They changed the locks on us.

The outside door of buildings 1350, 1352, 1354, 1356, 1360, 1362, 1364, 1366, 1370, and 1372 had their locks changed today. Management so kindly posted this flier YESTERDAY. You know, it's kind of a big deal to change the locks, maybe a little more than 18 hours notice is in order?
It says you have to have valid ID. That's bull crap, they can't lock you out of your apartment just because you can't prove who you are. They should know who you are. Anyway, I don't have an ID (who drives anymore? driving is so last centry). The roommate went down to pick up the keys, because shockingly I was out of the house to work before 9:30. Otherwise I would be able to report the hilarity that ensued as I went to get the keys without ID.
FYI, when your key doesn't work, go get a new one.
BTW, a little (though incredibly annoying) trick I learned watching "The Big Bang Theory," if you want to get into a building, just run your hand over all the buzzers.... someone, in some apartment is bound to be awake and buzz you in without saying "hello."

No a/c fee for me... EVER!

I've decided I'm not going to pay the A/C fee. Before getting into this, I would just like to state for the record, that in theory, I think all these rent-stabalization laws are stupid and counter-productive. However, I'm not going to say no to free money.

Also, very important, I know FBG doesn't read this, but I really wish they did, because I will say this and mean it... Getting into these little fights costs me more money than I save, by being away from work to do it. If FBG management showed one drop of courtesy or respect, I would gladly pay these things instead of fighting over them. However, since they have ignored 10s of phone messages, 10s of voicemails, and 10s of letters mailed to them, all requesting that they just call me back so I may ask them a question or two, since they have ignored me so much, I will be a pain, and exercise my rights to not pay them.

Here's a fun fact about the air conditioner fee:
http://www.dhcr.state.ny.us/rent/factsheets/orafac27.htm

"An owner may collect from a rent stabilized tenant any of the charges for an air conditioner without obtaining a DHCR order. An owner must charge a tenant for an air conditioner at the time the units are initially installed, or within a reasonable period of time after its installation. If the owner fails to charge the tenant within a reasonable period of time after the installation, the owner waives the right to collect the charge."

This is the part that makes me so freakin' happy: When I first moved in, I wrote 10s of letters about the things that were never finished in the apartment, and begged them to call me to tell me if they would fix them, or wouldn't, so I could hire someone. They ignored me. However, the best part is, in those letters, I asked them to bill me for my air conditioner units installed in July 08. They ignored that too. I thought, wow, at least I'm getting some benefit from their total incompetence. However, this section of the DHCR regulations states that I now never have to pay them. To be sure, over a year would probably be unreasonable even if I never brought it to their attention, but it's 100% unreasonable since I begged them to bill me for it a year ago, and they refused. I haven't told them I'm not paying it yet, so we'll see how that goes. I'm guessing, not well.

As I mentioned in an earlier post:

"NY Property Law requires renewal leases to be sent to stabilized tenants no more than 150 days before expiration and no less than 90 days before expiration. They sent ours 84 days from expiration. The penalty/remedy for this is that the old rental rate will be in effect for all rent due dates occurring prior to 90 days from the mailing date. In other words, July 1st, which will be my first rental payment under the new lease will be on the old scale, and not the new one."


I told them that I was not going to pay the extra 98.64 for July. They called me in mid-july to tell me I had to. They claimed they replied to my letter, but I got nothing. I'd like it noted that when they go to evict someone they slide the information under the door, along with mailing it, but when it's any other issue, they just hope you find out what they said. Anyway, maybe they replied maybe they didn't. Management offered to send evidence of a timely renewal lease. I said ok. However, 1 month later, no evidence, no tenant copy of the lease, and no copy of this alleged reply. I called 6 times, and left 6 messages, politely asking when I could expect this, and they did not return my call once.

I try my hardest to be as pleasant is possible, and all I've ever asked of these people is to RETURN A PHONE CALL. They seem wholly unable to do such.

Maintenance is getting mixed reviews from us.

So, the hot water knob in the kitchen stopped working. Very annoying.
I tasked the roommate with calling maintenance (since I work all the time and she is on a 56-week vacation courtesy of Obama's unemployment extensions). She's better with people anyway. So, maintenance gets a B for responsiveness, and a D- for the ability to ring a doorbell. We called Friday, and Monday there was a note saying they came and we were not there. Problem is, we were there. All three of us were there when they came (roommate, roommate's friend, me). She called back, and they came Wednsday and left a note. Again, all three of us were there. They came again Thursday and left a note. Again, all three of us were there. We went down to the office and asked what the deal was, they had no answer and said they'd put our name on the night list. Ha, the infamous night list. That's the list where 3-4 people get their problems addressed between 5pm and 12pm, while the 50 other people on the list are not only not helped, but there is no attempt to convert those names to the day list of the next day. I.e., if you call with an emergency, not only will you not be helped, but you better call back tomorrow, because FBG thinks that emergencies go away if ignored for 12 hours. Needless to say, no one came.

