Sunday, November 30, 2014

The TA Still Dreaming of Conversion While Ignoring Major Tenant Issues


It's sad really. While the TA is mum, and therefore by its silence acquiescent, on matters like the commercialization of the Oval with Playground 11 turned into a pay-to-play area, and refuses to respond to questions about the legality of CWCapital crafting extra rooms out of ST/PCV apartments with work permits that state no change in occupancy (and all the shenanigans and bonuses that go along with garnering an extra room), while the TA is mum on other pertinent issues and is not putting up any vigorous fight for affordable housing, it is still pursuing conversion as a viable goal at the expense of all else, it seems.

Seriously, does the TA think that CWCapital will hamper itself in the sale of the complex by restricting the options a buyer can pursue, to include, at some point in the future, razing these old project buildings and replacing them with the most modern highrises? Does the TA think that CWCapital will restrict the potential profits a future landlord can garner from owning ST/PCV and dictating a course that will maximize the major investment?

There may be a 1% chance, or less, that conversion could happen, but it will only happen if CW doesn't see a solid sale in the future or if the economy starts seriously tanking. And as has already been said to me by an insider, conversion is NOT going to happen. So dream on, TA and those who are holding on to living here for the potential of buying an apartment.

There is going to be a tenant meeting this coming Saturday, December 6th, at Middle School 104, where conversion will once again be brought to the fore, among a couple of other matters. Chances are good that I will sit this one out, as by now, despite the cold, I'm not willing to put up with hot air.

105 comments:

  1. Each and every plan / bid that is predicated on the evictions of thousands of middle class residents deserves to fail - and condemnation.

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  2. Does anyone else find the collaborative REBNY newsletter rew-online article featuring Dan Garodnick and CW Compass Rock hypocritical given that it does not take into account that any energy savings is offset by the loss of trees that saved energy and the increased electrical buildings (accessories) and store fronts that now use electricity?

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  3. There is no reason whatsoever to convert this place. It is a perfectly fine RENTAL investment for some foreign fund or insurance company. You are all wasting your time as you have no power as a rental resident. If you want power, buy a co-op and get elected to the Board.

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  4. Councilmembers and the Office of the Mayor are slotted for another payoff by Compass Rock

    Orchestrating the payoff is the country's most powerful lobbyist and close friend of Sr and Jr Cuomo and close friend of Cuomo girlfriend Suri Kasirer

    "In a move sure to raise eyebrows, powerful lobbyist Suri Kasirer acted as Lee's guide Friday at an Upper East Side lunch to benefit Citymeals-on-Wheels. Kasirer told NY1 that she and Lee are good friends."

    http://www.ny1.com/content/news/128858/sandra-lee-enters-political-stage-as--first-girlfriend-


    http://www.nyc.gov/lobbyistsearch/search?client=PCVST-DIL+LLC



    Target: NYC Council Members, Mayor, Office of the (OTM)
    Subject: Determination regarding real property

    Kasirer Consulting LLC
    321 Broadway, Suite 201
    New York, NY 10007
    United States of America
    (212) 285-1800

    09/17/2014
    12/31/2014

    PCVST-DIL LLC


    317 Avenue C
    New York, NY 10009
    United States of America
    (212) 598-5238

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  5. http://www.newsday.com/long-island/towns/remediation-of-contaminated-fill-at-veterans-way-in-islandia-begins-1.9667368

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  6. I think most tenants just ignore the TA at this point because it has proven to be so out of touch with the tenants and what the tenants really care about.

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  7. So if the economy starts tanking the "TA" will bend over and jump at the chance to saddle residents with an overpriced inflated property with crumbling neglected buildings of over-inflated renovated marble-ized apartments on toxic contaminated soil (that should remain buried) but that will undergo a major construction excavation with the Big U to pay off the Tishman Speyer debt and the CW Capital manipulated trickery numbers that make this property seem one way when it really is another. Who is making these rock solid decisions?

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  8. str - why waste energy and time writing about it. It's not going to happen and we know this. So, let's talk & write about other issues.

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  9. People: You must fill out an overcharge form with DHcR> If you need the information of website, form # or phone , please ask.

    Everyone MUST FILL out overcharges. CWC is overcharging 80% of tenants living in Stuy and Pcv.

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  10. >>str - why waste energy and time writing about it.<<

    Tell that to the TA!

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  11. Danny G is now cracking down on scofflaw bike riders. What is this, the high school GO?

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  12. Hard to see a good way out of our situation. We're already living in the kind of rental situation that any other owner would perpetuate--churn the apartments by renting to transients, keep renovating and re-renovating, force people out to get the highest rents possible. Will another rental owner be different? Considering the scale of this place, I doubt it. I don't think anyone interested in keeping us a rental showed up at the 2006 auction, but correct me if I'm wrong.

    The other option is the ownership option or a combination of ownership and rental. Some people here are paying so much in rent, they'd be better off putting that money toward ownership. A lot of them do want to own their apartment. Can't overlook their opinion.

    What we can all agree on is that CW is a bloodsucking bucket of scum that we should want to get rid of as soon as possible--as long as what comes after isn't even worse.

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  13. Hoping and wishing that a conversion won't happen will not change the reality that it is an inevitability, this insider I know says that it is the only plan a serious investor will embrace.

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  14. 10:43"perfectly fine RENTAL investment"

    Tell that to T Spyer. Believe me, the next investor will not make that mistake.

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  15. Economic figures are starting to weaken. A rate hike might be soon in the future. Mid 2015 onwards looks to be "interesting" in terms of economy. If I was CWC I would look to get out of high yield assets like this asap. And who best to leave holding the bags than the tenants...

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  16. >>Danny G is now cracking down on scofflaw bike riders. What is this, the high school GO?<<

    He didn't crack down on them. He just wrote a letter, which he does quite well.

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  17. It's a shame the TA has invested so much of their time and commitment into something that'll never happen at the expense of all of the QOL issues they could positively affect. They are an antiquated minority of the community and it shows.

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  18. If cracking down is described as a 4+ year effort to enforce bikes & motorized vehicles from recklessly riding on sidewalks & against traffic. Then good work Dan!
    Oops they still do it, PS has posted signs in the Oval that are ignored by deliveries, commuters & CW's own employees. Well done DG.

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  19. Handsome Dan does a fabulous job of writing letters but unfortunately he does little to no follow up and gets no results. For example, the greenmarket and other commercialization of the Oval.

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  20. We do tell this to the TA, but I don't think we have to talk about BS just because other groups do. ?

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  21. Fortress Investment Group will be the next owner here. Why do you think they bought CWCapital a few years ago? It was so CWCap could hand the place over to them at the appropriate time. There will NOT be an open sale here. There will NOT be multiple entities bidding for the property. All CWCap has to do is satisfy the bondholders and they will do that with $$$ provided by Fortress. Period. End of story.

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  22. Good point 1:06! The TA is what, 6, 7 people? Why do so many people expect anything out of them? My bridge club has more members.

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  23. TRUE

    Anonymous said...

    People: You must fill out an overcharge form with DHcR> If you need the information of website, form # or phone , please ask.

    Everyone MUST FILL out overcharges. CWC is overcharging 80% of tenants living in Stuy and Pcv.

    December 1, 2014 at 6:49 AM

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  24. I'm just wondering why the TA thinks anyone would convert this place. As it was posted, a perfect rental and will churn for many decades. Are they really delusional, not that smart or pipe dreaming? Just because you want something so badly does not make it logical.

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  25. "Good point 1:06! The TA is what, 6, 7 people? Why do so many people expect anything out of them? My bridge club has more members."

    I don't know, can you have it both ways? On the one hand, you say you can't expect anything from the TA and then people criticize them for not getting anything done.

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  26. I believe the exact phrasing should be a "lead pipe" dream. This is literally a ticking time bomb in waiting

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  27. December 2 and I have not received my rent statement. Anyone else?

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  28. I just want heat in my apartment. I called again this am and she said if I call again she will tell me the name of the property manager to contact? What the hell? I have called all week....how can I find out the property manager contact?
    I am at 400 E 20.
    Sorry to hijack the thread but I want heat before a conversion!

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  29. >>how can I find out the property manager contact?<<

    They probably want to keep a low profile. I have no idea who my property manager is.

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  30. Property managers:

    Try both.

