Author Topic: Landlord issues  (Read 8110 times)

Offline ya

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Landlord issues
« on: June 22, 2015, 03:47:58 PM »
NYC frum landlord. APT in flatbush. Paying market rate for rent.

Anyone have any advise my landlord wont fix or do anything in my apt.

We have a major water bug issue. His answer is " you should be happy you don't have mice and rats" Closet doors were broken since we moved and (track is totally broken) His answer is "closet still works fine next time i stop by ur apt i can pick up the doors" These are just a few of the issues we have.

His side of the story is he doesn't need to provide closet doors according to NYC ,Apt is not considered legally infested etc.... but then if i dont pay rent on the first he goes nuts. (he does have an illegal office and apt in the basement any reason not to call 311 on him?)
« Last Edit: June 22, 2015, 03:51:33 PM by ya »

Offline Chapshnell

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2015, 03:58:52 PM »
Landlord here, we hate 311 but it will get his attention. I wouldn't hesitate if I was in your shoes. Especially if you told him a few times. Its your only option.
If you have a legal contract & you pay on time you are in the drivers seat. Tenants have way more rights than landlords. Just dont tell the inspector when they come down about the illegal basement as that has no effect for your problems.. Will just cause him thousands of dollars worth of fines.
Let me just tell you this, if he is smart he listens to you as if an inspector comes down & your apt looks like the way you are describing they will write him up for every little thing. Outlets, holes in the wall, paint. etc etc etc
« Last Edit: June 22, 2015, 04:03:40 PM by Chapshnell »

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2015, 04:01:32 PM »
(he does have an illegal office and apt in the basement any reason not to call 311 on him?)

Yes. Calling 311 is mesira. If you have a problem with him, take him to Din Torah, a Rav, or try speaking to his Rav.

Offline ya

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2015, 04:07:22 PM »
Landlord here, we hate 311 but it will get his attention. I wouldn't hesitate if I was in your shoes. Especially if you told him a few times. Its your only option.
If you have a legal contract & you pay on time you are in the drivers seat. Tenants have way more rights than landlords. Just dont tell the inspector when they come down about the illegal basement as that has no effect for your problems.. Will just cause him thousands of dollars worth of fines.
Let me just tell you this, if he is smart he listens to you as if an inspector comes down & your apt looks like the way you are describing they will write him up for every little thing. Outlets, holes in the wall, paint. etc etc etc

holes in wall, outlet covers missing are illegal and he can get fined for it? What else is? Illegal apt does effect me as threatening that I will tell the city on him will get him listening. It did at first but now 6 months later and I never told he sees its an empty threat and says "what apt are you taking about"

Offline Chapshnell

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2015, 04:08:18 PM »
Yes. Calling 311 is mesira. If you have a problem with him, take him to Din Torah, a Rav, or try speaking to his Rav.

If someone is not doing their duty & they've been asked multiple times to fix it & they are explicitly not interested there is 311 for this exact reason.
The guy wont get arrested or put into jail etc. Inspector will come down, issue HPD violations, the guy has a time-frame to fix it depending on the severity of the violation & if he doesnt fix it the city will & charge him. If he doesnt pay a lien will be put on his property. A smart man just fixes the issue & avoids HPD/311 at all costs.

An idea might be to threaten him with a 311 phone call. But only if you really plan on doing it. Otherwise its an empty threat. It will get his attention.

Offline Chapshnell

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2015, 04:09:39 PM »
holes in wall, outlet covers missing are illegal and he can get fined for it? What else is? Illegal apt does effect me as threatening that I will tell the city on him will get him listening. It did at first but now 6 months later and I never told he sees its an empty threat and says "what apt are you taking about"

There is a saying tell that to the judge.. any plumbing (toilet) in the basement or furniture (like a bed) is big big fines.. IIRC its $5k per violation before possible settlements.

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2015, 04:10:38 PM »
NYC frum landlord. APT in flatbush. Paying market rate for rent.

Anyone have any advise my landlord wont fix or do anything in my apt.

We have a major water bug issue. His answer is " you should be happy you don't have mice and rats" Closet doors were broken since we moved and (track is totally broken) His answer is "closet still works fine next time i stop by ur apt i can pick up the doors" These are just a few of the issues we have.

His side of the story is he doesn't need to provide closet doors according to NYC ,Apt is not considered legally infested etc.... but then if i dont pay rent on the first he goes nuts. (he does have an illegal office and apt in the basement any reason not to call 311 on him?)
I think you should first let him know that you plan on calling 311 and the consequences he might suffer and then give him at least a few days to get his act together.

Offline Chapshnell

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2015, 04:12:18 PM »
exactly, I always tell my tenants (not mishelanu) call me & give me a chance to fix the issue before going to HPD. Give the guy a chance, seems like hes aloof

Offline snapit

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2015, 04:12:26 PM »
Yes. Calling 311 is mesira. If you have a problem with him, take him to Din Torah, a Rav, or try speaking to his Rav.
And why not just hold the rent until the issue is resolved? In nyc even if the landlord decided to try to evict, it would take from 6mo to 2 years until he actually gets results  (that's why my company sticks to pa, 3 week eviction process!)
Eta: chapshnell, correct me if I'm wrong

Offline ya

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2015, 04:12:45 PM »
I think you should first let him know that you plan on calling 311 and the consequences he might suffer and then give him at least a few days to get his act together.
Its been going on for 6 months and I warned him to his face before Pesach.

Offline ya

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #10 on: June 22, 2015, 04:13:35 PM »
And why not just hold the rent until the issue is resolved? In nyc even if the landlord decided to try to evict, it would take from 6mo to 2 years until he actually gets results  (that's why my company sticks to pa, 3 week eviction process!)
Eta: chapshnell, correct me if I'm wrong
because you are not allowed to withhold rent to my knowledge. Though I did pay late for a few months until he fixed everything. Now he just send me these BS letters that I owe him late fees and he harasses my wife all day for the money
« Last Edit: June 22, 2015, 04:17:21 PM by ya »

Offline Chapshnell

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #11 on: June 22, 2015, 04:15:04 PM »
And why not just hold the rent until the issue is resolved? In nyc even if the landlord decided to try to evict, it would take from 6mo to 2 years until he actually gets results  (that's why my company sticks to pa, 3 week eviction process!)
Eta: chapshnell, correct me if I'm wrong

dont hold rent, eventually it will pile up & you dont want to play the court system.
Technically you can withhold it & tell the judge you are not paying because he is ignoring you.
Only way you can get them to side with you is if you have hpd violations noted on the building. If the judge pulls the report & sees no violations you have no chance

Offline snapit

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #12 on: June 22, 2015, 04:15:16 PM »
because you are not allowed to withhold rent to my knowledge.
I would ask my lor, my instinct tells me that if I'm paying for a service that I'm not receiving I wouldn't pay for it until it's resolved

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2015, 04:16:08 PM »
Its been going on for 6 months and I warned him to his face before Pesach.
You can give him a second chance...
But might also be helpful to explain in detail What's going to happen when you call 311

Offline snapit

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #14 on: June 22, 2015, 04:16:27 PM »
dont hold rent, eventually it will pile up & you dont want to play the court system.
Technically you can withhold it & tell the judge you are not paying because he is ignoring you.
Only way you can get them to side with you is if you have hpd violations noted on the building. If the judge pulls the report & sees no violations you have no chance
So with that info, I would file a complaint and then put money in escrow

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #15 on: June 22, 2015, 04:16:37 PM »


If someone is not doing their duty & they've been asked multiple times to fix it & they are explicitly not interested there is 311 for this exact reason.
The guy wont get arrested or put into jail etc. Inspector will come down, issue HPD violations, the guy has a time-frame to fix it depending on the severity of the violation & if he doesnt fix it the city will & charge him. If he doesnt pay a lien will be put on his property. A smart man just fixes the issue & avoids HPD/311 at all costs.

An idea might be to threaten him with a 311 phone call. But only if you really plan on doing it. Otherwise its an empty threat. It will get his attention.
Mesira has nothing to do with arresting and putting someone into jail. Make a person pay a fine of a pruta and your a moser. With all the dinim involved.

Offline Chapshnell

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #16 on: June 22, 2015, 04:16:52 PM »
Its been going on for 6 months and I warned him to his face before Pesach.

Tell him.. If this list (make one) is not done by 7/15 or whatever I will call HPD & you do not want to deal with their "emergency repairs" division. to fix a cabinet they charge like $2k each. something like that. Basically if you dont do your job as landlord they have no rachmunis on you & will charge you in tatte's tatte arahn

Offline Chapshnell

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #17 on: June 22, 2015, 04:17:38 PM »
Mesira has nothing to do with arresting and putting someone into jail. Make a person pay a fine of a pruta and your a moser. With all the dinim involved.

sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. you can only try with diplomacy so much

Offline snapit

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #18 on: June 22, 2015, 04:18:14 PM »
Mesira has nothing to do with arresting and putting someone into jail. Make a person pay a fine of a pruta and your a moser. With all the dinim involved.
How is that any different then making someone live in a nasty apartment? (2 wrongs don't make a right but...)

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Re: Landlord issues
« Reply #19 on: June 22, 2015, 04:19:43 PM »
How is that any different then making someone live in a nasty apartment? (2 wrongs don't make a right but...)
Those are the laws of the Torah. As you pointed out two wrongs don't make one right.