If it is regular, untreated wood it can't take up more than 20% of the roof. If larger it has to be made out of some non-fireproof material.

Posted by: mscrochety at June 5, 2009 12:38 PM in response to Roof Deck Not Up To Code

It depends on the situation - but as denton said, if there is a mortgage and a recognition agreement in place, you inform the lender that holds the mortgage. They will pay the back-maintenance to the co-op, then put the apt up for sale if necessary.

Posted by: mscrochety at May 8, 2009 2:06 PM in response to Co-ops and eviction question

I rented a place with wall to wall carpeting, and the owners changed hands while I lived there. The new owners (when our lease renewed) asked us to sign an addendum that we would pay for carpet cleaning whenever we moved out. New owner was allergic to cats and thought future tenants might be also. It seemed very reasonable to me. Other than peeing on floors (which is unusual) cats have less potential for damage,whereas dogs can potentially chew, scratch up floors,etc.

Posted by: mscrochety at May 4, 2009 3:38 PM in response to Pet deposit

About 311 records - unless you write down the "case number" or whatever it is that they give you on the phone, you're stuck. I've made several sanitation complaint calls to 311 and wanted to include them when contesting a ticket, but didn't write the numbers down...311 and Sanitation said they couldn't look up the numbers of the calls after the fact.

Posted by: mscrochety at April 23, 2009 4:24 PM in response to Breaking Lease 2 Months Early

I have to say, the name makes me think that the product tastes bad. You eat some yogurt and gasp /eks/!

Posted by: mscrochety at March 30, 2009 2:47 PM in response to Streetlevel: New FroYo on Vanderbilt

More indoor bicycle parking is great, but I wish it was easier to get a bike rack from the city for areas that need one. I can't get a free bike rack in front of my 5th Ave home, despite the fact that will be heavily used by bar and restaurant patrons. The restaurant next door, however, can get one, but doesn't seem interested.

As for cyclists ignoring traffic lights, traffic laws, and pedestrians, don't get me started. As a pedestrian who actually does not jaywalk and spends time standing and waiting for lights to change, it infuriates me that I constantly miss getting mowed down by inches when a cyclist runs a red light.

Posted by: mscrochety at March 24, 2009 2:46 PM in response to City Planning Pushing New Bike-Friendly Rules

Love the photo...I stared at that sign for many years as an F train rider. I would sometimes try to predict my future by how many letters were dark or lit up.

Posted by: mscrochety at March 23, 2009 4:48 PM in response to Monday Blogwrap

Park Slope Veterinary Care on 5th Ave between (i think) 8th and 9th. Dr. Maddon was a genius with my 15 year old, cranky at best, thinks vet visits are cat torture up there with waterboarding cat.

Posted by: mscrochety at March 19, 2009 4:34 PM in response to Streetlevel: New Veterinarian for Fulton Street

wasder - it's very cool that people actually lived in that house! I assumed it was Woody's imagination. I moved to Bklyn in '86 and don't remember ever seeing the Thunderbolt during my CI visits. Looking forward to seeing your photos.

Posted by: mscrochety at March 11, 2009 3:11 PM in response to Local Officials Propose Big Changes to City's Coney Plan

Please do post a picture wasder...the Woody Allen movie was "Annie Hall". When he has flashbacks to his childhood the family is living in a house that shakes from being right under a loop in the roller coaster...but I always assumed it was the Cyclone.

I can't even really face telling my daughter about what happened to Coney Island. I have this fantasy that by this summer or next some rides will be back and we can go. She adores it and so do I. sigh.

Posted by: mscrochety at March 11, 2009 2:50 PM in response to Local Officials Propose Big Changes to City's Coney Plan

love the photo!

Posted by: mscrochety at March 11, 2009 2:38 PM in response to Wednesday Links

I love the Bklyn Macy's and also shopped there when it was A&S. Although there are always shoppers there, it is SO much less of a zoo than the Manhattan Macy's which is insane and stuffed full of year-round tourists. Same merchandise, and Macy's always some kind of sale going on. Macy's is great. And it's convenient to hit up the Children's Place across the street plus whatever else at the mall while I"m there.

