DIBS -- Yes, the Kanarsee laughed all the way to the wampum bank on that deal (it was really more like $1000 anyway). They lived in Brooklyn but sold what they probably believed were non-exlcusive rights to use the land of Manhattan, where they did not live and which tehy did not exclusively control, and they probably had little concept of exclusive property ownership as understood in European society. In their minds, they sold nothing of value. It might even be thought of as protection money ("Go ahead, walk around Mannahatta, we won't kill you if you pay us $24"). Only the Dutch understood it as an exclusive land purchase. As we lawyers say, there was no meeting of the minds. Contract's probably voidable, although subsequent events would suggest a ratification.

Any thoughts from the rest of the b-stoner legal affairs unit?

Posted by: slopefarm at November 20, 2009 3:38 PM in response to Open Thread

Wait, now I'm confused. Brownstones killed the Indians and took their land? I guess bows and arrows were no match for falling cornices.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 20, 2009 3:29 PM in response to Open Thread

Very funny, BHO. In my version, that's still 10% above widget.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 20, 2009 1:35 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later

stevieb, no one is being glib about homelessness in general. We're just trying to figure you out. If you were financially saved by what's rantings and managed to avoid buying a house at the top of the market, as you have said, it is hard to square with your implicit suggestion that you are or have been homeless and that you are subsisting on taco bell. You've been hounding people all over the place on this site, but what is up with you? Where is your DP now, if what saved you from spending it on a house?

If, instead of cyber-stalking and lobbyng e-grenades, you came forward and told us a bit about your own real deal, you might not get the negative responses you've been getting. But right now, you don't seem for real.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 20, 2009 11:54 AM in response to Open Thread

But the right measure of reimbursement is repair/replace costs, like for like. What PV does with the money is his/her own business.

Unfortunately, a new caesarstone top, fabricated and installed, could easily run $350-500, plus possible costs to reattach the sink to the plumbing. The problem is that the top you have can't be modified to make the opening smaller. But it sounds like you aren't going to bother with a new one. Partial payment sounds right here, particularly since it is being offered. It can also be a gentle bargaining chip as you work out whatever other items there are on the list. You are right not to escalate over these small details.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 20, 2009 11:10 AM in response to Credit for bathroom mirror

I saw Al Gore, too! He was on 30 Rock. Said pretty much the same thing, but it was funny in an oddball self-deprecating way.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 20, 2009 10:37 AM in response to Open Thread

Hey, m4l, would you take your damn planet out of my galaxy! Yeesh, some people.

Kens, you are bearing the bull---t with much equanimity.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 20, 2009 10:23 AM in response to Open Thread

re: jester @ 10:10. I must have to utter those seven words after all on the 150 Bond thread. [Serenity now]

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 3:21 PM in response to Open Thread

mopar, oh no! Is this in addition to the floor finish? Or are you alluding to the floors?

stevieb, you have kens all wrong. Let it drop.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 3:18 PM in response to 150 Bond Finally Sells—For a Loss

Fair enough stevie, but there are other folks on here who discuss these issues with different points of view in a calm and reasoned way. You should be no less thankful for them than yuo are for miss muffett.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 2:55 PM in response to 150 Bond Finally Sells—For a Loss

"Thank you, thank you, for being the calm voice of reason in this sea of cacophonous and vitriolic arguments.

We could all learn something from Miss Muffett."

Posted by: stevieb at November 19, 2009 2:18 PM

f*ck you, f*cking flipper! I hope this loss hurts you financially as much as it hurt those who bought into the real estate bubble. f*cker!

Posted by: stevieb at November 19, 2009 10:21 AM

FUCK Y'ALL!!

Posted by: stevieb at November 19, 2009 10:30 AM

Kensington, go FUCK yourself too! HAHAHA!

Posted by: stevieb at November 19, 2009 10:55 AM

Which will it be for you, stevieb, calm reason or vitriol??

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 2:43 PM in response to 150 Bond Finally Sells—For a Loss

But -- to respond to stevie b -- I've never seen actual sympathy on this site for a flipper. As DIBS and wasder pointed out, it really doesn't look like this was a flip situation. A flipper would not have gutted if the house was in the condition wasder says it was. Too costly for the return. Original asking price was stupid, but it may have been an act of desparation, not venality.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 1:30 PM in response to 150 Bond Finally Sells—For a Loss

There's nothing wrong with flippers per se. If all you do is get a house, whip it into marketable and habitable shape, and sell it at a profit, there no problem. They don't inflate the market and don't make people pay what they wouldn't otherwise pay.

Flippers get their bad rep, and to some extent deservedly so, because in many cases they cut legal and ethical corners to get there. Sheetrock and paint is the answer to everything -- rotten joists, unsafe wiring, termites, leaks, mold, you name it. Sell the house and pocket the money before the paint dries and the water damage starts to peak through 1.5 coats of BM flat. There was enough of that going around to give all flipeprs in brownstone Brooklyn a bad name.

