Friday, April 25, 2014

It's Not Just This Blog... Residents Voice Displeasure at the Passage of Recent MCIs

This week's TOWN & VILLAGE highlighted tenant displeasure at the MCIs that are now affirmed forever as part of an apartment's permanent rent when the TA decided to withdraw its "opposition to, and request for reconsideration of the Prior Orders" its in negotiations with CWCapital.

Editor/reporter Sabina Mollot interviewed residents about the MCI settlement:

“It seems very unfair,” said Katie Bernard, who’s lived in Stuy Town for 10 years. She was especially annoyed that MCIs were charged for the video intercom system, which she said was unnecessary. “I can’t tell you how little it works. I miss the old system. I don’t need a screen.”

Another resident also said she didn’t understand the need for the security upgrades that qualified for MCIs. “It didn’t make my life any safer,” said Carol Szamtowicz. “These capital improvements, I’m sorry I have to pay for them.” As for the settlement, she thought it was good that the Tenants Association fought the increases, “but,” she added, “five percent isn’t very much.”

Meanwhile, another resident, Bob Novick, said he was glad to hear the retroactive portion of the increases had been eliminated. “They did get the retroactive off and that is significant,” said Novick. However, he too said he didn’t get why the intercom system needed replacing on the tenants’ dime. “We got new intercoms 8-10 years ago,” he recalled, adding that he thought the new ones were “essentially the same. The new ones are more sophisticated, but I’m wondering what the purpose was other than to increase the rents.”
 

And Bill Oddo, a longtime resident, said he wasn’t impressed with the settlement at all. “I don’t see where the success is when we’re only getting 5 percent off on all those items,” he said. “I have to pay $15 a month for video cameras and they don’t do anything. The security cameras don’t make us safe. They only help after the fact. You can’t possibly monitor 1,200 cameras 24/7.” Besides, he added, “For 65 years, this has been one of the safest communities in the city. It’s safer than St. Patrick’s Cathedral.” Oddo added that together he’ll be paying over $50 a month in MCIs, for improvements he thought his existing base rent should cover. “I can’t figure out why tenants have to pay for them,” he said. 

More here.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

The MCI's were absolutely a ripoff. A shyster selling knock-off Prada and "brand name" electronics on Canal Street is absolutely no worse than these shysters who have imposed these MCIs upon us. We are victims of a crime and there is nobody doing anything about it, except STR, who can only give voice to those of us who know what's going on. The NYC RE cabal and the politicians are as crooked and filthy as those in any filthy "emerging" nation or former Soviet Bloc nation.

Anonymous said...

STR, there are lot of us (and I mean many, many of us) who would like to post on T&V about our absolute outrage and disgust with the current management, but we are afraid to. T&V requires email addresses (even if you post as Anon) and they know who we are. Many of us don't trust T&V because it has long been a notoriously right-wing, pro-landlord rag. The original owner, Charles Hagedorn, was just to the right of Joseph McCarthy; his son, Christopher, is a chip of the old block. Sabina and her colleagues may be a little more enlightened and progressive, but they are scared of having their asses tossed to the curb if they buck the party line.
I don't trust that publication. I am not a paranoid person and trust most of the people and entities I interact with (while exercising a little discretion, of course), but I do not trust T&V. This publication sanitizes declarations by management; gives a pulpit to politicians of questionable integrity (you listening DG?) and suppresses information that may be in the tenants' favor and the landlord's embarrassment.
The STR blog is the only place where we can post our true feelings and experiences and not have to worry about repercussions.
Have they ever tried to buy your info, STR? I know you wouldn't sell, but I just wonder if they have had the gall to even try to wheedle or buy info about tenants from you.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

Either I'm not that tech savvy or there isn't a way to find out the IDs of the anonymous commentators here. I haven't looked into this and see no need to.

No, no one has tried to get this kind of info from me, and I think they know not even to ask.

Tommyboyardee said...

I maybe wrong? Other study town related blogs, web pages, have miraculously disappeared after it became apparent that management was monitoring their pages

Anonymous said...

I'll try again. Your headline is misleading. From T&V: a few residents who got the 5 percent reduction of the monthly portion of the MCIs naturally said they wished they’d gotten more shaved off their rent bills. However, mainly what they expressed was their disgust at the system that allows owners to pass the costs of building upgrades onto renters.

Anonymous said...

Amazing! People actually know when they are getting hosed!

Who would've thunk it?!?

Anonymous said...

Did I read the release incorrectly or weren't we promised some lube with that stellar TA deal?

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>Your headline is misleading.<<

My headline is accurate. I can write my own and not copy T&V's. I quoted the pertinent parts that relate precisely to my headline, and gave a link to the entire article. What more do you what? A headline that spins the settlement your way?

Anonymous said...



Well the worst part, and no one is talking about it, is that we need to get the FUTURE increases , which will be BS , as the current ones are, cancelled.

Someone step up and do this. And yes, I've been to DHCR and I donate to our TA.

Anonymous said...

One of the supposed benefits of the new intercom system was the ability to send important messages right to the apartments. After Sandy it was learned there's no flexibility in the system. If a message is sent, it must go to the entire property, specific building can't receive targeted messages. They continue to be a huge waste of money as is the "award winning" security system that has yet to prevent a single crime.