Posted by: mscrochety at February 27, 2009 1:07 PM in response to Fulton Mall Appears To Be Bucking Retail Downturn

My co-op just fought a similar ticket successfully. We are on the corner of 5th avenue and 2nd st, and a 5th ave resident constantly dumps trash on the corner near the city garbage can, and in front of our building. I've called into 311 about this numerous times and asked for dept. of sanitation surveillance.

Our ticket was for a dumped item (large cardboard box full of household trash.) We contested by mail with a notarized letter from the board, as well as an additional letter from a co-op member who happens to be an attorney. We also sent a copy to our local city council person's office. The ticket was dismissed within a week or two of sending these letters.

If this is certain person or businesses who routinely dump trash where you live, then document it by calling 311 - this makes your claim more valid, and they will also work with you to get it to stop. good luck.

Posted by: mscrochety at February 26, 2009 4:54 PM in response to How to fight Sanitation ticket

Sitting on the edge of a tub which has a track for a sliding shower door in order to give a bath to a kid is no fun at all. (Do it long term and you'll wind up with a groove in your derriere.) We took our shower/tub doors out before moving into the new place for precisely that reason.

Posted by: mscrochety at February 23, 2009 4:20 PM in response to Are Shower curtains a turn off?

I 3rd Prints Charming. Very nice guy, and prices seemed reasonable.

Posted by: mscrochety at February 12, 2009 4:54 PM in response to Picture Framing

My building got a handwritten ticket in early January. WE have a constant problem of trash being dumped in front of our building and in our recycling cans by others on the street, and on 5th Avenue. We decided to dispute the ticket, but I am not hopeful - we don't have a photo of someone in the act of dumping it, or before/after shots, so they will probably say it is our responsibility to deal with the trash.

Posted by: mscrochety at February 10, 2009 11:19 AM in response to Sanitation Hearing

I am now living in my 2nd co-op, and always thought shares (and therefore montly maintenance charges) reflected the square footage of the apartment in question or its street value. Under this equation, larger apartments or those with gardens pay more and own more shares. However in my current place I am told that maintenance amount reflects the amount of "common space" used by the particular apartment...so that the two apartments with private roofdecks pay more than I do, even though mine has more square footage, *not* because the decks are counted as part of their living space, but because their decks are using up a bigger chunk "common space".

Even as I type this I am confused.

Posted by: mscrochety at February 5, 2009 1:43 PM in response to Issue for our Co-op Board

I agree with SJ, makes me think Underground Railroad.

Posted by: mscrochety at January 30, 2009 3:00 PM in response to Mysterious tunnel

I wouldn't agree that smaller neighborhood brokers know the market better...we had a horrible experience with Brooklyn Properties trying to sell in a softening market 2 years ago. Our apartment generated lots of traffic but almost no offers, and we had overpriced it, plain and simple, but BP had no idea what was going on and why it didn't sell. It took a different broker to clue us in. In addition, 2 different brokers at BP completely bungled potential sales - one early on, and one during the co-op approval stage (buyer's income was under-reported by the BP broker.) We went with BP because we liked a particular broker there who worked with us when we bought. However, although she "had" the listing, when someone walks into their office from the street they are assigned a broker, and that person handles the potential sale from offer onward. Hence the incompetency. It was horrendous for us, we owned 2 apartments for 5 months. Went with Corcoran after our deal fell through and accepted anoffer within 2 weeks. I think due to their volume, and the fact that they bring Manhattan customers, the bigger companies are a safer bet than the small local companies.

Posted by: mscrochety at January 27, 2009 12:09 PM in response to Real Estate Companies-PS

The Lighthouse *was* red sox friendly, but I don't know how the Commonwealth folks feel about the team. I too love Commonwealth, esp. their jukebox - I'm real happy that they'll have an outpost only a few blocks away from me, in the former Lighthouse space.

Posted by: mscrochety at January 20, 2009 5:06 PM in response to Streetlevel: Commonweath To Run Lighthouse, Mooney's?

mopar, a HELOC sounds like the way to go. When we bought 2.5 years ago we simultaneously got a mortgage and a HELOC from the same bank. We needed the HELOC to use as a bridge loan until we sold our old apartment, rather than renovations. I thought it was insane that I could get a home-equity line on an apt I didn't yet own, but the mortgage broker said "I do this all the time!" Turned out to be true. Good luck with it all.