    David Bernhardt 212.420.4976
    Dbernhardt@compassrock.com


    Adam Eisman 212.420.5015
    Aeisman@compassrock.com

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  31. Just so were clear...there WILL be a sale of the property. That is mandated. The question is...will the winning bidder offer a conversion. Fortress has already indicated it will bid 4.7B and keep the place rental. Then there is everybody else who wants to bid. And of course, nothing will happen for quite a while because of the suit brought by the mezzanine debt holders who want a chunk of the 4.7B.

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  32. Back in the day, at the 317 Ave C Management office (under Rose Associates), they had business cards of their manager employees in a display rack. In addition, they had available copies of a PCVST map and on the other side of the map, were QOL noise regs including the 80% carpet requirement. I’d never though I’d say this but I kind of miss Adam Rose.

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  33. "Good point 1:06! The TA is what, 6, 7 people? Why do so many people expect anything out of them? My bridge club has more members."

    Why should that 6 or 7 people have any influence over whether or not this place becomes a condo or rental? If it wasn't for the fact that they are so being led by the nose by Garodnick and his group of profiteers, they wouldn't have any relevance whatsoever. They certainly don't do a thing for us as a tenants association. They exist only as the tool of a greedy, slimy politician and his RE and law firm pals.

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  34. They should give you the name of the property manager. They gave me mine, though calling her was an exercise in futility. Call 311 over and over and over and over again.

    Why are people fretting over the rent bills being late? If the bloodsuckers are late getting their pound of flesh, so be it. Their own fault for being so incompetent. Just REFUSE to pay any late charges.

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  35. I see that Garodnick is mulling whether or not to vote in favor of banning the cruel carriage horse trade. When he ran for his first term he touted his endorsement by the Humane League, so his vote against the trade should be a no-brainer. Guess that doesn't matter much now that he has big RE filling his coffers.

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  36. Obviously the property manager can be found in the near completed management office.

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  37. I've gotten more information and facts from Stuy Town Reporter this year then from the TA in the past 5 years..

    sitting it out too....

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  38. 11:31

    NYC regs state that between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM, if the outside temperature is below 55 degrees, the inside temperature must be at least 68 degrees.

    Between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM, if the temperature outside is below 40 degrees, the inside temperature must be at least 55 degrees.

    If you have a thermometer that's measured your indoor temperature and it's below the legal limit you should:

    1. Go to the 311 website or call 311 and register a heat complaint. Give your name and address and be sure to write down your 311 reference number.

    2. Open a maintenance request at pcvst.com or call 212-420-5000.

    3. Register your complaint reference number with the TA at http://stpcvta.org/iamcold and CB6 at http://cbsix.org/contact-us/ so your complaint can be tracked.

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  39. Yelp review are concerning - this place gone slummy.

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  40. The TA is all about two in the pink, one in the stink.

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  41. If they raze this park of homes it will become a cold, dank steel, cement, glass and whatever that cheesy neon like lighting is - instead of the natural, earthy grass trees, breeze and healthy families living alongside the flowing river.

    The tall trees and landscape was much more tranquil and beautiful than each of the 1990's-design buildings now in the Oval .. er I mean accessories.

    Shame and disgraceful and corrupt. The NYC city council should be abolished for its role in real estate deals against the West and East Village.

    Shame disgraceful and corrupt the TA has not fought any of the many assaults on this community.

    The MCI's must be reversed and charged to NYU and the apartment renovations must be challenged and reimbursed with damages to each and every tenant and that guy someone posted who headed the renovations and is now working at NYU should be indicted. (and yes they are unfairly allocated amongst the tenants favoring the MR which is indicative of how unfair things will against the RS if a Brookfield conversion). The tenants should be reimbursed plus damages for the overcharges in the applications of the MCI and the same CW overcharging antics at Riverton that are happening here (some of which are undoubtedly outright fraud).

    Tenants are owed a lot of money from the overcharges here as at Riverton. And this time we will not allow a ruling to be stolen out from under us by REBNY and their puppets.

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  42. Had PCVST not been pillaged by the corrupt RE Hedge funds and developers and their paid off politicians this once middle class community of families could have been a powerful force and ally for NYC schools and the mayors efforts to keep our children's schools out of the hands of the hedge funds that are taking over out kids schools. If PCVST had the right TA, one that was pro-tenant, pro-resident, pro-middle class community instead of drooling, pursuing luxury condo / commercialized property purchase, this community could have been an outspoken powerful force of 11,000 pro-public school ally for the administration.