Anonymous said...

The MCIs are bogus. There were NO improvements, major capital or minor capital. The AG needs to look into this scam that we are all being subjected to.
The TA is a tool of Garodnick and Garodnick is simply a tool.

Anonymous said...

That is baloney, April 26, 2014 at 9:23 PM. The MCIs we just got stuck with are perfectly legal because the MCI law as it is currently written is a very, very, VERY bad law that needs to be re-written. It follows then that there's nothing for the AG to investigate regarding our latest MCIs, although perhaps he could take up where the Moreland Commission left off thanks to our governor.

Also. The MCI law is a state, not a city, law. So it's up to the Assembly, which has taken the steps, and the state Senate and the governor which have not, to change the MCI law into something fairer and more equitable. So your second sentence is a non sequitur.

Anonymous said...

The MCIs were bogus (if technically legal) because they brought NO improvement, major or minor, to the property.

Anonymous said...

Gov. Cuomo could care less. If he did, he would have done something. Nice being in the top 1 percent! The law is the law, and until it changes, they will continue to take advantage of it. End of discussion!

Anonymous said...

"Gov. Cuomo could care less."

Shouldn't that be "Gov. Cuomo COULDN'T care less?"

Anonymous said...

VERY GOOD!

Anonymous said...

The MCIs we just got stuck with are perfectly legal because the MCI law as it is currently written is a very, very, VERY bad law that needs to be re-written. It follows then that there's nothing for the AG to investigate regarding our latest MCIs, although perhaps he could take up where the Moreland Commission left off thanks to our governor.

I disagree. Clearly there is collusion here. The TA, Garodnick DHCR and CW Capitol should be investigated for fraud. The TA and Garodnick wanted these to go away as fast as possible to accommodate a sale, as did CWC. The DHCR is nothing more than a RE industry lap dog.

Anonymous said...

NOt sure the TA wanted them to go through for the "sale" . The TA knows and we all know that CWC isn't selling to the tenants.

Anonymous said...

There are a lot of sharks circling the water right now. Garodnick and his former law firm and his friends and the former law firm of his friends, are circling the water and just waiting for an opportunity to pounce. Don't say you were not warned.

Anonymous said...

Why isn't the SEC investigating this?

Why isn't the FBI investigating the collusion?

Why isn't Preet Bharara investigating the REBNY subpoenas from the Moreland Commission that Cuomo squashed along with the corruption at PCVST?

Anonymous said...

Why isn't the FBI investigating collusion between CW Cap, Dan G and the TA? Obviously because they're in on it too! (Cue Twilight Zone music)

Anonymous said...

Wow! Thanks for the whisper-y warning! But with all that swimming around ST-PCV, won't Dan G be too exhausted to pounce on anything? He's not all that big.

Anonymous said...



Garodnick is not circling the water. He is not stupid enough to think the tenants can buy this place. playing all of you like a violin.

Boring conversation now. tbh...

Anonymous said...

If the $15/month MCI charge is too much for you to handle I'd be happy to take over your below market leases for you.

Anonymous said...

The funniest news item of the week is Dan Garodnick calling for a crackdown on predatory equity. This is the same guy who aligned PCVST with Brookfield, one of the biggest predators in the business. Is this guy the biggest hypocrite EVER? Is there anyone (with a brain cell left) that trusts this guy?

Anonymous said...

Why isn't the FBI investigating collusion between CW Cap, Dan G and the TA? Obviously because they're in on it too! (Cue Twilight Zone music)

Spoken like a true conspirator. You got nothing to say so make fun of a serious situation. Are you the person from Garodnicks office who posts on here or are you one of the TA's paid prevaricators?

Anonymous said...



4:44 It's not about the $15 or even the $2.00

The charges will continue on any and every crack and repair needed. GL trolling.

Anonymous said...

If the $15/month MCI charge is too much for you to handle I'd be happy to take over your below market leases for you.

Sorry, Sucker. Keep paying your 3 to 4k as I laugh at you.

Anonymous said...

"If the $15/month MCI charge is too much for you to handle I'd be happy to take over your below market leases for you."

It is NOT $15 per month. It's more like $55 and to a senior on a fixed income, that is a lot of money.

Anonymous said...

And for SOME of us $15.00 is a lot of money. It's not just this one, its' more coming.

Anonymous said...

Hey 5:02 PM. I'm just a guy who's lived here in ST for over 25 years who thinks a few of the comments here are a little around the bend and responded in kind. Apparently you're so out there too that you can't even imagine someone who isn't from Garodnick's office or the TA not taking 9:09AM seriously. Time for you to get outta the house.

Anonymous said...

Hey 5:02 PM. I'm just a guy who's lived here in ST for over 25 years who thinks a few of the comments here are a little around the bend and responded in kind. Apparently you're so out there too that you can't even imagine someone who isn't from Garodnick's office or the TA not taking 9:09AM seriously. Time for you to get outta the house.

And I am just a guy who has lived here twice as long who thinks your comment was a little around the bend and responded in kind. If you have a problem with that then you have a problem, not me.