Posted by: mscrochety at January 12, 2009 1:40 PM in response to How big a cushion?

No joke, Senator Street, we had not one but two pigeons fly down the chimney into our fireplace during our first year of ownership...one was half-cooked by the time I noticed it. The other was ok - trapped and released. We were told that pigeons have a hard time flying up in a straight line, so wouldn't get out on their own. Now we have a chimney cap!

Posted by: mscrochety at January 8, 2009 11:47 AM in response to Bird in Fireplace

No new furniture, plants, or work done in my house. I'm wondering too if they are full grown or not. Anyway, since we've been vigilant for a few days about any crumbs and keeping the area around the sink and dishwasher very dry, I haven't seen any. I will try ice cubes in the sink too. thanks everyone and once I ID them I will update.

Posted by: mscrochety at January 4, 2009 7:31 PM in response to Bug ID

No new furniture, plants, or work done in my house. I'm wondering too if they are full grown or not. Anyway, since we've been vigilant for a few days about any crumbs and keeping the area around the sink and dishwasher very dry, I haven't seen any. I will try ice cubes in the sink too. thanks everyone and once I ID them I will update.

Posted by: mscrochety at January 4, 2009 7:30 PM in response to Bug ID

Yes newsouthsloper, they look like the smallest one except without antenna. So I have some kind of roach, I take it? theandrewlee, what will the ice cubes do?

thanks everyone.

Posted by: mscrochety at January 3, 2009 2:58 PM in response to Bug ID

Have not called an exterminator yet, there are not too many of them, and I was going to try combat traps. I'm not postitive about the body segmentation because their coloring is very dark with a few lighter spots. No wings so hopefully not termites. Thanks vinca for the advice about how to ID them - googling turned up nothing that looked the same.

Posted by: mscrochety at January 2, 2009 1:42 PM in response to Bug ID

I agree, goldie...my jewish self is celebrating Xmas in Westchester with my husband's recovering-Catholic mother and agnostic father. The presents are opened - what else to do now but read Brownstoner??

Posted by: mscrochety at December 25, 2008 11:32 AM in response to Wednesday Links

Not at all my cup of tea. Photo #8 looks remarkably like my college dorm room from freshman year, in a building that one of my profs described as a 'fine example of neo-penal architecture'.

Posted by: mscrochety at December 22, 2008 3:10 PM in response to Brownstone Interior Destroyed Modernized by Artist Couple

Rob - in front of the CVS on 9th between 5/6...not really in the area you requested, but I think they sell every day.

Posted by: mscrochety at December 10, 2008 12:03 PM in response to where can i buy a xmas tree in park slope? and one other question

A cup 3/4 full of ice melting into your iced coffee makes it *weak* and diluted, which is not what anyone wants!! Rob, you keep posting and coining replacements for "hipster".

Posted by: mscrochety at December 10, 2008 11:30 AM in response to Streetlevel: Lonelyville Makes Windsor Terrace Lonelier

It's certainly not Aunt Suzie's, which wasn't open in 1986 when I moved here.

Posted by: mscrochety at December 4, 2008 1:47 PM in response to What's the Oldest Business in Park Slope?

Gorgeous!

Posted by: mscrochety at December 3, 2008 11:07 AM in response to Garden of the Day: Bearing Fruit in Bed Stuy

Sounds like a great idea, and I would love if you did it on 5th Ave! I find the 2 diners closest to me on 5th mediocre at best. (Don't remember the names - one is around 7th St and one around 10th.)

Posted by: mscrochety at December 2, 2008 3:57 PM in response to Diners!!

Yes, many mortgage brokers are sleazy but often they can get better deals, esp. if you have a situation that is not standard - co-op, jumbo loan, etc. We used Trachtman and Bach. I wasn't happy about our particular broker's dissembling, but he pulled off something I never would have thought possible for the bridge loan we needed until we sold our old place. (A home-equity line of credit on the apartment we had not yet bought. ) Good luck. I also was trying to make a purchase in December 2 years ago - tough to keep things moving because of holidays and vacations.

Posted by: mscrochety at November 25, 2008 10:14 AM in response to Getting a mortgage (contract signed)

I think Klein's report cards are absurd. I'm really distressed that he's on the short list for Obama's Secretary of Education.

