Subject: nytenants-digest V1 #3
======================================================================
nytenants-digest Volume 01 : Number 003
In this issue:
various organizations?
e-mail vote
Tenant's Revenge
Re: mci increase
Letter from Queens tenants to City Council members
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 1997 13:56:02 -0500
From: huszar@cnct.com (Robert Huszar)
Subject: various organizations?
Was there -- a week or so ago -- a posting which listed all the various
tenant groups in and around the city?
I'm new to this current fight and wish to volunteer at one of the various
organizations?
Can anyone give me a rundown?
THANKS
Robert Huszar
huszar@cnct.com
TENANTNET: We have not compiled such a listing and I don't remember
seeing any such list or posting. There are many tenant groups around
town involved in various ways. Depending on the part of town you're
in, we could try to direct you to one or more groups. If you have
reasonable computer skills, and depending on your areas of interest,
we can always use help on TenantNet. We don't have phones to man,
or leaflets to pass out, or even demonstrations to attend (unless you
can figure out how to have a cyber-demonstration), but developing
and disseminating content takes a lot of effort. If you're interested,
let us know.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 09:29:17 -0500
From: "HILTON OR JUNE W. SIEGEL"
Subject: e-mail vote
I have sent the following to everyone on my e-mail list, no matter where they
live. Each of you may want to consider something similar. Money talks!
Dear Relatives, Friends and Neighbors,
There is an impending crisis developing in New York City, and we need your
help.
Briefly, the Majority Leader of the State Senate has taken the most extreme
position on the laws that protect tenants since these laws were enacted. He
has openly said that he wants to do away with all tenant protections,
including rent regulations, when the current law expires on 6/15/97. He has
threatened to "sunset" the laws by preventing any debate on their extension.
The expiration of these laws will result in the loss of all affordable housing
in New York City for the 2.6 million people of low and middle incomes that are
now protected.
We feel that our only recourse is to pose the threat of an economic boycott of
the Majority Leader's home district of Saratoga Springs. Here is how you can
help.
Following, is a sample e-mail letter that you can send as is, or modify as you
please. And this is important; ask everyone on your e-mail list to do the
same.
His address is: Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno
bruno@senate.state.ny.us
Send a "cc" to: Saratoga Springs Chamber of Commerce
info@saratoga.org
Dear Senator Bruno,
We have family and friends in New York City and are aware of your position on
the rent protection laws.
Since we can't vote you out of office, we will vote with our dollars by no
longer vacationing in your district of Saratoga Springs, unless you continue
to protect all the tenants of your state.
Sincerely,
Name(s)
City & State
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 16:28:31 -0500
From: TenantNet <>
Subject: Tenant's Revenge
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 21:40:32 GMT
From: jasco@flax.com (JASCO Marketing & Communications)
Subject: TENANT'S REVENGE
TENANTNET NOTE: We saw this in the newsgroups and have not seen the book,
nor are
we endorsing it, although it sounds interesting. We're not sure if it is meant
to be serious or a puff piece. Buyer Beware.
TENANT'S REVENGE
How to Tame Your Landlord
by Andy Kane
In Tenant's Revenge, renters find out how to get free rent, phone and
electricity; get more heat; break a foolproof lease; beat a landlord
in court; wipe out cockroaches; and order repairs and redecorations
at the landlord's expense.
Tenants need this book to get what they have coming; landlords must
read it to keep from losing all. And everyone should read it for a
good laugh!
5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover, illus., 96 pp. $15 postpaid
**********************************
Your satisfaction is unconditonally guaranteed or your purchase price
is refunded. Simply send the book back to us in good condition and we
will promptly and cheerfully provide you with a refund, no questions
asked.
**********************************
To order any of the items, simply print this message, circle the items
you wish to order, total the cost at the bottom of the page (check
twice to avoid delays!) and send your order to:
JASCO
P.O. Box 666
Weston, MA 02193-0004
FAX: 617-237-3926
Make checks or money orders payable to JASCO. We also accept Visa,
Mastercard, Discover and American Express.
Massachusetts residents add 5% sales tax.
Please include your:
Name:
Address:
City, State, ZIP:
If ordering by credit card, please sign your order!
Credit card orders may FAX to: 617-237-3926 or send e-mail.
Billing and shipping addresses must match for credit card orders.