But the act of flipping, without more, is harmless.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 1:25 PM in response to 150 Bond Finally Sells—For a Loss

Kens, this is out of my league, but I think what happens is a flipper gets a lowball bid or has his own lowball notion of what it is going to take to get the job done, and secures as much financing as he can, but it only covers the lowball. Then runs into some unforeseen trouble, or perhaps just reality, and can't secure more financing.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 12:01 PM in response to 150 Bond Finally Sells—For a Loss

Apples to oranges, BHO. The house wasn't a shell when the seller bought it. See wasder's post above. The seller apparently robbed the house of value by gutting it and abandoning it when it didn't need a gut. Some of the 19% haircut seller took is due to waste, not market.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 11:29 AM in response to 150 Bond Finally Sells—For a Loss

I am still trying to figure out how I promoted a real estate bubble. Anyone out there rely on a bubble-era statement from me in deciding to overpay for a house?

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 11:13 AM in response to 150 Bond Finally Sells—For a Loss

Kensigntonian?? Kensingtonian's been talking up a bull market in townhouse shells?? Really?? For shame!!!!

Thanks for the gracious retreat, stevieb.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 11:06 AM in response to 150 Bond Finally Sells—For a Loss

montrose: "Walkabout: Atlantic Yards, Brooklyn's Future Crown Jewel"

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 10:40 AM in response to Open Thread

Cgar, that's good news about the Cdog, although it sounds like you are still in it for the long hall with a lot of extra caretaking.

Mr. B: "The Montauk Club needs some recessed lighting."

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 10:29 AM in response to Open Thread

Very funny, jester. Best one this morning. Although there were moments here I've thought it (not towards you, of course).

jester: "I wouldn't say that. Much too rude."

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 10:23 AM in response to Open Thread

rob: "Can I help you with that stroller?"

benson: "bxgrl, I agree with everything you said."

bx: "benson, I agree with everything you said."

miss muffet: "I just had an offer accepted today!"

Posted by: slopefarm at November 19, 2009 9:55 AM in response to Open Thread

All kinds of colors lurk in these old pine floors. We've got about five grades of maple syrup and some thin streaks of cranberry and charcoal going, just with a clear finish plus some poly. It was a bit shocking and we had to rethink the kitchen cabs. But purple? Oh dear.

I'm not sure what to advise, but I don't think the extra coat of poly will truly prevent damage, and the poly itself scratches. I've since learned that oil finishes can be reapplied to mask scratches in a way you can't do with poly.

That said, wait for some posts with more expertise, but I see little harm in letting him try, so long as you don't pay if the floors still are purple. Hopefully Senator Street is reading -- he usually has much more sound advice in this area.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 18, 2009 6:35 PM in response to Wood floor disaster

Apparently not, DIBS.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 17, 2009 2:02 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

I just had that song on the radio the other day, DIBS. Very appropriate here, of course.

Reminds me -- about a year ago I was walking down Carroll Street and a sewer contractor was doing some work and he had Wild Horses cranked. Filled the whole block and sounded so great (sad as the song is). I just stopped and hung out until the song ended.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 17, 2009 1:10 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

I missed it, CG.

ET's right. StevieB's getting a bit creepy.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 17, 2009 12:45 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

Pigeon, you have the figure for the April widget. The july widget shows the amount Mr. B posted. So the house beat the April widget by about 7% and the July widget by 18%. Yup, those prices just keep falling and falling and falling.

CG, other than where the house never sold, there have been very few instances of sales where widget was right or higher. None of the extreme bears on this site have come forward with examples of sales under widget. I also wouldn't call them widget haters, but widget lovers or buyer haters, since they seem to believe that the widget, not actual home sales, is the correct representation of the state of the market. They are really buyer haters, because they view every buy above widget as due to some outlier example of an idiot not knowing the market. Those idiots seem to be about 95% of the market, so they can't be outliers. I am not at all saying that this is a robust market -- it is not. But that doesn't mean the widget doesn't skew downward. It's like Chico Marx once said, "who you gonna believe, me or your own eyes?"

Posted by: slopefarm at November 17, 2009 12:37 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

DIBS,

Do you have a point to make or are you just channeling Jack Benny today?

Posted by: slopefarm at November 17, 2009 11:23 AM in response to Corcoran Found Negligent in Park Slope Condo Sale

Sending the bill somewhere is the easy part. Collecting is another matter entirely.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 17, 2009 11:00 AM in response to Corcoran Found Negligent in Park Slope Condo Sale

Snappy, have you ever figured out where to send the bill for straightening out legal misunderstandings on brownstoner?

Meanwhile, I just have to comment on the old "cancel the visit on rainy days" trick. I know it well. After a series of snafus that we did not quite recognize for the red flags they were, we insisted on twice-weekly meetings with the flipper we were buying from as renovations continued. Sure enough, two days later he called during the middle of a thunderstorm to cancel a meeting ("We need to reschedule, all the guys went home and closed up the house and I don't have a key.") Much more time went by before the next meeting actually took place. Needless to say we discovered a bunch of leaks and the start of a mold infestation. Thankfully, this was before we closed.

If the allegations in the above case are proven, I won't be all that surprised, although it will be interesting to learn whether the cancellations originated from the developer ("can't show it today, my guys are in there") or Corcoran ("sorry, I double booked, can we do it tomorrow instead?"). Broker might not have had actual knowlege of the leaks. An issue for the finder of fact, as we say in the legal biz.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 17, 2009 10:53 AM in response to Corcoran Found Negligent in Park Slope Condo Sale

f,

I have no quarrel with you over the awful state of the building. I thought you were a bit quick to focus this as a failure on the part of local legislatures, including one not yet sworn in.

As I see it, a council member has two roles here. One is that of a neighborhood advocate within government, pushing, prodding, trying to get folks with responsibility in the exec branch to do what they are supposed to do on behalf of the community. I don't know whether BdB tried and failed or didn't try at all to get some action on this property. Brad Lander, with an n, takes office in January, but is accessible now to constituents. Have you reached out to him about this?

The other role is to pass laws. My question on that front is what law do you want to see passed? To what extent is this building such a failure because of limits on the City's executive branch authority to take action or a failrue to use authority that already exists? And can those limits be expanded by the Council or is State legislation required? My query to you was in part about whether having the City seize and take ownership of dilapidated and dangerous buildings really a policy we want? Or is this an exceptional case because it is right in the middle of bustling affluence and lots of kids?

I just thought that turning this into a story of legislative branch failure seemed odd.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 16, 2009 4:04 PM in response to Doings at the Dilapidated 7th Ave & 2nd St Building?

11217--

You're info may be more current than mine on 3rd St. But I do remember learning a while back that it is a crazy-high tax lien.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 16, 2009 2:29 PM in response to Doings at the Dilapidated 7th Ave & 2nd St Building?

11217,

I think IMBY cut and pasted the old comment ironically. Look at IMBY's next comment -- not the comment of someone who's drunk the Nash Kool-Aid.

It's a truly nutty situation. Hard to tell how much is due to genuine craziness, or whether this is a Chin Gigante-like "crazy act." But this has been a slow motion disaster for 30 years, and if the lease/fraud stories in the two threads are truly, it could well be the latter. I think the brownstone on 3rd Street near 7th that some have mentioned is less complicated -- too much disrepair that, when combined with enormous tax liens, makes the place not worthwhile to reno and flip.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 16, 2009 2:13 PM in response to Doings at the Dilapidated 7th Ave & 2nd St Building?

Arkady,

I agree. Can't do cut flowers in a houseful of cats. Not worth the aggravation. I've learned this the hard way.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 16, 2009 2:04 PM in response to Open Thread

Um, the legislative branch can't condemn property.

Also, I'm sure there are quite a number of buildings in this shape or worse, and with big tax liens. Should the City condemn and seize them all? Repair and resell them all? It's a bigger policy question than what to do with this building. Back in the 60s-70s, when lots of building owners abandoned their buildings, stopped paying taxes and let them go to ruin, the City foreclosed on a lot of tax liens and ended up holding a lot of property for decades. Some of these lots are now community gardens, but they didn't start out that way.

This is such a prime spot. Does anyone know if people with means have been trying to buy the building? Or is it just not worth it due to liens and needed repairs/

Posted by: slopefarm at November 16, 2009 12:44 PM in response to Doings at the Dilapidated 7th Ave & 2nd St Building?

Ah, Park Slope's very own answer to Grey Gardens, but without the wealth, although someone posted a thread here a couple years back with photos of the daughter clubbing with a pretty high-flying crowd.

Ok, now fess up, anyone, if you actually went to the Landmark Tavern when it was open. I did once or twice right out of college until the novelty of the whole toys, tambourines and bad folk singers routine wore off (didn't take long, of course). Place was only open in the summer because the building had no heat.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 16, 2009 11:50 AM in response to Doings at the Dilapidated 7th Ave & 2nd St Building?

Madoff isn't the typical securities fraudster. His fraud affteded too many too personally and was far too brazen. He went beyond the street and into tabloid-land. His was a morality play, and those have more legs. His notoriety won't have the shelf-life of Dennis K. but of the likes of Amy Fisher/Joey Buttafuoco, or perhaps old Mr. Ponzi himself.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 16, 2009 11:27 AM in response to Open Thread

Biff, was that you I saw as David Frost:

Nixon: Say, did you notice his shoes?