Posted by: mscrochety at November 13, 2008 10:56 AM in response to Brooklyn High Schools Improve

I thought H&M coming to Fulton St mall was old news; I even have a vague recolletion of reading about it on Brownstoner. Is Fulton St the same as "Albee Square Mall", or are they one and the same? Clearly I am not up on the nomenclature, although I love shopping at Macy's in Brooklyn which is nearby.

Posted by: mscrochety at November 13, 2008 10:53 AM in response to H&M Setting Up Shop in Downtown BK

I voted at MS 51, 5th ave and 4th St. in Park Slope at 8am. The line outside the building took about half an hour, but then 1.5 hours more once I got inside the gym. Why oh why was there just *one* voting machine per ED? Was this everyone's experience? The line for the 44th ED (mine) was clearly 3 or 4 times as long as the other districts voting in the same place, yet one machine for each.

Nonetheless it felt awesome when I finally got to pull the lever for Obama!!

Posted by: mscrochety at November 4, 2008 3:10 PM in response to Long Lines, Everywhere

I can't answer your question about molding, but if you mean Park Slope Glass is the company doing your work, I would reconsider...they did a terrible job in my apartment. Similar to you: an 8 unit co-op decided to replace all windows shortly before we bought. They didn't use the correct size windows (which I assume would be a custom size) in my place, filled the gaps with pieces of wood, and did NO interior caulking. Useless.

Posted by: mscrochety at October 24, 2008 2:55 PM in response to Replacing Windows

Mr. B. I still get this error today, although I am not using the current version of IE (i'm using IE 6). When I am able to use Firebox instead I am fine. any progress??

Posted by: mscrochety at October 24, 2008 9:52 AM in response to Adobe/Google Pop-Problem Fixed?

Is it just me? I find the outside of the building very ugly.

Posted by: mscrochety at October 10, 2008 3:34 PM in response to Checking In on 5One5 Condos

My understanding is that you can get one free if you are a business or a public building (like a school). I would love to have one in front of my building, but according to 311, I'd have to do it myself.

Posted by: mscrochety at September 12, 2008 3:00 PM in response to How to Get a Bike Rack Near You

Stacy London is in Caroll Gardens?? My daughter will plotz.

Posted by: mscrochety at September 9, 2008 4:49 PM in response to Quote of the Day

Hot Bird was tasty, but if it represents "an older Brooklyn", that makes me ancient history. I've lived in Bklyn since 1986, but don't consider myself to be anything other than another yuppie transplant.

Does anyone remember the fried chicken/ribs place that was on Bartel Pritchard square? I think it was called Al's, or something like that - Connecticut Muffin is there now. It was *great* - extremely greasy chicken and fries, very yummy, and a huge pall of smoke inside the place. I was quite sad when it closed.

Posted by: mscrochety at August 25, 2008 3:48 PM in response to The History/Mystery of the Hot Bird Sign

More bike lanes is a great idea; but how about more bike racks? The city doesn't provide nearly enough of these; as a private resident on the corner of a busy commercial street, with lots of bike traffic and no place to lock them, I would have to pay myself to put a bike rack outside my building.

Posted by: mscrochety at July 2, 2008 4:20 PM in response to Closing Bell: Bike Slope

These are great - we need more of *any* kind of bike rack. I have ground floor apartment on the corner of 5th Ave next to a busy restaurant; I had eight bikes chained to my fence one afternoon. It's crazy - obviously, the need is there. Yet I can't get a bike rack for my corner from the city, because I am not a city-owned building.

Posted by: mscrochety at June 24, 2008 3:08 PM in response to Closing Bell: Bike Shelter Full Up

Here's an update from Gowanus Lounge. The sign was taken down over the weekend.

http://www.gowanuslounge.com/2008/06/21/agency-acknowledges-slope-intrusive-banner-rage-will-take-it-down/

Posted by: mscrochety at June 23, 2008 11:42 AM in response to Hideous RE Sign in Garden

Here's an update from Gowanus Lounge. The sign was taken down over the weekend.

http://www.gowanuslounge.com/2008/06/21/agency-acknowledges-slope-intrusive-banner-rage-will-take-it-down/

Posted by: mscrochety at June 23, 2008 11:41 AM in response to Hideous RE Sign in Garden

After re-reading my 4/24 comment, I'd like to remove the last sentence. Anyone can mis-read a post like "zachgee" did and the "curmudgeon" in my profile doesn't necessarily mean "nasty old man".