Signature: X
Card number:
Expiration date:
Questions? E-mail us! JASCO@FLIX.COM
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 16:41:10 -0500
From: TenantNet <>
Subject: Re: mci increase
>From an anonymous tenant:
>Last summer the management of my building (rent stabalized) applied for an
>MCI increase to cover capital improvement costs. They were granted that
>increase which became effective 2/1/97. Three weeks ago we received
>notification from the Housing Department informing us that the management is
>requesting another MCI increase. The management claims the Housing
>Department forgot to include the cost of the sidewalk. Last night the
>tenants in the building had a meeting regarding the pending increase. We
>currently do not have a tenant association and is in the process of forming
>one. Only four tenants had responded to the the first notification and
>today is the deadline for the second. What legal recourse do we have in
>situations like this? We are thinking of hiring an attorney, because we do
>not think the second increase is fair. Also we were wondering if the
>possibility exist that we might be able to get our money back from the first
>increase if the right argument is presented. Please comment. Thank you.
To have the slightest chance of beating a MCI, tenants must act quickly
and even then it's iffy. You have to learn how all these rules work.
It sounds as if he's appealing the first decision which mught not have
granted him all the increase he originally sought. He would do that through
a Petition for Administrative Review (PAR) which he must file within 35 days
of the initial decision. Tenants are then given about 20 days to respond.
I would seek some expert help, but don't spend a lot of money unless there's
a realistic chance you can beat it. Best be prepared for the next go around.
There's a lot of info on the web site. Use it.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 05:34:21 -0500
From: TenantNet <>
Subject: Letter from Queens tenants to City Council members
Queens League of United Tenants
P.O. Box 175, Station C
Flushing, NY 11367
(718) 261-8015 extension 6
March 17, 1997
Re: Letter of Clarification
Dear City Councilmembers:
We are writing to you to make the following clarifications:
The tenant movement does not support any form of Vacancy
Decontrol/Deregulation, a policy which has and can only result in the
loss of affordable, tenured, protected housing for the working and
middle class, where in fact the housing shortage exists.
This loss of affordable, protected housing continues and is now
threatening to escalate rents in boroughs outside Manhattan; this form
of decontrol/deregulation has already begun in Brooklyn.
It is our position that the only method by which this depletion of
affordable, protected housing can be stopped is by the elimination of
Vacancy Decontrol/Deregulation. This can be achieved by supporting INTRO
930, which simply closes the window on Vacancy Decontrol/Deregulation as
of April 1, 1997. Nothing more!
However, by casting your vote, instead for INTRO 920A, you along with
other members of City Council will have enshrined in New York City law a
vacancy decontrol/deregulation process more damaging that that initiated
by the State Legislature in 1993. Make no mistake. This bill provides no
enforcement or accountability for the changes it contains.
Such a vote will send a dangerous message to the New York State
Legislature that further Vacancy Decontrol/Deregulation is an acceptable
possibility.
Finally, to all councilmembers, thousand of letters and phone calls,
dozens of forums (each attracting many hundred of tenants) and a rally
of close to 4,000 people certainly represents a clear message that the
largest constituency in this city -- tenants -- DO NOT WANT Vacancy
Decontrol/Deregulation.
No one on the City Council can say when they vote on March 25, 1997 that
they were not informaed as to what the tenant movement in this city
wanted. We represent a City-wide movement that has thousands of vacal
members in community groups, unions and tenant assocaitions throughout
every council district. We will not be ignored.
------------------------------
End of nytenants-digest V1 #3
*****************************
Subject: nytenants-digest V1 #4
nytenants-digest Wednesday, April 9 1997 Volume 01 : Number 004
In this issue:
[none]
Vacation Plans Canceled
Problem with your representative
ABC Television: If Y
[Fwd: Rent regulation, April 6, 1997]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date:
From:
Subject: [none]
1. We had some technical problems this last week which is why you
didn't see the digest. Sorry about that. But the frequency of
the digest will also depend on the traffic -- your letters.
2. We learned that AOL has been refusing mail. That's right. Monday
we sent out a mailing on the RSA study and hundreds of copies sent
to AOL list members were refused by AOL. We alerted AOL and all they
could tell us was that they were "aware of the problem..." AOL
users might wish to get on AOL's behind (or look for a real internet
provider).
3. How to Send to the List. Some of you sending mail to the list are
sending it to our regular email address (). DON'T.
Send your list submissions to nytenants@list.tenant.net. If you
feel lost with the list commands, send a message to majordomo@cnct.com
and in the body of the message write "help" without the quotes. You
should get a help file back in the mail which explains how it all
works.
4. Unsubscribing. Well we've heard of stupid excuses, but email taking up
"too much email room" doesn't pass the giggle test. If you aren't
interested, or feel you got on the list by mistake, then just
unsubscribe by sending a message to majordomo@cnct.com and in the
body of the message (not the subject line) put the following:
unsubscribe nytenants-announce
unsubscribe nytenants-digest
Make sure you get your email name correct and not some mangled
version from your ISP.
5. As you probably know NYC City Council renewed the rent laws on
March 25th and the politicians are making it sound as if they
were doing you a favor (while at the same time undermining the
system. We hope to have a story on what really happened soon.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 97 22:13:46 EST
From: atassi@uhfnyc.org
Subject: Vacation Plans Canceled
Also sent to info@saratoga.org and bruno@senate.state.ny.us
Dear Chamber of Commerce,
I regret to inform you and your member businesses that I will be
unable to vacation in your scenic region this summer because of the
impending financial crisis. I live in a rent stabilized apartment in
New York City and New York State Senator Joseph Bruno has promised to
revoke the rent protections which allow me to have some disposable
income to spend on vacations to upstate New York. I currently have a
modest one bedroom and spend 23.8 percent of my income on rent; my
rent went up this year by 5 percent (as opposed to 15 percent two
years ago when I lived in an apartment that wasn't rent stabilized).
Perhaps you could assist me in educating Senator Bruno and his
colleagues about the negative impact to business statewide of
repealing these sensible tenant protections. Their repeal won't
impact a few fat cats who may be abusing the system; they will impact
nearly 2 million middle class and young professionals who can't
necessarily afford an extra $500 to $1,000 to $2,000 a year in rent
AND take vacations upstate (or spend money on business trips, etc.).
Please let me know if you have any ideas. My tenants' association has
asked me to solicit your support and they're hoping for word back in a
day or two (and we each have long e-mail lists of friends and family
around the Northeast who we'd like to keep informed).
Thanks very much for your support.
Sincerely,
Anthony Tassi
President
Tenants Association
c/o Apt 5B
109 West 105th Street
New York, NY 10025
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 23:31:52 EST
From: gunclers@juno.com (Sam H Gunclers)
Subject: Problem with your representative
>From: gunclers
>To: info@saratoga.org
>Cc: bruno@senate.state.ny.us
>Subject: Problem with your representative
>Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 16:35:03 PST
Hello,
Is the Chamber of Commerce that building right across from the park? My
wife and I have been there many times to collect information on what's
going on around Saratoga and to admire your exhibit. We are always
impressed by the helpfulness of the ladies who work there. Unfortunately,
we have decided, thanks to your elected official Joe Bruno, that we will
not spend our usual time in Saratoga this year.
He is not at all helpful to our situation here in New York City. Although
we now own a small co-op apartment, we were until recently tenants in a
rent-stabilized studio (for twelve years). Thanks to tenant protections,
we were able to live in a semi-humane environment even though our
landlord was a company owned by the infamous Goldman family. Without
these rent regulations, we would have been forced out years ago by their
thugs and illegal rent hikes. We are both artists and cannot afford Wall
Street prices for lower-middle-class housing.
Outside of NYC, these regulations must seem quaint and troublesome. But I
assure you they are a life-and-death issue for many, many thousands of
families here. Saratoga was an affordably-reached vacation destination
for us. But we cannot condone the callousness and cruelty that Bruno is
trying to perpetrate on the families who are least able to fight back.
Day trips to the beach and Philadelphia are already on our calendar.
We hope the citizens in your area give more thought to their elected
representation in the future. This viciousness must stop.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 97 16:56:42 EST
From: jcolgate@counsel.com (James P. Colgate -- Fordham University - New York)
Subject: ABC Television: If Y
I'm not sure that I remember the way to put something into your
tenant listserve thing, so I hope this gets to the place it has to
get to.
Two possible ways to pressure Bruno a little.
1) Introduce a bill in the state assembly which curtails the
thoroughbred horseracing in Saratoga Springs. I understand that
the horseracing industry in regulated by the state(?). Perhaps the
bill could restrict the length of the racing season (while
expanding it at Bellmont). Perhaps it would impose a tax on the
racing in order to pay for the homeless who are displaced from
deregulated apartments. Perhaps it could permit the conversion of
the empty horse stables into housing for displaced families. The
bill would never pass in the Senate, but it sure could make a
point.
2) Threaten a city-wide rent strike for all regulated apartment
dwellers. This would threaten to wreak havoc on and overwhelm the
housing courts. Landlords would loose millions. I'm not so sure it
would come to that; however, it's my guess that the threat of such
a rent strike would factor into any compromise legislation
actually enacted.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 1997 14:53:36 +0000
From: anita culp
Subject: [Fwd: Rent regulation, April 6, 1997]
The following is a letter I sent to the New York Times, in response
to the 2-page article on rent regulation on Sunday.
The statistics in the charts accompanying the article were
ludicrous. The "average" price of an unregulated 1-bedroom
apartment in Manhattan--$800? The "average" price of a
stabilized 1-bedroom apartment in Manhattan--$542?? People
outside of New York will look at these numbers and say, "What are
they whining about--and why are we subsidizing them?"
The numbers are from a survey released in1993. The information
was probably gathered in 1991.
This is the same paper that several months ago wrote about a
college student who felt "lucky" to find a studio for $2000 a
month! Don't they search their own database when researching
their stories?
To: letters@nytimes.com
Subject: Rent regulation, April 6, 1997
To the Editor;
The Times has obviously chosen its side in the battle of rent
regulation. Your statistics, as shown in the charts accompanying
the article, at first glance appear to have come from landlord
groups. Where in Manhattan can one find an unregulated one-
bedroom apartment for $800? Maybe in Inwood, but in the
majority of the neighborhoods one is lucky to find a rent-
stabilized apartment at that price.
The fine print, however, provides the answer: your statistics came
from a 1993 survey. Those of us who have watched the rental
market know that between 1991-93 the real estate market was at
its lowest point in a decade. There probably were $800 one-
bedrooms (and $600 studios) in 1993. But in 1997, you can't find
an apartment for that price in Brooklyn, let alone Manhattan.
Anita Culp
------------------------------
End of nytenants-digest V1 #4
*****************************
Subject: nytenants-digest V1 #5
nytenants-digest Wednesday, April 16 1997 Volume 01 : Number 005
In this issue:
Dr. De Seve or..."Dr. Deceive"!
Crain NY Business Lunacies
NYT Op-Ed: No Rent Regulation, No Middle Class
Landlord Income Up 8% in Stabilized Housing
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 1997 21:26:57 +0000
From: "James E. Rubin"
Subject: Dr. De Seve or..."Dr. Deceive"!
Hi,
Just for a laugh, did any of youse guys notice the
name of the fellow who conducted the study on rent increases in NYC?
It's right out of a Mel Brooks movie (as in: Count DeMonet)!!
Cheers,
Jim
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 15:41:00 -0400
From: Vernors
Subject: Crain NY Business Lunacies
Well here's a few tidbits I picked up from Crain's New York Business.
Crain's New York Business
week ending April 4th:
Landlords upset with Speaker Vallone
Landlords are upset with Council Speaker Peter Vallone over the City
Council's extension of rent regulations -- and that could hurt
Mr. Vallone's fund-raising for his expected run for governor next year.
"They're not interested in giving any major support to the speaker in
light of his actions," says one person close to the real estate industry.
Landlords are upset that the rent renewal bill included a provision
which says property owners can no longer decontrol vacant apartments if
rents are raised over $2,000. Mr. Vallone says the change was a
clarification of the council's original intent in 1993 rent legislation.
But landlords saw it as a concession to tenant advocates. The measure,
signed into law last week by the mayor, renewed city rent regulations
that were due to expire April 1.
I wonder if these real estate people are on quaaludes! The law doesn't repeal
high rent ($2,000) vacancy decontrol. Vallone pushed and won the landlord
position on this bill -- tenants lost. The only thing the city council
vote did was say that landlords could no longer decontrol units that had
been renting below $2,000. Many of these units were deregulated at the
behest of the criminal DHCR.
Here's another idiocy:
Crain's New York Business Online
week ending April 4th:
Rent control tensions rising
As expected, the council last week approved a renewal of rent regulations
for the 1.1 million apartments in the city still controlled by rent
control and rent stabilization rules. The city rules expire Tuesday,
April 1, and the vote was never in doubt. But, more interesting, some
tenant groups tried to defeat the bill because it did not freeze the
number of luxury apartments that could be decontrolled. This hard line
position is a worrisome development to some pro-rent control politicians.
They fear a lack of flexibility -- a so-called all or nothing approach --
could be fatal when talks heat up in Albany over renewal of state laws
governing rent regulations. Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno is
promising to let rent regulations expire June 15 and pro-tenant
politicians concede some loosening in the current rules will be necessary
to get a renewal through Albany.
I gather Crains never read either the tenant proposal or the landlord
(Vallone's) version of the bill that was voted on at City Council as the
"number of luxury apartments that could be decontrolled" was never an issue.