Brennan: No, sir.

Nixon: Italian. No laces. What do you think? My people tried to get me to wear a pair like that.

Brennan: I think a man’s shoes should have laces, sir.

Nixon: You do?

Brennan: Yeah. Personally, I find those Italian shoes very…effeminate.

Nixon: That’s quite right.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 12, 2009 4:04 PM in response to Open Thread

Thanks; much appreciated.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 12, 2009 3:58 PM in response to Norman Benjamin

OK, I'm calling Sotheby's. I never authorized them to list my place.

Seriously, anyone else find the kitchen kind of weird? It's several light years from the island to anything else. And is that a mosaic floor or linoleum with a pattern? I can't figure it out.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 12, 2009 2:37 PM in response to Open Thread

rob, I hate to break it to you, but the green you like is a weatherproofing or insualting material. The brick goes over it.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 12, 2009 1:09 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 108

Snappy, was that the Van Brunt post office on 9th Street? 22 minutes? For packages? If so, what are your lottery picks today cuz I'm playing them too.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 12, 2009 12:35 PM in response to Open Thread

Glad you are feeling better, CDog. Next time you see randi, just imagine s/he's a fire hydrant.

Gee, Arkady, and I thought we had a new feral cat colony down the block. Now I know it's a bunch of plusa pets looking for kitty karaoke in the south slope.

Great prom photo, btw. Reminds me of the wedding in Diner. You look great.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 12, 2009 11:30 AM in response to Open Thread

Wait, now I'm confused. Rob is benson? (robby benson??) Sarah Palin's the opening act on the Miley Cyrus tour? I'm having trouble following this.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 12, 2009 10:15 AM in response to Open Thread

I'm definitely voting for whoever's running against Randi. What a jerk.

Benson, I thought you'd been quiet lately. Hope your trip is successful. DIBS seems to be channeling you right now, so no need to worry about the home front.

DIBS -- these are uncertain times. I suspect if the jobs picture isn't substantially rosier by Labor Day 2010, there will be a big swing no matter what happens with health care. The campaign dynamics remind me more of 1982 than '94 or '06, with the parties reversed, of course. "Stay the course" versus widespread unemployment and fears about the economic future.

P.S. Has anyone compared benson's road trip itinerary with Palin's book tour? She's concentrating on smaller cities in the south and west, apparently. Hmmmm.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 12, 2009 10:07 AM in response to Open Thread

First of all, be thankful the owner didn't just try to paint over. Presumably your offer reflect's the house's condition. A few thoughts:

If you really want this house, bring in your own engineer and a potential contractor now to give you their own opinion as to what needs to be done. I wouldn't rely on what the seller's agent heard from an engineer you haven't consulted with directly yourself. Discuss with your own folks whether the neighborhing building is a problem and whether it is possible to make your building immune to it through work at your end.

Second, even an honest seller has no financial incentive to get the job done well. Done, yes. Well, no, not if it costs more. You want people accountable to you doing the work.

Discuss the situation with a mortgage broker, and see if someone will lend in your circumstances. It's easier than going bank to bank. Some of this will depend on the lona to value ratio. The better the ratio, teh more flexibility banks will have. If it looks like a loan will work, get some bids on the work and negotiate a price reduction to account for you, not the seller, doing the work. Or the seller could agree to use the guy you pick under the supervision of an engineer you pick.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 12, 2009 9:53 AM in response to Water Damage/Mortgage Probs?

Snappy, are you baking them @450? A 350 oven just doesn't do the trick.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 11, 2009 5:21 PM in response to Open Thread

Yes, big diff between jail and prison. Menawhile, whatever pawn shops and check cashers signal, bail bondsmen signal proximity to criminal court and jail, which resident would be near whether thaere was a bail bondsman or not.

Honsetly, I don't see why this site keeps indulging every hiccup on the bail bond front.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 11, 2009 5:11 PM in response to StreetLevel: New Bail Bonds Office Closed Til Next Year

Fabulous Gabe Kotter fro, DIBS.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 11, 2009 3:30 PM in response to Open Thread

I agree with bx, Chris and johnny. Why is this news? As chris pointed out, if the client could go into the bb office, the client, by definition, would not need to. WHy would you want this office anywhere other than right by jail?

Posted by: slopefarm at November 11, 2009 3:13 PM in response to StreetLevel: New Bail Bonds Office Closed Til Next Year

VBP has the right approach. How much money are we talking about, anyway? If you knew who did it, I could see a more aggressive posture.

Posted by: slopefarm at November 11, 2009 1:29 PM in response to Tenants Broke Entryway