a major project: design is just a small part. you need someone who knows the code, knows the way around the code and knows people who can implement every portion of the plan beyond surfing "lightinguniverse.com" / iddelz
Posted by: iddelz at June 9, 2009 12:39 PM in response to a/c rooftop dunnage
it's almost free: $0.03 for every 10 gallons. no wonder so much is wasted!
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwaterboard/html/rate_schedule/index.shtml
Posted by: iddelz at June 9, 2009 10:23 AM in response to water bill
we are already over 15% of the total cost for design fees. his ignorance has already cost us money but we were advised by another architect that we are far enough along to just grin and bear it. as the relationship continues to deteriorate it is a decision i regret with every interaction. so who is the fool? the fool or the fool who hires him? that's all ... thanks everyone for teaching me what an expeditor does.
Posted by: iddelz at May 19, 2009 10:07 PM in response to "Expeditor" = "Pay to Play"?
so it sounds like we're incentivizing a bad brcrcy but not really collusion. that makes me feel a wee bit better. like paying someone to move your car two days a week; if you don't see him move it, you might think he's just paying off the cop.
don't get me started on the architect ... CLUELESS to regulations. a frustrating lesson learned for anyone going through a renovation; hire an architect who knows regulations its at least as important if not much more important then design.
Posted by: iddelz at May 19, 2009 6:39 PM in response to "Expeditor" = "Pay to Play"?
I'm going to pay the invoice. That's not the issue. I just want to know what the money is used for.
I'm quite certain attorney fees aren't used to pay kickbacks to judges and juries. I'm quite certain my accountant doesn't payoff the IRS. But I don't know whether or not expeditors payoff (directly or indirectly) the DOB for project approvals.
Either way its an awfully expensive tax on people who play by the books and actually file projects in the first place.
Posted by: iddelz at May 19, 2009 4:07 PM in response to "Expeditor" = "Pay to Play"?
anyone have experience with Lucky Windows? or Bay Ridge Windows? or Windows We Are? I need to replace a lot of windows and I'm surprised by the high prices and seeming lack of transparency in what gets done. Everything seems like a sales job and i've seen no facts to back up that Marvin is really "the best".
Posted by: iddelz at May 11, 2009 3:08 PM in response to need advice- window replacement
the perfect renovation, the $1,000 sink, the restored idaho barn wood plank floors, etc. etc. and the subsequent house tour already seems incredibly bourgeois. A costco membership card is required ID for the 2008-2010 recession.
Posted by: iddelz at February 16, 2009 8:13 AM in response to Quote of the Day
in the same vein, would the owner of a three family house used as a two family need to change/update their CO to reflect its use as a 2-family? what if they convert to one family. it seems like under-utilizing wouldn't be a problem - the rules guard against over-utilization - but i wonder if dept of buildings would think the same way.
Posted by: iddelz at January 5, 2009 7:49 PM in response to Updated Certificate of Occupancy
You're more likely to get accurate age and waist size of a broker than sq footage of their units for sale.
Posted by: iddelz at September 8, 2008 10:18 AM in response to Co-op of the Day: 422 State Street, #20
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
I filled out the change in ownership form and sent it in twice when we decided to self-manange our co-op and they still didn't send me a bill. I finally ended up calling and hemming and hawing with their rep until they agreed to add me as an interested party to receive a copy of the bills. Go figure.
Posted by: bessie2 at June 9, 2009 2:26 PM in response to water bill
zeebe: the initial quote was $3,500 to put iron beams on the roof for the condenser plus $3,000 to bring power to the roof. i'm looking for alternatives, then i'll negotiate. note that i don't live in a brownstone but a detached brick square.
i was quoted $11.5 for the system itself, a 3-ton 13 SEER carrier + air handler + ductwork installed. i wasn't going to install a/c at all but the beam rafters are exposed, they're high and i thought the price was good. / iddelz
Posted by: iddelz at June 9, 2009 2:49 PM in response to a/c rooftop dunnage
DEP was mailing the bill to my old address. Took me 2 billing cycles to finally clear up the address but they still haven't fix my last name! I just gave up.
Posted by: zuffy at June 9, 2009 5:19 PM in response to water bill
For that size I would definitely get the steel. zeebee has it right -- the actual cost of the steel beams ought to be fairly minimal considering everything else you're doing. Plus, remember that the reason it's required is for the safety of firefighters -- they don't want a huge unit falling on top of their heads. It's just the right thing to do.
Posted by: josh59x at June 9, 2009 11:15 PM in response to a/c rooftop dunnage
The steel dunnage is a Fire Department code requirement. It is relatively new and not all contractors know about it. We ran into it recently when we were doing a reno. Expeditor said it wasn't dob, but was fire code - and that they are working on getting the two aligned. A few years back a unit came through the roof and killed a firefighter, and that's why it is part of the new code. You do need it. the architect is right in this case.
Posted by: homey at June 10, 2009 11:46 AM in response to a/c rooftop dunnage
Iddelz, that quote doesn't sound too bad. When negotiating the contract payment schedule, our a/c guy estimated that the cost for the crane, permits, steel and two guys on the roof to set the beams in place and mount the condensers was around $5000. We had electrical in the electrican's contract and our overall system cost was higher than yours, plus we're in a rowhouse, so it's hard to compare apples to apples but at first glance that price isn't outrageous.
Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at June 10, 2009 12:50 PM in response to a/c rooftop dunnage
your quote is reasonable...the dob has been turned into a fee geneator under bloomberg, so there is no more of the 'getting around code
Posted by: eman1234 at June 10, 2009 7:21 PM in response to a/c rooftop dunnage
thanks for the input iddelz. I have been to Windows We Are but not LWP. Are their estimates different? Any experience with either one. For some reason this discussion has doesn't seem interesting to others. In what way do you think trimline - I'm looking at the eclipse is not "the best." Am trying now to weigh trimline vs more expensive andersen and marvin. I keep hearing that Pella back-up to warranty is terrible. I never knew that windows were so complicated. We have been in our coop since 1984 and will probably be there for at least another 10 years. Just hope what I put in the windows increases the value of the coop. when and if we ever have to sell.
Posted by: gammy at June 17, 2009 4:01 PM in response to replacing 10 double hung windows
This sounds nutty. If you lived in a landmarked area (for instance) you wouldn't be ALLOWED to put in the fire rated doors.
Well, OK, guess they are on the inside. But still.
Posted by: mopar at July 17, 2009 11:52 PM in response to fire-rated door question
i personally would eat the loss and chalk it up to nyc experience...if you have a valid c of o after a renovation you should be thanking your architect not whining about extra costs..the dob under bloomberg has become a fee generator, with inspectors acting as bounty hunters for code violations.. your architect was correct to take a conservative approach to code and you are an ungrateful wretch to not realize that a had he or she taken a creative approach to code his license could have been suspended...you should be thanking your architect instead of suing him
Posted by: eman1234 at July 19, 2009 9:38 PM in response to Claims Against an Architect
you know what they say about being smart, right? the smarter you are the more likely you'll estimate what you don't know but the dumber you are, the smarter you think you are. well, our architect thinks he's a genius. that's why i call him a 10 gallon hat with a 1 oz. brain. i'll take a referral for a mediator ... tx / iddelz
Posted by: iddelz at July 27, 2009 11:07 PM in response to Claims Against an Architect