Sheez, all or nothing? NYSTNC was out-to-lunch on this one, Met Council
dropped the ball ten days before the vote and Councilman Stanley Michels
(and many others) ran for cover as fast as possible. So much for "tenant
leadership". Vallone and his real estate buddies got their way without
spending a dime and tenant opposition (except for the Queens tenants)
vaporized.
And can't you see them red-baiting tenants? Shades of Spiro Agnew. When
members of City Council start with the "tenants are radicals and extremists"
you know they only have fear and intimidation to sell. So keep it up
Pagan -- you won't have a job next year when either Glick or Fields beats
your ass for Manhattan Borough President, but I'll still have my home. Come
to think of it Antonio, [may I call you that my dear friend?] do you still
pay $97 for that Rent Controlled apartment that your buddy Joe Strasburg
(Vallone's former aide and now Landlord Cartel Chief) lets you keep?
So if we read between the lines, it appears Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
[who supports landlord candidates] is setting up tenants for the fix -- and
he'll try to make you think he saved your ass -- the great compromise
where we'll have decontrol at $1,200 and $100,000 income.
So much for "Saving Rent Control".
Vernor
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 17:06:07 -0400
From: TenantNet <>
Subject: NYT Op-Ed: No Rent Regulation, No Middle Class
The following Op-Ed piece appeared in the April 16, 1997 issue
of the New York Times and was written by Colleen F. McGuire,
a tenant attorney who also edits "Housing Court Decisions", a
weekly compilation and commentary of NYC Landlord/Tenant housing
court cases. Housing Court Decisions is available on TenantNet
at http://tenant.net.
New York Times April 16, 1997
No Rent Regulation, No Middle Class
By Colleen F. McGuire
As a lawyer who has long represented tenants, I am
alarmed at efforts to jettison New York City's rent
laws. The leader of this effort, Joseph Bruno, the
State Senate majority leader, claims that the poor,
elderly and disabled would be protected. But middle-
and low-income tenants also need protection.
Without rent regulation, most of my clients would have
been evicted long ago. Not only would tenants' rents go
up; they would lose other protections as well.
Take Mary Teresa, a restaurant hostess and single
mother. She was struggling to pay $900 a month for her
rent-stabilized apartment in Hell's Kitchen. We found
out that the previous tenant had paid only $404. To
justify that big a jump in rent under current law, the
landlord would have had to spend about $22,500 on
improvements. But Mary Teresa got verification that the
apartment had not undergone such extensive work.
Ultimately, her rent was cut to $700.
Two brothers, Alfred, 51, and Andrew, 40, both
maintenance workers, have lived in a rent-controlled
apartment on East 26th Street in Manhattan since 1968.
In 1995, their landlord claimed he needed their
apartment -- which had one of the lowest rents in the
building, $191 a month -- for a superintendent's
residence. But the law doesn't allow evictions from
regulated apartments in order to install supers.
Eventually, the landlord gave up trying to evict the
brothers.
Then there is Anthony, an actor, who pays $401 a month
for his rent-stabilized Chelsea apartment.
When the building went co-op in the late 80's, Anthony,
like most of the other residents, didn't buy his
apartment. A man named Charles did, as an investment.
He defaulted on his mortgage and the bank foreclosed,
naming him on its eviction notice. But Anthony, not
Charles, lived in the apartment. The rent laws kept him
from being evicted.
Plenty of my middle- and low-income clients have
endured intolerable conditions, including no heat or
water. Deregulation would make many tenants think twice
about demanding repairs.
Rent laws cover roughly 2.5 million people in New York
City, 35 percent of the population. Relatively few
tenants earn enough to withstand big rent increases.
Deregulation would really hurt those who spend more
than 30 percent of their income on rent.
Roughly two-thirds of the tenants of rent-regulated
apartments earn less than $30,000 a year.
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has hinted that a compromise in
Albany is possible, perhaps involving state financing
for new housing.
But affordable housing isn't profitable to build. Even
if the state offers incentives, it's unlikely that
enough new housing would be built quickly enough to
accommodate those displaced because of higher rents.
And why should people have to move from neighborhoods
where they have lived for years?
Some say that rent regulation makes it hard for small
landlords to keep up their buildings. But 77 percent of
all units are owned by less than 12 percent of the
city's landlords.
Allowing landlords to charge market rents for regulated
apartments that become vacant -- one widely discussed
idea -- would likely reduce the number of affordable
places to live, especially in Manhattan. Vacancy
decontrol, tried in 1971, was a failure. Rents went up,
tenants were evicted, and the measure did not stimulate
new construction.
