The Fiasco

I'm going to write a new post here detailing what I consider "The Fiasco," which is the work stoppage, mandated by the DOB (Department of Buildings) at Peter Cooper Village, and the official explanations that happened afterward. Naturally, and not unusually, both the our TA and our councilman Dan Garodnick got on board as quickly as possible to make it seem as if they were the ones behind the work stoppage. I consider both of them to be worthless nowadays to tenants, but there they were, trying to shine the spotlight on themselves, rather than the high-level of noise and dust that tenants had to endure around the new refurbished apartments.

Update 8/24/2017:

While I will get to the Fiasco soon, I want to reiterate that Management is concerned primarily with filling these apartments and having these apartments filled with as many people as the can--legally, but that another story. In searching this blog, I went back in time and came across this, in February of 2016. The posted email is a response by General Manager Rick Hayduk to Barry Shapiro, who is now running for our councilman:

https://stuytownreport.blogspot.com/2016/02/general-manage-rick-hayduk-responds.html

>>We'll be introducing a new process to identify registered dogs (see the attached photo) thus enabling Public Safety Officers to clearly approach offending dog owners. The registration will hang from the leash handle; clearly identifying the dog as registered.

If the dog is not registered by May 1; a summons will be issued at the point of contact. If we learn the dog owner is not a resident, they will be escorted off the property.

Yes, enforcement has been lax but in defense of our team, they would have had to stop every dog owner because the registration tag could not be seen. The new process will allow the rules to be enforced.<<

A "summons will be issued at the point of contact".... If the owner is not a resident, "they will be escorted off the property." (BTW, the May date is of last year. There was a similar warning this year.)

Who are you going to believe?  Management, Public Safety? Or your lying eyes?

The above message is an insult to everyone here, if they care. Perhaps some people do not care or don't want to be bothered. Blackstone and their representatives here are counting on that: a lack of caring. If few people care, Blackstone wins. If there is no TA or an inefficient TA, Blackstone wins.

Update 8/27/2017:

This is a long post, so bear with me.

The question of lying vs. incompetence has been raised. My impression is that the representatives here of Blackstone, and even the "big chief," have been lying to tenants. Now what is a lie:

According to the defintion (and I am using Dictionary.com, but others will do also) a lie is a deliberate false statement with an intent to deceive. It can also be something intended or serving to convey a false impression. There are also other definitions, but you get the picture.

While calling someone a liar is, in my book, one of the worst things one can call someone, aside from calling someone a murderer, rapist, etc. You just don't call someone a liar and to their face.

However, unless there is the very fragile case made for pure incompetence (and one would have to ask why they are incompetent), it seems clear that Blackstone's representatives here are indeed liars. They serve one god: the god of selling apartments here. All other items--though I am sure these items they would like resolved--can take a backseat. Hence, the lie.

We as tenants have been lied to.

I've gone through many past postings and I continually see a landlord's lie. These lies are even posted on the TA Facebook by a few members. Unfortunately, the TA is remiss at dealing with these lies and the liars.

I will point out the various deceptions. But the lack of enforcement of the lanyard rule, a rule stressed by this complex's manager a year apart, has already been written about. Check above.

Update 8/27/2017 - same day

So I checked the work order downstairs on both the M and T levels. Before I get to that, let me repeat one email I sent. (I sent several.) These mails were CCed to various people. One of my recent letters was sent to these people:

Debra Sabatino, Michael Prince, Rick Hayduk, Stephen Schwarzman.... Apparently CCed by Rick was PS chief, McClellan. My message was mainly to reiterate that I had not found the current DoB postings on work being done on two floors. This letter was dated August 8:

>>Once again, I see no DOB filing for the work that is being done on 522 East 20 St. (3RD FLOOR). I believe that is the number. It has been 2 weeks, at least, since I was assured that new DOB filings were put in and were to be posted, but I've checked both the T and M levels even this morning and so far there is no up-to-date filings that include the 3rd floor.  And I believe the 1st floor also needs them, since there is already one apartment that has its door sealed with plastic.<<

  

Rick responded to this and another email sent by me on August 14th that the up-to-date work permit was being waited for and that, besides, MetLife had requested a "building specific" rather than a "apartment specific" work order. This latter information is all and good, but all such notices carry an end term, so what MetLife did, though of some interest, is not to the point.

So I checked today and, yes, there are new DoB work permits in place. What is the starting date? August 24th. Let me repeat that: August 24th. That is the date that the work permit, waited on, covers all floors in this building for partitions and the work on wet walls. Unless I am wrong, the start date does not cover the work being done on these other floors before that date, WORK WHICH WAS ALREADY OCCURRING.

We know that Management was "caught" doing work on Peter Cooper Village apartments before a proper work order by DoB was in place.

UPDATE 9/1/2017:

This is basically retread of a comment I made in another section, but it is now on the front page here:

From the TA Facebook, the start:

"Intriguing development. A Stop Work order, citing 'work being done in a dangerous or unsafe manner' has been issued by NYC Buildings Dept for the PCV apt attached to mine (bedroom & bathroom). For the past few weeks I have been living with the noise nightmare as the apt gets reconfigured. It seems to me that the noise has been worse than the previous renovations I've lived through. To reconfigure a one bedroom, the old kitchen became a second bedroom. A new kitchen has been created in the living room and supposedly a wall had to be removed/moved. Any ideas what could be dangerous and unsafe."

Part of another post:

"But, to summarize: Electrical work without permit, plumbing work without permit, wall construction without permit."

A response from "Peter Stuyvesant":

"The TA is releasing the following statement: When tenants reported to the Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association that no permits had been posted for certain apartment reconfigurations underway in Peter Cooper Village, the TA pursued the issue with the Department of Buildings, City Council Member Dan Garodnick, and management. The DOB deputy commissioner confirmed that permits were needed for each unit being reconfigured and work should not be performed without permits unless they were both obtained and posted.

On Friday, August 18, DOB inspectors came to six Peter Cooper Village buildings to review units that had no permits. The inspectors ultimately issued 15 violations for five units (electrical, plumbing, and general) as well as four stop-work orders. The violations carry fines.

In the follow-up with management, the TA was told that, unknown to StuyTown Property Services, the Construction Manager started work on several units before permits were issued and neglected to notify SPS. SPS conferred with its reconfiguration consultant team to determine what had happened.

When the violations are 'cured' and permits issued and posted, work will resume.

Council Member Dan Garodnick commented: 'Thank you to the Tenants Association for their keen eye and advocacy on this, and to the DOB for responding to our request for an investigation. We expect management to play by the rules, and regardless of how they allowed this to happen, they to need deliver on their commitment to correct this practice immediately.'"

As you can tell, both the TA and our friend Dan sought to take center stage on what was illegally happening at Peter Cooper. The residents who had this noise and filth contacted the DOB and they should be applauded. Despite a general feeling of apathy around here, the residents did something to make sure Management heard about the problems: they alerted the DOB. Now, this will not stop the noise and filth, but it put a temporary halt that is legal from the city's point of view.

There are various laws that the city has which Management has decided not to be worried too much about since they "own" the place. It is up to residents, myself included, to make sure these city rules are followed.