Adjacent property roof deck / tenant parties / dangerous conditions

Focus on the noise. We’ve had some success with calling 311 or the local precinct during neighbors parties/music. If this does not work then you could possibly sue them in small claims court. Even the threat of litigation is often enough. Start documenting the nights and times of their parties. Use written notes and video. Explain to your neighbors what you are doing. Call the management company every time it happens and inform them. Try reporting the parties to the DOB as illegal roof top clubs. Become a pest. After a while the management company might decide these tenants are not worth the hassle. Failing that you can take your neighbors to court and perhaps receive a payment to compensate you for the disruption. It wont be much but will hopefully be enough to dissuade them from doing it again.

As for “talking to them”, you’ve already tried that. Anyone who thinks it’s funny to throw bottles of a high building does not deserve to be treated with respect.

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/neighbors-noise-faq.html#answer-1740943

dmcsr71

in General Discussion 8 years and 6 months ago

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soundhoner | 8 years and 6 months ago

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Hi,

Adjacent to my property is a small rental building run by a management company, with two roof decks. These roof decks, this past summer were the site of weekly parties, which aside from the noise came with the lovely side-effect of garbage being thrown or dropped from 4 floors up, onto my property. While cleaning garbage and cigarettes is already not fun, lately there are glass beer bottles dropped that shatter onto my back yard and explode in many pieces.

What would you do here? This is what I did so far: I went to the precinct and was told that without damage to a person or property, they don’t care. Then I went to the tenants who own one of the roof decks. who nodded vaguely but clearly don’t care. After that I then wrote to the management company with wording that included “liability.” I suggested they either lock up the roof decks, put barriers above the railings, or post a sign for their tenants. No response yet.

What remedies might I have here, to get the management company / owner to address this? At one point is it time to get a lawyer?

Thanks

Arkady | 8 years and 6 months ago

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Try the EPA.

notfromny | 8 years and 6 months ago

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I would call the management company directly and read them the riot act, including the fact that you will be calling 311 every single day about this until it is resolved. You could also threaten to start a block association to take collective action.
And you can reach out to your City Councilmember to ask for advice about how to handle. Then tell the management company that you’ve done so. This recently worked for me, so hopefully some combo of these might work for you!

angelique.m.west | 8 years and 6 months ago

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Notfromny is right. Calling is very important. Leave multiple messages. Be a pest. Btw, does the building have a super? If so, get to know him and maybe he can put a word in for you or give you contact info of the renters. The goal would be to find out what apartment the offenders are in and next time this happens go over there and make a personal visit or write them a letter yourself. Calling 311 won’t get you action.

yudashasom | 8 years and 6 months ago

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Is the roof deck legal?

Solomonsmines33 | 8 years and 6 months ago

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People are allowed to have a good time. But you can usually get people to turn off any loud music at a decent hour and get them to clean up after themselves and other specific things if you approach them constructively. I don’t know if complaining about the “parties” themselves is the most constructive because people are allowed to have friends over but I have never had a neighbor (or myself when I was young and had parties) that didn’t respond to a neighborly request to cut music off at a certain time or reminded that throwing a bottle off a 4 story building wasn’t appropriate. I think focusing more on specific problems, and proposing remedies, and less on the party themselves overall will likely get a far better result. I would also try going straight to the tenants again, rather than going around them.

AndrewPorter | 8 years and 6 months ago

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If there are glass bottles shattering on your property, this is a clear violation of the law. And if someone had been below them and were injured? I would think this is a matter for the police, community board or local representatives.

alamalsayarat1 | 8 years and 6 months ago

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Call 311, and 911. If a bottle were to hit you in the head from a roof deck, you’ll be in the hospital. Then put the broken glass, garbage, cigarette butts, etc against their building front door – or throw into their backyard.