If rents are deregulated, many of those who give the
city its marvelous diversity would have to move.
Is that what we really want?
- -----------------------------------------
Copyright 1997 The New York Times Company
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tenant Network for Residential Tenants
TenantNet: http://tenant.net
NYTenants Interactive: http://nytenant.net
NYTenants Express: http://members.aol.com/nytenant
email:
NYtenants Discussion List: email to and in
the body of the message put "subscribe nytenants".
Information from TenantNet is from experienced non-attorney tenant
activists and is not considered legal advice.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 17:13:34 -0400
From: TenantNet <>
Subject: Landlord Income Up 8% in Stabilized Housing
LANDLORD INCOME UP 8% IN STABILIZED HOUSING
The New York City Rent Guidelines Board has released its 1997 Income and
Expense Study. The study examines the finances of 13,000 rent stabilized
buildings which filed income and expense statements with the Department
of Finance.
The study found that income in rent stabilized buildings rose 4.4% from
1994 to 1995 while operating costs were up 2.5%. As a result, Net
Operating Income (NOI, or revenue available for debt service and profit)
was up 8%.
Increases in rent and income were strongest in Manhattan and
significantly weaker in the outer boroughs.
The study shows that constant dollar NOI fell significantly during the
recent recession but is now nearly back to pre-recession levels.
The 1997 Income and Expense Study will soon be posted on TenantNet
------------------------------
End of nytenants-digest V1 #5
*****************************
nytenants-digest Saturday, April 19 1997 Volume 01 : Number 006
In this issue:
Next Move
Rent Destabilization
AN OFFER I CAN'T REFUSE :)
Rent Guidelines Board Spring 1997 Schedule
Will Rising Fuel Oil Prices Endanger the Profitability of Rental Housing?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 10:34:35 -0500
From: glove@thing.net
Subject: Next Move
Dear Tenants of NYC:
I have tracked this rent deregulation effort by Albany for some time now.
Of course, the picture reveals massive influence peddling to landlord
lobbyists representing a minority even among landlords.
What do we tenants do when the message from Albany is clearly "Show me the
money."?
Now, the fact that the funds that buy landlord influence in Albany are
accrued from regular 30 day payments by NYC tenants imposes an
"Arbeit-Macht-Frei" or "work yourself to freedom" catch-22 that reminds me
of the set up at Nazi prison camps in Poland during WWII. Frankly, our rent
payments are being used as a weapon against us in the same way that Polish
WWII POWs worked making amunition to be used against their own communities.
It's the oldest game in the book.
The structure of penalization for making over 100k and penalization for
making under 100k reveals the truth of the situation. All tenants are to be
consistently penalized and imprisoned in a tremendous profit center. A
percentage of the yield will be used to expand the profit center's field of
capture. All of this is at the expense of captured tenants.
I feel that at this point we tenants must take a hard look at our captors,
and the type of prison we are building with them. We may be forced to move
against this master-plan in a coordinated effort involving the cut-off of
rent payment supplied to landlords, out of need for self-preservation. If
we don't cut off the rent, we will end up in court under a
landlord-driven-tenant-funded trumped up eviction proceeding anyway. The
landlords are going to evict those making under 100k on any premise the
absence of regulations will permit, and they will require any new tenants
to be making over 100K to rent a place, thereby permanently denying any
consumer protection to tenants on an ongoing basis.
I think a city-wide rent-strike and class action suit against Albany for
influence peddling should be considered in a level headed and serious
manner as of now.
GLOVE
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 03:12:15 -0500 (EST)
From: Ann Dellarocco
Subject: Rent Destabilization
Hi:
Heard parts of Sen. Bruno interview on WABC Radio. He sugarcoated
everything and said: He ALWAYS made provisions for elderly, disabled and
indigent. However, he apparently knew the moderator, Mike Gallagher, who
lived in UPstate NY until very recently.
After the interview, the co-moderator, Penny Crone, of Fox TV, explained
that several legislators have received DEATH THREATS because of this
situation, and that the reason it is being done is because it is an
election year. Further, that this is the LAST TERM FOR BRUNO, so he has
nothing to lose.
===================================================
Ann Dellarocco
Email: anndell@rdz.stjohns.edu
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(Newsbytes,Book Reviews,Features)
(re Disabled/Health/Medicine/Nutrition, etc.)
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=====================================================
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 03:25:05 -0500 (EST)
From: Ann Dellarocco
Subject: AN OFFER I CAN'T REFUSE :)
Hi:
I've posted before about LL, lights and gas (to be followed up at later
date). However, another problem I have had for past year or more is that
the Russian man next door bought a Nordic Track. He uses it AT ALL HOURS.
