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Posted by DK on February 16, 2000 at 21:06:27:

In Reply to: reporting dangerous conditions in NYC posted by Hillary R on February 14, 2000 at 11:07:28:

Sending a letter to the Department of Health is the best way to proceed. Unlike many city agencies, the unit at the Department of Health which enforces the rules on window guards does take their duty seriously.'

If you really think that the welfare of a child is seriously endangered, you should contact the NYC Administration for Children's Services. The child abuse hotline is (800) 342-3720. They also take their role very seriously.

If you have repair problems at the building, then the best way to proceed is to start a code enforcement proceeding in Housing Court. It will require a day to start the case by filling out an affidavit listing all of the repair problems and getting the judge to sign an order to show cause. It costs $35 plus mailing costs to start the case. On the court date, usually about two or three weeks later, attorneys from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development will be available to help you get an order requiring the landlord to repair the violation conditions.

: I'm subletting a co-op in a brownstone in NYC; this is my first apartment without a guarantor. I plan to move out of this weird building when this lease is up. It is the blight of the block. They don't clean the halls, broken lights stay broken, the garbage is a mess: it attracts rats, the sidewalk is broken, etc. The shareholders all live here; they all have college/graduate degrees. I don't want to report most of the problems or withhold rent: I don't want to get blacklisted by these things. I will report anything really serious. One shareholder is, well, 'off': seriously 'off'; the others avoid dealing with him; talk is that he's a director and holds the purse-strings. It's like living in one big dysfunctional family: one crazy guy, everyone else warped by dancing to his tunes.

: That is why I'm writing: there is a 2-year old in the apartment above me, her parents are shareholders and officers. They do not have window guards and the kid can run from the kitchen to the living room windows in two seconds flat. No one sent me a window guard form in January either. I know that I can call the Department of Health and will this week, hopefully anonymously, but I would like to do this in the way that has the most impact, that will maybe open their eyes a little to other bad conditions.

: So the question is: other than just calling DOH, who can I call? The police? Some social service agency? This is child-endangerment, child-neglect, wanton disregard for child safety and the law. Any suggestions?

Follow Ups:

• Re: reporting dangerous conditions in NYC: thank you Hillary R 02/19/00 (0)

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Comments:
: Sending a letter to the Department of Health is the best way to proceed. Unlike many city agencies, the unit at the Department of Health which enforces the rules on window guards does take their duty seriously.'

: If you really think that the welfare of a child is seriously endangered, you should contact the NYC Administration for Children's Services. The child abuse hotline is (800) 342-3720. They also take their role very seriously. 

: If you have repair problems at the building, then the best way to proceed is to start a code enforcement proceeding in Housing Court. It will require a day to start the case by filling out an affidavit listing all of the repair problems and getting the judge to sign an order to show cause. It costs $35 plus mailing costs to start the case. On the court date, usually about two or three weeks later, attorneys from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development will be available to help you get an order requiring the landlord to repair the violation conditions.

: : I'm subletting a co-op in a brownstone in NYC; this is my first apartment without a guarantor.  I plan to move out of this weird building when this lease is up.  It is the blight of the block.  They don't clean the halls, broken lights stay broken, the garbage is a mess: it attracts rats, the sidewalk is broken, etc.   The shareholders all live here; they all have college/graduate degrees.  I don't want to report most of the problems or withhold rent: I don't want to get blacklisted by these things.  I will report anything really serious.  One shareholder is, well, 'off': seriously 'off'; the others avoid dealing with him; talk is that he's a director and holds the purse-strings.  It's like living in one big dysfunctional family: one crazy guy, everyone else warped by dancing to his tunes.

: : That is why I'm writing: there is a 2-year old in the apartment above me, her parents are shareholders and officers.  They do not have window guards and the kid can run from the kitchen to the living room windows in two seconds flat.  No one sent me a window guard form in January either.   I know that I can call the Department of Health and will this week, hopefully anonymously, but I would like to do this in the way that has the most impact, that will maybe open their eyes a little to other bad conditions.

: : So the question is: other than just calling DOH, who can I call?  The police?  Some social service agency?  This is child-endangerment, child-neglect, wanton disregard for child safety and the law.  Any suggestions? 


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