Posted by: Bob Marvin at April 27, 2009 9:11 AM in response to Breaking Lease 2 Months Early

It can't hurt to ask.. If you give notice now u would be giving more than 30 days so I think that is adequate especially given ur lease is coming due and u would have moved shortly after june anyway.. june is a good time to try and rent an apartment ..it woulld be different if u were trying to get out of ur lease in the winter... I am a landlord (however I am probably more understanding than some others) I wouldn't see this especially since ur lease is up soon anyway. Good luck!

Posted by: scarter at April 27, 2009 9:36 AM in response to Breaking Lease 2 Months Early

Best price on framing in the city is way up on the Upper East Side

1405 2nd av

They do all the framing for this art gallery, so they have UNMATCHABLE economies of scale.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/for/1147761715.html

I've used them for years! They've always been on craigslist!

Posted by: thinkyouspeak at April 30, 2009 2:41 PM in response to Picture Framing

It's not worth the court case or record, which regardless of the reason, comes up as a red flag when you try to re-rent, just buy the earplugs.

Posted by: Crownlfc at May 21, 2009 9:07 PM in response to Breaking Lease 2 Months Early

The building inspector I used told me that wood decks can take up no more than 20% of the roof. So maybe that's the issue. If you want more coverage, you can have it, you just have to use a fire retardant material like fiberglass. Fiberglass is more expensive than wood.

Posted by: Kris at June 5, 2009 12:42 PM in response to Roof Deck Not Up To Code

We had such a deck on our building's roof. The unit went through two closings plus at least one re-fi without any attention from lenders. But a nasty neighbor did report it to DOB later, and that is a headache.

Posted by: uglyjohnny at June 5, 2009 12:50 PM in response to Roof Deck Not Up To Code

No one pays any attention to the 20% rule.
What the inspector wants is his own 20% rule.
If you get a cranky inspector at the DOB he will demand you make the deck handicap accessible. I try to tell you people time and again, the building code and the dob do not have cut and fast rules, they are a bureaucratic nightmare of the most dysfunctional kind. The only thing that works are the "Christmas bonuses" that every expiditer worth his salt delivers to the family of certain civil servants.
Oy, such naivette on this site!

Posted by: sam at June 5, 2009 1:48 PM in response to Roof Deck Not Up To Code

nasty, vengeful neighbors suck. a friend of mine had one call and rat out rooftop BBQ (illegal in NYC).

Posted by: Fjorder at June 5, 2009 1:50 PM in response to Roof Deck Not Up To Code

I believe mscrochety means 'fireproof material...' That basically boils-down to steel - though I've heard Trex is fireproof too. Anyone know about whether it's up to NYC code?
As for the 20% rule when building with 'non-fireproof' material, I've often heard the same but have never actually seen it verified.
What bivouac needs to do, first-off, is have a lawyer confirm that the co-op offering plan allocates the roof rights to their unit [which ought to be reflected in a bigger # of shares than other units - and a higher maintenance charge]. If the roof rights are part of the deal, then it's really up to the buyer & seller to come to an agreement: if the buyer is paranoid about the legality of the deck [which sounds both illegal & bad for the integrity of the roof - heavy, wooden decks sitting on the roof membrane are a recipe for disaster], then they should make removal of the deck a condition in the sale & have the roof itself inspected. The other option is to be cool & enjoy the fresh air!
Brokestone makes a good & scary point too, though a 'no trespassing' sign ought to give the deck-owner some level of protection from injury claims caused by illegal use of the deck.

Posted by: parkedslope at June 5, 2009 1:55 PM in response to Roof Deck Not Up To Code

After all this, not clear if it's your private deck, or shared? If the coop owns it and you have rights to is, worse that could happen is you'll be responsible for 1/6th. As far as the rest, appraisers are not usually experts on code issues.

Posted by: denton at June 5, 2009 2:40 PM in response to Roof Deck Not Up To Code