    Corruption allowed the hedge funds to take over / destroy our community and it will allow them to take over kid's schools.

    "Teachout, the Democratic gubernatorial primary candidate this year, plans to attend a rally in Manhattan today in an effort to try to beat back a well-funded effort to add charter schools. She said hedge-fund managers spent more than $4 million over a seven-week stretch to help Republicans win the state Senate majority.

    "That’s the opposite of how democracy is supposed to work," Teachout told Gannett's Albany Bureau.

    Teachout urged state leaders to first fully fund public schools. Education advocates have said that despite recent increases in state aid, schools are still getting shortchanged."

    http://www.lohud.com/story/news/politics/politics-on-the-hudson/2014/12/02/zephyr-teachout-lets-fund-public-schools-first-not-charters/19780747/

    http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/zephyr-teachout-back-challenging-gov-cuomo-charter-s-blog-entry-1.2029337

    This TA is on the WRONG side of the middle class battle.

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  43. Mr Mayor if you side with the hedge funds, Developers and Brookfields they will continue to illegally evict us middle class as they have done to 5000 families here for their dorm scheme - and we will no longer live here and be able to be on your side in the battle for our kid's public schools. We should be on the same side on the battle to protect our homes and the battle to protect our schools. When you abandon us in the battle to keep our homes we disappear and you are weakened in your battle to protect NYC schools. But maybe those public schools won't be necessary when the middle class further disappears from here replaced with the higher incomed "new stabilizers" and they prefer the charter schools of hedge funds.

    Imagine the force of Penn south and PCVST combined - all those middle class families fighting alongside to protect NYC public schools.

    The only way to non-evict from PCVST is a Penn South co-op.

    And protect the REAL middle class of NYC.

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  44. Middle Class communities at Penn South, PCVST, and the Mayor's administration aligned in fighting to protect NYC public schools - I would have been on the front lines in that battle if the Mayor's administration had been aligned with us on a penn south co-op to protect our homes.

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  45. The former residents illegally evicted by overcharges that went unchallenged by the TA - some were public school teachers who would have been alongside the Mayor too, fighting to keep our schools out of the hands of hedge funds had the Mayor as public advocate in his previous role stood my the residents here and not the wannabe-in-the-RE-club-TA side.

    Many of us are protesting alongside Teachout against Cuomo and his billionaire benefators - hope to see all you there too.

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  46. December **3rd** is now upon me and I have not received my rent statement. Anyone else? Or does anyone else really care?

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  47. A Penn South solution would be great. But Penn South was done right at inception so unfortunately that won't happen here. Ours will be a deal for money about money, not about affordability.

    I'm only curious about the TA meeting to see if they've changed their tone at all. Would be much more inclined to work with them if I saw any acknowledgment that their approach has invoked a lot of dissent, if they were a lot less patronizing, controlling, and condescending and a lot more inclusive.

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  48. >>December **3rd** is now upon me and I have not received my rent statement. Anyone else? Or does anyone else really care?<<

    I received mine on Saturday, I believe. Call management.

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  49. >>Would be much more inclined to work with them if I saw any acknowledgment that their approach has invoked a lot of dissent, if they were a lot less patronizing, controlling, and condescending and a lot more inclusive.<<

    As the saying goes, "don't hold your breath."

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  50. Thank you STR. 12:39 PM

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  51. Did he really say that?

    http://thereformedbroker.com/2014/07/16/notes-from-delivering-alpha-2014-part-ii/

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  52. Please explain, or I may think it's spam.

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  53. The article they posted has a quote from Michael Novogratz / Fortress Hedge fund owner of PCVST on his take on the Japanese culture - which does not seem to be a flattering depiction of the people. Our landlord doesn't seem to be much of a people person if that is how he describes the Japanese people. Doesn't seem a flattering depiction on the culture, the women, or the men and their intelligence as finance investors. Can only imagine how he depicts residents here.

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  54. It's time to stop AGONIZING and get ORGANIZED! Forget those 7 self-appointed bozos, WE CAN DO IT!

