work done by previous owner

our coop had work done in the 80s by a previous owner. we have a difficult tenant who keeps reporting these renovations as work done without a permit. since it was done in the 80s, we can’t find permits anywhere. people keep telling us that we can go to court and say the work was done by a previous owner and have the slate wiped clean, but this does not seem to be the case. the few times we’ve gone to court we’ve been fined, than have had to hire architects to draw up plans, have the old work certified, etc. how can we fix this? can we?

grumpygirl

in Construction 13 years and 4 months ago

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bowl-of-dicks | 13 years and 4 months ago

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Something’s not adding up. So you went to court and chose to pay fines vs. going kosher with hiring an architect to file drawings with the DOB? So long as you choose not to let the DOB into your home for an inspection of the unfiled renovation, the tenant will continue to call and you will continue to get the visits. If you have already had the plans drawn up, why are you withholding from filing with DOB? That will end the visits.

Townie | 13 years and 4 months ago

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Are you sure you needed permits in the first place?   New floors, new kitchen cabinets, new plaster and paint, replacing bathroom fixtures don’t require permits.

Bklnite | 13 years and 4 months ago

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You bought the apartment with the RS tenant as an investment? I guess this is one of the risks. There’s no way to prevent someone from calling 311 with bogus complaints. If you’ve had plans drawn and filed for what’s been done and your architect or expediter says everything is kosher with the apartment, they’ll have to attempt to inspect if they get comlaints but they should have no reason to give you a violation.

grumpygirl | 13 years and 4 months ago

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trust me, we’ve done all this and more. and DOB comes weekly to check the complaints. they know, everyone knows. she ain’t going anywhere. (and we own the apartment, so we have plenty of incentive to get rid of her.) but trust me when i tell you there is no way around this one. i just want to stop having to deal with the DOB coming to ask to look in my apartment.

Bklnite | 13 years and 4 months ago

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It may be worth offering to buy out the tenant, but if the original coop sponser owns the apartment he may not care about this nuissance (though the owner would get a big windfall if able to sell the unoccupied apartment). Anyone can call 311 and make a complaint so I think DOB gets pretty jaded with the volume of calls from cranks. I doubt it’s a high priority to investigate complaints about work done 3 decades ago.

grumpygirl | 13 years and 4 months ago

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rent stabilized nuisance tenant left from before the building went coop. constant harassment, and we don’t have the funds to attempt eviction which can only really be done if she stops paying rent.

bowl-of-dicks | 13 years and 4 months ago

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How can a coop apartment be rent-stabilized?

needmtg | 13 years and 4 months ago

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In this case, even I’d say: get rid of that tenant asap. No tenant should be able to harass you like that. Is he rent-stablilized?

grumpygirl | 13 years and 4 months ago

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so if permit was lost in 25 years and not on file with city, we still have to handle it the same way?

jockdeboeraia | 13 years and 4 months ago

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You are on the hook for whatever was done. Permit or not. Hire an architect, draw up the plans, etc. Sorry.