I am disabled and have had no sleep. The first few months my NIGHTS AND
DAYS were turned around. Then, last year, the apt. downstairs became
available (several really) and I am disabled and needed it. However, the
LL chose to give it to the brother of the Russian guy, and soon after
another man. The brother works NIGHTS.
I wrote to 8 legislators and have been harassed quite a bit. I think
someone might have interceded but never told me because the one next door
says he works for Mayor Giuliani. One legis. checked and said no, maybe
just the City. Anyway, it stopped for awhile. Then I wrote to Mayor
Giuliani and asked him to change the hours of the guy next door since he
works for the Mayor. It stopped for awhile and now the guy comes home
later. According to my LL, at 8:30 pm. However, NOW THE THREE MEN USE
THE NEXT-DOOR APARTMENT AS A 24-HOUR GYM.
I called my LL the other night. He ignores all my calls and will not
speak to me. So I told his son I was going to a lawyer. The LL called me
and I told him the tenant spent all day SUNDAY DROPPING WEIGHTS AND
DUMBBELLS. The house shook (a 20-family apt), my stuff almost fell off
the shelves, and ALL OF MY WALLS ARE CRACKED. LL said he would come over
Sat.
OFFER: The LL then made me an offer. He will get me an apt. in a
3-family house, a walk-in, or a 4-family house. I told him NO that my
books from AG say 6-family and up are rent stabilized and he said his book
doesn't say that. I told him flatly: I go by my book and he had better
get used to the fact that I am comfortable here in this bldg., I love the
area, it is safe, and there are 2 buses on either corner which are
essential to me. I then told him I am not going anywhere except the first
or second floor, that I pray for it and my prayers are always answered.
And they are. So he said fine. He was sweet as a lamb.
And that is the point of this long post. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTNCES,
TRUST A LANDLORD. They are sweet and cute and very nice but WILL SCREW
YOU FIRST CHANCE THEY GET. When I took him to Court, the two of them
showed up, and the "sheep" told them I had a washing machine. (The
complaint was for hot water.) I NEVER OWNED A WASHING MACHINE TO THIS
DAY.
Doesn't the Rent Stabilization Law apply only to bldgs. with 6 or more
families?
===================================================
Ann Dellarocco
Email: anndell@rdz.stjohns.edu
READ: JARRETT'S JOURNAL
(Newsbytes,Book Reviews,Features)
(re Disabled/Health/Medicine/Nutrition, etc.)
SUBSCRIBE: Listserv@MAELSTROM.stjohns.edu
Subscribe J-JRNL (your name)
=====================================================
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 17:16:10 -0400
From: TenantNet <>
Subject: Rent Guidelines Board Spring 1997 Schedule
Spring 1997 Schedule
NYC Rent Guidelines Board
Meetings and Hearings
Date: Location: Time:
Wednesday Dept. of City Planning 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 Noon
3/19/97 Spector Hall
Public Meeting 22 Reade St. (1st Floor)
New York, NY 10007
Wednesday Dept. of City Planning 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 Noon
4/9/97 Spector Hall
Public Meeting 22 Reade St. (1st Floor)
New York, NY 10007
Monday Dept. of City Planning 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
4/21/97 Spector Hall
Public Meeting 22 Reade St. (1st Floor)
New York, NY 10007
Monday Dept. of City Planning 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
5/5/97 Spector Hall
Public Meeting 22 Reade St. (1st Floor)
New York, NY 10007
Wednesday Police Plaza Auditorium 5:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.
5/7/97 One Police Plaza (first vote on guidelines)
Public Meeting New York, NY 10007
Monday Dept. of City Planning 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
6/2/97 Spector Hall
Public Meeting 22 Reade St. (1st Floor)
New York, NY 10007
Monday Police Plaza Auditorium 1:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.
6/16/97 One Police Plaza (apartments)
Public Hearing New York, NY 10007
Thursday Police Plaza Auditorium 2:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.
6/19/97 One Police Plaza (Hotel)
Public Hearing New York, NY 10007
Monday Police Plaza Auditorium 5:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.
6/23/97 One Police Plaza Final Vote on Guidelines
Public Meeting New York, NY 10007
The Rent Guidelines Board reserves the right to cancel
or reschedule public meetings.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 17:23:50 -0400
From: TenantNet <>
Subject: Will Rising Fuel Oil Prices Endanger the Profitability of Rental Housing?
Will Rising Fuel Oil Prices Endanger the Profitability of
Rental Housing?