So, who knows if they'll ever come and actually ring the outside buzzer, inside door-buzzer, or God forbid, KNOCK.

Whatever.

New A/C fee... $374.31

Taking a poll... who has been charged this fee?
Did you get a letter about photos being taken like we did last summer?
If you have more than one unit, did you get charged for each, or just one?

Update.

Ok, well, I can't remember what I've written about last, so if it's redundant, please forgive me.

I have a roommate. If you've read my pre-move story, you'll know that I had a roommate when I first moved to NYC, and we moved to different units in Flatbush Gardens. Well, we're back in the same place. She got fired/laid-off or something. Apparently unemployment lasts 56 weeks now. Since I was the co-signer on her apartment (because she didn't quite make enough to meet the income requirement), I told her she had to move in with me, or someone else, but I wasn't paying for her apartment. Honestly, the 2-bedroom was a little big for just me... I mean, I don't really need a whole room for my two bikes. So, she's back to living with me, which makes my rent rediculously cheap.

I also now have a cat. There are like 30ish stray cats in the complex. She found a younger one (10-months maybe) who was friendly and didn't have a pussy eye like this one we see all the time. So she took it home. He's very friendly, but I don't much care for animals in the house. Oh well, he's ok.

Reduced hours for package room.

The Flatbush Gardens Package Room has established new hours. I'm a little late on the news that was effective April 18th, but I don't check my mail very often, or do laundry, or get packages.


"Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds" . . . . . . but economic downturn can apparently do it.

Remember:
1. You need ID.
2. All packages you must sign for are held at the Nostrand and Ave I station.

So when you get your certified renewal leases, even though the brown sheet says it's in the package room, it's not. (Though I did hear that they hand deliver eviction notices. Evictions are apparently more important than renewals).



Anyway, new hours:
Wed. 12pm to 5pm
Sat. 8am to 12pm

Renewal time!

So my ex-roommate and I both got certified letters with renewal leases a couple weeks ago. As I'm never home during the day (who is?), I got a "we missed" you brown slip from the USPS. I waited until Saturday to go to the package room and pick it up, but FYI apparently all articles requiring signature are held at the post office at Nostrand and Ave I, despite the paper indicating it's held in the package room.

1. My stabilized rate is below the "new tenant market rate" advertised on the website, and thus, my renewal lease is being offered at the legal limit. However, the ex-roommate's legal limit is $75 over the current "new tenant market rate" advertised on the website. So to answer the question we've speculated about for a while: her renewal lease is being offered at the legal limit. No preferential rate, just the legal limit which is $75 over what new tenants are paying for a 1-bedroom.

2. NY Property Law requires renewal leases to be sent to stabilized tenants no more than 150 days before expiration and no less than 90 days before expiration. They sent ours 84 days from expiration. The penalty/remedy for this is that the old rental rate will be in effect for all rent due dates occurring prior to 90 days from the mailing date. In other words, July 1st, which will be my first rental payment under the new lease will be on the old scale, and not the new one. I should have signed a 2-year lease, and then all 12 months would be on the old scale. Oh well, that's just hind-sight. I strongly considered moving, and still am not 100% for renewal. BTW, I plan on exercising that right to save $100 in July, but the ex-roommate (who would save $150) is just going to pay whatever they ask for. Some people just don't like a good fight.

Anyway.

In other neighborhood news. I went to 11am mass. While at mass I noticed that it was full, with people lining the side walls, and people packed into the back as full as possible. However, when I left I noticed about 75-100 people standing on the steps and the sidewalk "attending" mass, who couldn't fit in. It was a busy Easter for the Catholics in Flatbush.

Update on the Newkirk Metro Stop stabbing.

http://flatbushnyc.blogspot.com/2009/02/1010-wins-new-york-1-source-for-local.html

NY Post reports:
* A Catholic Charities employee was charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing a co-worker at a Flatbush subway station, authorities said yesterday.
Rodwell Austin, 32, allegedly knifed the 32-year-old victim in the neck in the Newkirk Avenue station on the No. 2 line at 12:15 a.m. Tuesday.
The two had argued at work earlier, police said.
The wounded man was listed in critical but stable condition at Kings County Hospital.
As he was busted, Austin claimed he had attacked the victim in self-defense, sources said.


Ditmas Park Blog reports the death, with some user comments, here.

Where are this summer's apartment hunters?

So, everyone moves in the summer time, and those wonderful May/June months are not that far off. Are there any apartment hunters out there considering Flatbush Gardens? How do you feel about the current rental scale? Anyone?