No Heat or Hot H2O at 551 and 555 Prospect Place

anonymous

For anyone thinking of renting at the new apartments at 551 - 555 Prospect Place between Franklin and Classon. Be warned!! There is no hot water and no heat in most of the apartments. When they do work it is only for short period of time. The landlord, super et al are irresponsible and impossible to get a hold of.

DON"T RENT AT 551 - 555 PROSPECT PLACE!!!!!

dan.h

Subject: Re: No Heat or Hot H2O at 551 and 555 Prospect Place

dc wrote: For anyone thinking of renting at the new apartments at 551 - 555 Prospect Place between Franklin and Classon. Be warned!! There is no hot water and no heat in most of the apartments. When they do work it is only for short period of time. The landlord, super et al are irresponsible and impossible to get a hold of.

Uh... relax. I know its frustrating. Ive lived at 699 classon (the first side of the building to open) for over a year, and there are ups and downs. No need to discourage people from living there. You can't deny that the architects came up with some really cool designs for these three buildings.
I also had no heat or hot water this morning...

apollonia666

Subject: Re: No Heat or Hot H2O at 551 and 555 Prospect Place

dan.h wrote: Uh... relax. I know its frustrating. Ive lived at 699 classon (the first side of the building to open) for over a year, and there are ups and downs. No need to discourage people from living there. You can't deny that the architects came up with some really cool designs for these three buildings.
I also had no heat or hot water this morning...

I guess you're made of hardier stuff than me, but I think this is damn good reason to not want to live there, cool design notwithstanding.

dan.h

its a pain in the ass, no doubt. Im just trying keep perspective. One is extremely lucky if they never have this problem every now and then.

bewitched

dan.h wrote: One is extremely lucky if they never have this problem every now and then.

That's true, but haven't there been an endless string of problems with all those buildings? Perspective or no, I've been totally turned off to that property and I'm glad that the apartment I almost leased had already been promised to someone else. Now if this were on Vanderbilt or Flatbush, I might be more willing to suck it up and stick it out.

emily

Yes, it's one thing to have intermittent problems with water or gas. It's another to have no heat and no answers. People in those buildings should keep thermometers and record indoor and outdoor temperatures and report them to the city. Eventually you will be able to either withhold rent or sue the landlords. It seems like a lot of trouble, but there are a lot of you who can band together and spread out the work, and my impression is that this has been going on a long time.

P.S. If they get wind that you're starting a tenants' association or something like that, I bet they'll redouble their efforts to fix everything.

dan.h

bewitched wrote: [quote=dan.h]One is extremely lucky if they never have this problem every now and then.

That's true, but haven't there been an endless string of problems with all those buildings? Perspective or no, I've been totally turned off to that property and I'm glad that the apartment I almost leased had already been promised to someone else. Now if this were on Vanderbilt or Flatbush, I might be more willing to suck it up and stick it out.I suppose your right. Actually, theres really no reason for me to be defending Alma Realty. I guess I'm trying to preserve the slow community growth we're seeing on the outskirts... I do love my place though.

axel foley

In my building, 551 Prospect Place, there has never really been a problem with the heat except for shutoffs of a few hours, which were never a big deal. But the hot water has been an issue lately (sometimes the water in the shower just shuts off for two or three minutes), and of course there was the ridiculousness when we moved in (no gas cooking for two months, endless squabbling with the terrible management, eventual rent reductions). I'm probably going to move out in two months, and I will miss the apartment, which is great to look at and a good bargain-- but I will relish never having to deal with the incompetent people who run these buildings again.

dan.h

EmilyM wrote: Yes, it's one thing to have intermittent problems with water or gas. It's another to have no heat and no answers. People in those buildings should keep thermometers and record indoor and outdoor temperatures and report them to the city. Eventually you will be able to either withhold rent or sue the landlords. It seems like a lot of trouble, but there are a lot of you who can band together and spread out the work, and my impression is that this has been going on a long time.

P.S. If they get wind that you're starting a tenants' association or something like that, I bet they'll redouble their efforts to fix everything.

Well, the thing is - we did, a few months after I moved in. And we lost. Endless logs of 311 complaints, inspections, the whole nine.
Note: I did not actively participate in the court case, but I am in the tenants association - that is, if it still even exists.

emily

Huh. I'm surprised by that. I once got involved in a similar dispute and the management company knew that they were so likely to lose that they just gave up.

dan.h

It was certainly a shock to all involved. And to me too.

kate

I can't even get involved in this thread. I also love my apt. but am so unhappy with the management and would not actively recommend anyone move to 555, 551 or 669. None of the issues are huge (not entirely true) but combined it becomes absurd. We also started a Tenants Assoc., sued, email the CEO and COO, write letters, call 311. It's tiring...

alafairnadia

wow. what atty did you guys use? when I first moved to NYC I very carefully read the laws and standard lease language because I was engaged in a few activities that could have potentially spelled trouble on my lease (I had a cat in a no pet apartment and was running a business out of the apartment - a legal business, but still, a business). anyway, I basically followed the laws to the letter and when I was confronted by the management co. a year later they didn't have a leg to stand on and all of my badness was grandfathered into my lease renewal. so yeah. the laws here totally benefit tenants -- I'm not sure I'd pay the lawyer who couldn't win this case for y'all. that's total crud.



p.s. that's not legal advice. none of it.

whyfi

I live down the block on Prospect and I came home to a posted notice that there was no heat or hot water for the building... did you guys break something big-time?!

urfman

Hiya,

my girlfriend (oceanpoet on here...she's addicted to the cat/kitten page(s)) and I have lived at 551 since March. We were able to get a free month out of the lack of gas to use the stove.