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  55. I think the point of 6:09 is that the hedge funds and REBNY do not see this community as human beings or the Park land, trees and wildlife as living things. The only way to get through to people like Speyer, Langone, Novogratz is through their wallets. Which I think is why the person who made the point that all being overcharged should have the self respect to take the little time it takes to file the overcharges with DHCR. The only way to stop the Novogratz Langone Cuomos from pillaging us is to push back hard on their thievery of our money.

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  56. Just read the article again and the point being made by the commentator seems to be that people as Novogratz and those at the secret society Bloomberg party someone posted earlier this year where Novogratz threw a childish hissy fit and all the partiers were behaving like frat boys do not care about the human element of PCVST or turning the Oval into a teenage mall or the apartments into frat-like dorms or burying the squirrels alive under construction of the office buildings. That Novogratz sees the Japanese people as sheep robots who follow each other mindlessly just because one went one way all the others follow suit. Maybe the point the commentator is making is that this community follows whatever we are told by the Garodnick TA - like that the Oval can turn into a mall because of an accessory loophole (that our local electeds should have closed) or they can evict 5000 tenants for illegally subdivided dorm dwellings. I think the article is pretty insightful so thank you to the poster.

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  57. I filled out the overcharge form today and mailed it downtown. Has anyone done this and what was the outcome - not knowing what to expect from Dept of Housing - do they ignore, investigate, write back? WHAT HAPPENS NORMALLY/ ? Thank you all.

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  58. Just FYI--I have never had Adam Eisman or Dave Bernhardt return a call in which I laid out specific issues that needed their attention. Possibly they don't exist since they're suspiciously never available to take a call. I imagine life-size inflatable dolls propped up at their desks.

    Anyone with a heat complaint (you have an indoor thermometer, right?) would do well to contact 311 (phone or online). You'll get a tracking number, and your complaint will go in the city's database. If everyone who isn't getting heat does this, we'll be a gigantic red hot spot on the data map (check Community Board 6's page to see this). All these complaints make CW look bad. Go for it! Ditto for noise, by the way. And those complaints go to the NYPD.

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  59. Received my rent statement yesterday. Dec 4th. Someone screwed up bigtime!

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  60. Recent (12/2/2104) PCVST Yelp review moved to their “not recommended” list.

    “put up with running kids - family of four --- 2 or 3 kids in a one bedroom above us for 2 years @ peter coop. Banging above us day and night - jumping kids, running day and night - should have hired lawyer . moved. Noisiest building!!! - you can hear a sneeze, all their screaming and more. Rudest most impolite tenants in NYC with zero REPEAT ZERO manners. DO NOT MOVE HERE EVEN IF IT'S A CHEAP APARTMENT. You will be sorry.”

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  61. It is a fine RENTAL because there is plenty of cash flow, and a great upside as the elderly "relocate." This is not rocket science....just pure math.

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  62. Get ready for CHRISTMAS IN A TENT! Just like Afghanistan! Wow. Just wow.

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  63. Hey, 7:32....I had to laugh, Adam Eisman & Dave Bernhardt are assigned to my building, too. I have calls in to both that they've never returned. One time I called Bernhardt and couldn't even leave a message because his message box was full. I'm under the impression they just let their msg boxes get full, then they come in, hit 'delete all' without listening then go back home. Anybody know to whom these 2 report? Apparently they feel the sum total of their job is to do nothing.

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  64. Hmmmm not seeing the review as such on Yelp. Deleted?

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  65. As a sale will bring a conversion, t's the hands down superior business plan and any serious investors fears following The TS example, the question is what type if conversion?

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  66. I know, the MO of the posters here is that the TA sucks and is totally incompetent or the TA is deadly efficient and has an unholy alliance with CWC/CR, etc. so why go to any TA meeting period. But there was news today (from Garodnick) at the TA meeting. CWC has 6 years from around June 2014 (when they become the true owners) to sell this place. I thought the time frame to sell was much shorter

    "Hmmmm not seeing the review as such on Yelp. Deleted?"

    To see the yelp review I referred to, you must go to the last page of the regular reviews, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the "not recommended” list.

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  67. On the subject of property managers, some of us can remember when the entire complex - PCV and ST - were run, and run well, by ONE property manager, namely Bill Potter. Potter had under his direction a team of back-office people, a "Service Department" that ran like a well-oiled machine and a relevant and competent Security force.
    Problems such as noise complaints, maintenance issues, safety issues, etc., were taken care of speedily and competently.
    These "property managers" that we have now are nothing more than overpaid dead wood who give a whole new dimension to the word 'useless." They should fire them all and hire more porters and maintenance crew. The porters earn their pay and some. These useless "property managers" wouldn't know how to put in a good day's work if their lives depended on it.

