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Kitchen ceiling caved in and fell to floor — Brooklynian

Kitchen ceiling caved in and fell to floor

apartment blues
apartment blues
edited November -1 in Park Slope
I just got home and found that my kitchen ceiling caved in and most of it is on my floor. This has us really upset because we have a 5 month old at home and he could have gotten really, really hurt, or worse, if he were in the kitchen.

Right now the ceiling that is left is hanging down and could fall.

Does anyone know if this constitutes an emergency that needs to fixed immediately? I am very concerned about the safety of my family.

Comments

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    in would have to be deemed inhabitable.

    ....why did it fall? (beyond "gravity")

    Did it get wet from a leaking bathroom above you or somethng?
  • notjusttospampolls
    notjusttospampolls
    That sucks. Go to tenant.net. Those people know the answers to all kinds of stuff like this.
  • apartment blues
    apartment blues
    Between numerous leaks from upstairs and neighbors who jump around like crazy people, that is my guess.

    I am wondering if I need to call 311 right away even though my landlord may be coming over see it.
  • apartment blues
    apartment blues
    Thanks flexi,

    I did that too! But they sometimes take a long time to respond over there (if they respond at all) and this is a real dangerous issue.
  • littlesweetalk
    littlesweetalk
    Ok, glad you knew about tenant.net and hope they give you some good advice. In the meantime, take tons of pictures of everything before anybody tries to clean it up. Keep them in your back pocket in case it becomes a battle.
  • modsquad2.0
    modsquad2.0
    You need to get your kid out of there tonight. The likelihood of lead dust permeating the whole apartment is real. Take your pictures but keep some of the "pictured" pieces for later testing.
    If your LL is smart he'll be on the phone to his insurance co. They'll call somebody line ServPro to get there tonight and begin cleaning.
    If you have renters insurance call them.
  • modsquad2.0
    modsquad2.0
    Insurance co. also have emergency crews on call 24/7. They should handle any further removal of plaster under the auspices of the Insurance Company, not the Super showing up tomorrow morning with his ladder.
  • cool the kid
    cool the kid
    Damn that would definitely give me the apartment blues.
  • apartment blues
    apartment blues
    Modsquad,

    Now you are really freaking me out. Lead dust? I just don't know what to do. My landlord just wants to take care of it himself.
  • MOD
    MOD
    If your landlord is heading over, give him a chance. By all means feel free to freak out, but don't go overboard before you have all the information and really, you need to calmly handle the situation. Rational and levelheaded thinking will help you ease through this situation. See what options your landlord gives you, calmly insist on quick repairs, etc...
  • apartment blues
    apartment blues
    Mamacita,

    Thanks.

    He is cleaning up now, trying to take down what he can and nail in what he can. Says he will fix it Monday. The problem is, sometimes Monday means Friday. Not sure if Monday is appropriate. Just don't know if I should suggest tomorrow or even now. Not trying to be a jerk, but a 5 month old is a very small person and falling objects scare me.
  • d_luxx
    d_luxx
    Will he pay for your family to stay in a hotel while you wait for it to be fixed? Worth a try, and might give him an incentive to get it fixed faster.
  • brooklyngersh
    brooklyngersh
    Do you have renter's insurance? if so, they might cover your hotel costs
  • MOD
    MOD
    Getting it done right now might be too much, I'm assuming he needs to hire repairmen to come and fix it? If it's a serious as you posted? Insist on Monday having it all done and also push for a deduction in rent for next month to cover expenses (having to eat out, cleaning, general trouble and stress incurred.
  • booklaw
    booklaw
    I don't want to panic you further, and I'm no expert on these things, but I wonder if there isn't also a possibility of asbestos fibers in the fallen material.

    Perhaps Modsquad could weigh in on that question.

    If you can possibly afford to move into a hotel for the weekend, it might be a very good idea.
  • modsquad2.0
    modsquad2.0
    The LL needs to understand that a baby is involved and any positive test will bring the City down on him.
    Check with the baby's pediatrician when you should test for lead and how often. If the test comes back positive then they have to inform the City which will bring a knock on the door.
    Definitely keep some samples. That could be tested Monday morning.
  • modsquad2.0
    modsquad2.0
    Good point booklaw, I don't know. I presume it can be tested for at the same time.
  • opossumqueen
    opossumqueen
    Lead and asbestos are bad for you and the baby, but don't freak out yet, but don't let the kiddo crawl around in the apartment until you know it's clean. The LL should clean it up asap, and if you want a professional opinion concerning what's going on and your baby, perhaps try someone who specializes in this instead of just your pediatrician. I've sat in on many meetings to discuss such cases as yours with the environmental pediatric group at Mt. Sinai and think that's a good group to contact if you want.

    I would guess any exposure you've had thus far (if any) isn't cause for alarm yet but it's smart to be aware and cautious.

    http://www.mountsinai.org/patient-care/service-areas/children/areas-of-care/childrens-environmental-health-center
  • opossumqueen
    opossumqueen
    I think lead can be tested and detected on the spot, but samples for asbestos have to be sent to a lab unless a lot has changed since I did quit doing that a 2 years ago.
  • modsquad2.0
    modsquad2.0
    OpossumQueen wrote: Lead and asbestos are bad for you and the baby, but don't freak out yet, but don't let the kiddo crawl around in the apartment until you know it's clean.
    This.
    I remember when the asbestos law came into effect, mid 80's. A month before, the streets were full of 20 yard containers filled to the top with the stuff blowing around like snow. NO spike yet.
  • modsquad2.0
    modsquad2.0
    Still AB, if you're going to let the LL "skate" on this (believe me I understand, anonymous advice not withstanding), you owe it, obviously to your baby to test the plaster for lead etc. Your next choice will be to inform (or not) the rest of the the building if the test is positive. (it never ends). