Need a lawyer recommendation to put a lien on the property next door.

Hi Bedstuyguy, did you find a lawyer? I’m also in a dispute with my neighbor who has/is damaging my property and I’m looking for a referral. Thanks!

shannon11201

in General Discussion 5 years and 11 months ago

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BedStuyGuy | 6 years ago

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Years ago the house next door started a gut renovation. The contractor and investor got in a fight, and contractor tore off the roof and never continued working. We do not share a party wall, but still water would seep through our walls, slowly. We alerted our insurance co, and called 311 many times. The insurance company recorded the damage, gave us some money to fix the problem. We got a contractor to affix a metal ramp, the length of the house, to keep the the water from going between the houses. That seemed to be working, until we realized it wasn’t working. They have no roof, only some beams and a tarp thrown on top. So the water is still finding its way into our place. Now they are trying to sell this house. We have damage beyond what the insurance money provided us. We were advised to get a lawyer and put a lien on the property, pronto. I’m asking for an appropriate lawyer recommendation and/or any additional advice, especially if you’re very familiar with this situation. Thanks in advance!

hkapstein | 6 years ago

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You are correct to seek advice from a lawyer.

ewfan | 6 years ago

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Try David Fainkich (718) 840-5860 He also has a 917 number that I don’t have at the moment.

daveinbedstuy | 6 years ago

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David Fainkich 917-376-1588

slopefarm | 6 years ago

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Ask a lawyer who specializes, but I’m not sure you can put a lien on a neighboring property without getting a judgment from a court, first. I would think real estate transactions would grind to a complete halt in Brooklyn if neighbor liens were a thing.
Not sure you can do a lis pendens as part of a suit either, since you have no claim to title.
What you have is a property damage claim. Depending how long ago it happened, you may be time barred. So yeah, ask a lawyer about all this, but don’t be surprised if it’s not so easy.

daveinbedstuy | 6 years ago

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I’m inclined to believe what slopefarm says.

sleestack | 6 years ago

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I would check ACRIS to see which bank has a mortgage on the property and then write to the bank (send it to the CEO and mark your correspondence “personal and confidential” to make sure it gets noticed) to let them know that their collateral is rapidly deteriorating and that they must take immediate action (i.e., foreclosure) to protect their position. While unorthodox, this approach has worked for us in the past when dealing with a similar situation. This won’t make you whole for the loss you have suffered, but at least it opens a path towards getting the property transferred to a new owner, who hopefully will finish the renovation that the last guy started. Good luck to you. This is a really terrible situation but unfortunately very common. We will probably see more and more of this as the real estate market begins to correct.

slopefarm | 6 years ago

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Thanks, dave. But the OP should get a lawyer, and not rely on me. This is not my area of law. I could be wrong.

greenworks | 6 years ago

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Your mileage may vary on the attorney who is often recommended on here — I was excited to use him for something small in hopes he could be my forever RE atty but nonetheless he was no better or worse than the 4 or 5 other RE attys I’ve had the occasion to use in the past.

dorkofwindsor | 6 years ago

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Not a RE lawyer, but I believe you would have to get a judgement against them in court for the property damage $ before filing a judgement lien.

BedStuyGuy | 6 years ago

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Thank you ,I appreciate your comments and advice here.

BedStuyGuy | 6 years ago

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I forgot to mention the neighbor did an underpinning. He tried to get us to sign a document awhile back, saying we knew about it, but we didn’t. He claims the underpinning was only on the “other side”, but it’s hard to take his word for it. This is not our immediate issue, but could definitely be an issue later. Our concern is having to invest money (for lawyer, engineer to check damage) and not recouping. This flipper guy next door is just looking to make a quick buck and has demonstrated he doesn’t care about his neighbors, the neighborhood. I think we’re trying to assess the risks and how far to go with this, and to be honest it’s paralyzed us.