contractors?

[ap_ny]

hi there -- in the middle of a rent-overcharge complaint, and i'm looking for a contractor who would be willing to check out our apartment to estimate the cost of work done (to compare against landlord-provided receipts).

can anyone recommend a trustworthy contractor for this? we would, of course, compensate for contractor's time.

any leads are much appreciated -- thank you!

[NYHawk]

try this guy...........Joel Teicher, P.E.
NYC Tenants' Engineer
Ulster Professional Engineering
212-741-3606 Telephone
509-356-8686 24hr Fax
www.TenantEngineer.com
JT@tenantengineer.com

[ap_ny]

not to sound like a simpleton, but i've never heard of a 'tenant's engineer' -- how is that different from a contractor? i basically just need someone to look at the cabinets and cofirm they're standard costco, not "custom-made," super-expensive versions (and that kind of thing).

[joliett]

What you are trying to do is not an easy task, since the landlord can basically pay just about anything for an improvement.

You can get all the estimates you want, and they will be meaningless.

An engineer, especially an engineer who is very knowledgeable in Tenants Rights can possibly find the loophole you should be looking for...i.e.: was the work done to code, are there any other code infractions, is the work performed as an improvement or just remodeling? Does the work qualify for rent increases pursuant to the rent laws.

No contractor can help you here...

<small>[ June 04, 2003, 02:33 AM: Message edited by: Joel Teicher, P.E. ]</small>