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  68. I've gotten email responses from Adam Eisman.

    Forget his phone.

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  69. On Yelp, click the tab "Date" instead of viewing the reviews under the tab "Yelp Sort"

    Yelp is hiding a lot of the reviews that tell it how it is.

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  70. I too do not see reviews and that one on Yelp. Where do you see it as I click on date and it is not.

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  71. OK, so if the yelp reviews are all the way at the end, on the bottom, THEY ARE HIDING THEM. Wow.

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  72. Did Susan Steinberg wear her bikini?!?!?!

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  73. Did Granny Marsh bring his sharp knife? His dictionary??

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  74. Are the "property managers" responsible for updating the directories in the lobbies? The directory in the lobby of my building hasn't been updated in years! People who moved out (some even died) are still listed on the directory, whereas current tenants, who are aren't long-time tenants, are not listed at all.

    I overheard an argument between one new tenant and the letter carrier recently. The resident was pissed because a package had been sent back to wherever it came from; the postal person asked him if his apartment number was on the package and he said "no" because he didn't give out his apartment number to vendors and people who sent him mail (idiot!). The postal worker told him that because the building directory was so out of date and that she had too much mail to deliver to these dorms, she had no choice but to send it back because there was no way of knowing which unit he lived in. I don't know if they update the intercom names on a regular basis, but that is usually where I see this postal worker searching for names of people not on the directory.

    It would behoove these so-called property managers to get off their asses and take care of stuff like this. This is the kind of thing that tenants are paying their salaries for them to do.

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  75. In my building, names are written inside the mailboxes (I don't know put them there, but when someone's mail is being forwarded there's a taped notice inside). The mail carrier sees the names every day. Of course if the person is an occupant and not a tenant (not named on the lease), his name might not be on the directory, even if it were updated. He could help himself by giving his apartment number or learning the last four digits of his zip code, which would narrow the possibilities down for the letter carrier. This person probably has his personal info all over the Internet, but he won't put his apartment number on his mail? Too wacky for words.

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  76. Anony 9.53 PM. Annoy 9.53. I agree the directories are hopeless out of date. However, as we all know, the current transient roommate demographic that CWC/CR loves, this demographic can change roommates by the month, never mind by the year. I assume the only correct/current name/address database that CWC/CR has is the keycard one. So unless they replace the paper inside the lobby apartment directory with a digital one (holy MCI!) and unless these transients let their apartment numbers be known to vendors and/or enable a “In Care Of” address as well, this situation is permanent and will get even worse as the dormafication of PVCST continues at its rapid pace.

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  77. UPDATE: Exterior Restoration MCI for More Buildings in Stuyvesant Town - Peter Cooper Village

    Three buildings—431 East 20th St., 601 East 20th St., and 2 Peter Cooper Road—all in Peter Cooper Village—recently received a Notice to Tenant of MCI Rent Increase Application for exterior restoration work. Several buildings received such a notice in October. WTF?

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  78. 2 :06. All tenants got an mdi increase or just MR?

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  79. @2:06 PM

    At the TA meeting, the new attorney who handles MCIs said that any kind of brickwork done is not allowable as an MCI. But he added that stuff like that never stopped the DHCR from ignoring its own codes.

    If your building gets hit with one of these, send the docket number to the TA.

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  80. So the TA plans on doing something about this??? There were brick work charges before and nothing happened to stop the MCIs.

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  81. The TA attorney should look into all the MCIs that have been inflicted on us and that were NOT legal according to DHCR codes. We have been taking it up the ass for so long and the TA has barely raised a whimper. A few pennies off here and there means nothing when the fucking MCIs were illegal in the first place.

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  82. "If your building gets hit with one of these, send the docket number to the TA."

    Good one. Or you could just stuff it up your ___ since you will get the same results. Send it to the TA ...that's rich. you know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing (sending stuff to the TA) over and over again and expecting different results (like the TA actually doing something).

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  83. There is no real TA only the CWCTA. That's the problem here.