In addition to the minimal heat, the window in our bedroom is broken. It's so AWESOME! I actually love the room being frigid. She doesn't though. When she gets up in the middle of the night to potty, her feet freeze to the floor. So I bought her these slippers:

Click here

I cannot however buy slippers for the bedroom or for the shower. I think that the realtor owes our shower some major slippers. I mean two mornings already this week no hot water and at least three days last week?!?! I mean give me a break...this isn't Uzbekistan.

Any ideas how I can get the landlordy to comply (with the slipper purchase for the shower)?

-fred

P.S. No offense at all, but the sacrifice for living in this city off the coast of the United States is paying $1300 for a one-bedroom apartment, not dealing with frigid apartment tempatures and cold-water showers.

axel foley

Anyone know what that last post meant?

dan.h

Not quite sure... but what I would do (if I were properly motivated [which you already know i'm not]) is have an attorney friend of your write up a warning letter and send it overnight to Alma.

urfman

Axel Foley wrote: Anyone know what that last post meant?

uh...nevermind....i guess

sigh,
fred

p.s. PLEASE FIX OUR HOT WATER PROBLEM

axel foley

Sorry, Fred, I wasn't trying to be annoying, I just genuinely didn't understand what you meant about the slippers.

Anyway, I also live at 551 Prospect and the hot water was finally working this morning. I don't know the current situation, though.

oceanpoet

Alex, Fred means that he wants a fix for our shower problems (he's saying that slippers were a fix for our frigid bedroom, which of course isn't quite true). You're not annoying! :P

We have hot water most days, but I'd say that during at least 15 days in November we had at least one hour without any hot water. It's ridiculous. I would love to join a tenant's group, if there's still one active, as I can't get anyone to answer my calls about the water or window situations. Most of the time, I love my apartment. But not in the winter. For now, I plan on continuing my daily assault-by-phone.

Grr. Brr.

axel foley

I hear you, though the hot water usually isn't as much of a concern to me as the water pressure in our shower, which fluctuates wildly almost every morning--oftentimes the shower just turns off for two or three minutes at a time. It is absurd.

urfman

Axel Foley wrote: Sorry, Fred, I wasn't trying to be annoying, I just genuinely didn't understand what you meant about the slippers.

Anyway, I also live at 551 Prospect and the hot water was finally working this morning. I don't know the current situation, though.

no! no apologies necessary or needed Axel. I guess I was subconsciously trying to put a link to victoria's secret in the middle of my first post. i'm retarded.

I hear you on the water pressure. It hasn't gone entirely out, but it has slowed to a trickle. I have this nightmare about having to wander out of the bathroom to the fridge to wash the Head & Shoulders out of my eyes with Gatorade.

someone at the end of our hall also mentioned that the landlord was putting washer/dryers in the basement. I'd prefer the building's hot water heater to be fixed first.

axel foley

I don't know what you heard when you moved in, but we were told (as were many others) that there would be washers and dryers ready to go when we moved in. Just a straightup lie that was then spun by Tom like a White House press secretary.

anonymous

Subject: contacts at Alma

Alma's website: http://almarealty.com/index.htm

lists all of the e mails of the CEO etc under the contact us tab.

Send them e mails and let them know how you feel.

axel foley

Thanks. For some reason, I didn't even think to look for a website for Alma. I thought they'd be too unprofessional to have one. Nick Conway, you're going to be hearing from me soon...

kate

Axel Foley wrote: Thanks. For some reason, I didn't even think to look for a website for Alma. I thought they'd be too unprofessional to have one. Nick Conway, you're going to be hearing from me soon...

I write everytime I have an issue and have urged others in my bldg to and I always cc the CEO. I am sure it's somewhat futile but can't hurt.

stacey

Wow that really sucks for you guys - just a few suggestions for you - have you thought about calling the Dept of Buildings? Have you called Keyspan/DEP (for heat and water/sewer). You can always call the Brooklyn Bar Association for a recommendation to a landlord-tenant attorney. Make sure you get names of all the persons you speak to at the various utilities and agencies and follow up with certified letters. Also I would suggest a detailed letter to the landlord/managing agent signed by as many residents of the building as possible. Also if there are children or elderly or disabled in the building they should contact their advocacy groups.

Just remember - if you do withhold rent open a separate account (escrow account) at a bank and make sure you deposit it there by the date you usually give your rent in.

urfman

Axel Foley wrote: I don't know what you heard when you moved in, but we were told (as were many others) that there would be washers and dryers ready to go when we moved in. Just a straightup lie that was then spun by Tom like a White House press secretary.

we're convinced that the only reason we even got the free month of rent was not because the gas wasn't hooked up to the building yet, but because my girlfriend had just had major surgery 4 weeks prior and was on crutches upon meeting Tom.

-fred :x

axel foley

We got 40% off first month, 30% off second month. Free month? I wish I had been on crutches.

anonymous

Subject: 551

Here is the final end all be all,

I think the former residents of these buildings are protesting the new residents.

Scary huh?

dan.h

.... huh?