The complete report is available on TenantNet
December 10, 1996
Income and Expense Brief
New York City Rent Guidelines Board
51 Chambers Street, Suite 202
New York, New York 10007
212-385-2934
Fax 212-385-2554
Fuel oil prices[1] in 1996 are about $.10 higher per gallon than last
year (see graph below), and represent the highest oil prices since the
gulf war nearly six years ago.As the worst of this year's heating season
approaches, property owners are understandably edgy.
Not only are fuel prices surging, price swings are more dramatic than in
recent years, due in part to low oil stocks.Throughout much of 1996,
refiners maintained lower reserves to cut inventory costs and to hedge
against lower crude oil prices should Iraq resume oil production.
Such uncertain market conditions translated into a roller coaster ride
for retail prices in 1996. Fuel vendors sharply increased their prices
last spring and again in the fall as they faced a combination of higher
demand for heating oil and lower than normal reserve levels.
Because of low fuel reserves, refiners shift production among different
fuel types (i.e., heating oil, gasoline, diesel, etc.) as demand
requires. Since late October, refiners have stepped up heating oil
production to near record levels. Building owners, however, are still
awaiting relief from bloated retail prices.
Fuel oil prices have risen slightly over the long term.
In the last ten years, nominal fuel prices have increased only slightly,
while real (inflation-adjusted) prices have actually fallen until this
year.
As the graph on the next page shows, nominal oil prices have risen
moderately in the last decade except in 1990-91 and 1996. Following the
1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, retail prices swelled as much as 50%, but
the spike in fuel prices faded by the spring of 1991. Price increases
since this time have been mild.
Real prices dropped roughly 9% from the end of the gulf war through last
year. Fuel prices reverted to gulf war levels in early 1996, though, and
remained unusually high throughout the year.
Property owners are spending less of their budgets on fuel.
Since prices of other goods have risen substantially more than fuel oil
prices, fuel constitutes a declining portion of operating and
maintenance costs (O&M) for New York City's multifamily properties. The
relative weight of fuel has declined from about one-quarter of O&M
expenses in the early 1980s to less than 10% currently. (See graph on
the following page.)
Buildings also require less fuel oil as their owners install more
efficient heating mechanisms which use number 2 fuel oil and implement
further energy conservation techniques. Also, as additional suppliers
offer number 2 heating fuel, vendors encounter greater competition to
maintain their prices. Thus, changes in the fuel oil market may have less
impact on owners' budgets in future years.
A very large increase in fuel costs would cut profitability to 1992
levels.
The question on the minds of every real property owner is: Will increased
fuel prices cut into profits?
According to Income and Expense Statements filed with the Department of
Finance, owners' average net operating incomes (NOI) were 39.3% in 1994,
compared with 36.6% in 1992, the lowest point of the real estate
recession. Holding income and all other expenses constant, fuel costs
would have to increase nearly 50% to reduce NOI to 1992 levels.
Although 1996 fuel prices are considerably higher than last year, this
price increase has likely reduced the NOI of an average property by less
than 1%. Properties with marginal profitability have probably
experienced larger declines in net income.
Sharp increases in fuel prices will likely abate.
Heating oil production is soaring as refiners increased output in the
last two months. Further, Iraq has indicated its willingness to comply
with the six-month limited oil sales agreement originally signed in
May.
According to officials at the American Petroleum Institute, refiners
are churning out higher than normal amounts of heating oil - 3.6 million
barrels of oil per day, or 600,000 barrels more than normal during
winter months. This output is sufficient to begin building oil stocks and
to provide ample fuel oil during the severe winter months.[2]
Iraq is also expected to add 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day to the
worldwide supply as early as December or January. Given increased
output of crude as well as heating oil, fuel oil prices should show
signs of stabilizing this winter.
For additional information, contact Sharon Kuhn at (212) 385-2934 ext.
13.
Note: Fuel prices presented in this brief are derived from the Rent
Guidelines Board monthly survey of fuel vendors who supply numbers 2, 4,
and/or 6 fuel oil to multifamily buildings in New York City. Prices
represent the weighted average of the three fuel grades unless otherwise
noted.
Notes:
1 Fuel prices represent how much a consumer pays per unit of fuel,
typically measured in gallons. Fuel costs, on the other hand, reflect
both the price per unit of fuel oil as well as the amount consumed.
2 Salpukas, Agis. "Relief for Winter: Heating Oil Prices Fall", New York
Times, November 6, 1996.
------------------------------
End of nytenants-digest V1 #6
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