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  84. No, it's really just the MR tenants who are getting the shaft here.

    Who keeps getting MCI"s? MR!!! lol.

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  85. Not just MR tenants pay for these MCIs, unless I'm missing something.

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  86. "Not just MR tenants pay for these MCIs, unless I'm missing something."

    Unless you have a SCRIE or a DRIE exemption, we ALL get hit for MCIs.

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  87. They have TONS of money to spend on plants and flowers and the countless large bags of dirt(horseshit), ice skating rinks, indoor playgrounds, but they cannot be responsible for repairing the outside of their buildings? I AM NOT PAYING THIS MCI!!!!! IT DOES NOT QUALIFY!! PURE B.S. I JUST PAID FOR 5 RECENTLY MCI'S LUMPED INTO ONE. WHEN DOES THIS END, TENANTS ASSOCIATION? WHEN? WHEN?

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  88. I went through my MCI files recently saw that the TA has always instructed us how to respond to an MCI and has always filed PARs. At the meeting, the lawyer said that he filed for reconsideration of an old MCI we're already paying for and filed against another we're already paying for. We file, DHCR denies, we go to the next level. But DHCR has always been an unresponsive agency and they are able to flout the law and come down on the side of the landlords. Then the judges support them. Not sure why anyone is blaming the TA for that sucky system. The lawyer also explained that one MCI was consolidated into one unit, but the other was over 60. It would cost something like $20,000 for the filing fees to even begin to fight that one, and we'd probably get slapped down again. Has anyone here suggested putting up the money individually to file and fight an MCI? I haven't heard it. How about writing to Cuomo to tell him that his head of the agency needs to do his job right? Oh right--easier to just rant here because that really brings change.

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  89. Don't know about DRIE but SCRIE rules are ridiculous. For this year they moved the household income threshold from 29K to 50K. For years at 29K next to no married couples would qualify. And at 50K any married couple that worked wouldn't qualify because social security benefits alone would disqualify them. The only people qualifying would be those never married or married but spouse died. But most people in these circumstances couldn't afford to live here anyhow. So in short, just about everybody here is paying for MCIs.

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  90. The TA has a lot more voice than 1 individual tenant with absolutely NO power whatsoever. They, at least, have lawyers that represent us collectively, compared to 1 individual fighting these unthinkable MCI'S. THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN HELP US. That's why I pay my yearly dues.

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  91. I agree that closing ranks with the TA would be best for all...but the problem is working with the current TA board. So long as that board remains, so long as Garodnick is leading the board by the nose, there will be no coming together. The TA is locked into the Brookfield deal. All the behaviors surrounding this have killed general unity.

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  92. "The TA has a lot more voice than 1 individual tenant with absolutely NO power whatsoever. They, at least, have lawyers that represent us collectively, compared to 1 individual fighting these unthinkable MCI'S. THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN HELP US. That's why I pay my yearly dues."

    I totally agree with you. One person alone cannot do a thing, but a large group can make their voices heard. I would be glad to write letters, sign petitions, etc., but I would need some guidance because I am not well-schooled in the RE laws. I also pay my dues every year. We need the TA to get off the conversion pot and focus on what is really happening. A lot of us don't even want to buy our apartments and couldn't afford to anyway. WE need the TA to represent us as tenants, not wannabe buyers.

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  93. I posted this on the most recent STR tread as well:

    From a poster at the STPCV TA FB page:

    “If you're unhappy about the way STPCV is being run by CWCapital and Compass Rock, there was bad news at the TA meeting last Saturday. Councilman Garodnick said that according to the new creditor agreement put in place last summer between the property's bond holders and CWCapital, CWCapital and Compass Rock could be here for the next 3 years and that term is renewable for an additional 3 years. That's a possible total of 6 more years living under their destructive regime. And, if their parent company, Fortress Investment Group, a hedge fund that's publicly announced it's willing to pay 4.7 billion dollars to satisfy the bond holders and acquire the property, gets their hands on STPCV, CWCapital and Compass Rock could be here indefinitely.
    And here's even worse news than the above bad news, also confirmed by Councilman Garodnick: the property does not need to be sold on the open market. Theoretically, CWCapital could just hand it over to their parent, Fortress. I think this plan/scenario has been in place for years and it's the reason CWCapital wouldn't talk with the TA and Brookfield about buying the property. Diabolically clever of Fortress to buy CWCapital shortly after it became the Special Servicer here. If Fortress takes over, things are likely to get even worse for STPCV's long-term tenants. The head of Fortress is on the Board of NYU/Langone Medical Center and I'm sure we'll see the housing of even greater numbers of students, contributing to the further dormification of STPCV and the further erosion of our quality of life."

    It really is over here. Conversion? I don't think so.

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  94. The posters on the TA facebook page have very short attention spans! On the same thread as the post about CW owning the place in perpetuity, after a few shocked comments, they turn the subject to UPS and its delivery shortcomings! An important topic in and of itself, I agree, but start a new thread for crying out loud!
    Paging Peter Stuyvesant or the usual Hall Monitor!

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  95. I noticed that, too. Very bizarre to change the subject so dramatically.

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  96. "Has anyone here suggested putting up the money individually to file and fight an MCI? I haven't heard it. How about writing to Cuomo to tell him that his head of the agency needs to do his job right? Oh right--easier to just rant here because that really brings change."

    December 10, 2014 at 10:02 AM

    10:02 AM stop telling other people whjat to do or complain about other people not doing thins that you are not doing yourself. Just do it yourself. Did you do what you tell others to do for you?

    Everyone stick up for themselves and STOP demanding someone else do it for them....stand up for yourselves and do it LOUDLY!

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  97. Yes, I too have posted a similar scenario with respect to the CW-Fortress scheme. They will hold onto the property until real estate values are high. During this time they will continue pushing MCIs to force out old tenants and continue renting to students and pushing the legal rents with each churn. They will rent at market rates to unsuspecting newbies and when real estate is high. they will renew leases at legal rents forcing MRs to leave and these vacant units will be sold at market rates.
    If you take a free market point of view, CW-Fortress are doing their capitalistic, opportunist best. But the real enablers of this shit are Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae. They're in this for maximum profit too. We've been fed pure bullshit from Schumer about these groups supporting any plan we'd like and the city would like. They're already supporting a plan and scheme we don;t like and the city is also feeding us pure bullshit when implying they'll be able to help.

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  98. "Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae"

    They don't need them. Foreign capital, Russian, Chinese, Arab, whatever, is readily available.

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  99. 8:52...True, but that's not my point. Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae's original mission was to support lower and middle class housing...and what they've turned into is a bunch of unreliable, money-grubbing assholes...just like NYC big real estate. They're supporting CW Capital in everything CW is doing.

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  100. Sadly so STILL were all the pols at the TA annual meeting. Stringer went so far as to say he didn't care what the residents here want, he does not care about his constituents. He declared he and his office supports the Brookfield TA RE deal.

    It was incredulous hearing Stringer say he cares nothing for constituents - only for the TA dream of being in the RE club.

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  101. "It was incredulous hearing Stringer say he cares nothing for constituents - only for the TA dream of being in the RE club."

    I wasn't at the meeting. Did Stringer really say that? If he did, then he is a slimeball. I didn't vote for him because I always thought he was a toad.

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  102. What makes you think stringer is not supporting his constituents? Beyond a handful of anonymous posters here, no tenant wants to be a renter under the next group of shysters who'll own the place if there a chance for the tenants to take control.

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  103. Sounds like we need a head count of buyers and renters to get an accurate picture. Seems more like the smaller handful is the number of buyers, probably at 10%. Most of the MR apartments are transients, probably at 40% and they are not buyers (unless you count NYU as a buyer of a block of apartments). Then the rest, about 50% are renters who do not want to buy.

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  104. Why would anyone in their right mind want to buy a place that is over 65 years old, has rotten infrastructure (which is constantly being strained to the limits by the over-stuffed dorms with the pressure walls), would have the biggest maintenance charges in the world and has nothing really going for it apart from being in Manhattan - big fucking deal!
    It used to be a wonderful place to live, shoddy construction and all (because of post-WW2 shortages) because it was quiet and peaceful and a true oasis in the City. Now, it is an ugly, raped used-to-be park, filled with tacky, gimmicky sideshows and noisy, disruptive students who shit in the stairwells.
    Buy here? Thanks, but No Thanks!

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  105. If, or rather when, BIG MONEY gets here, they will be knocking down the buildings eventually.

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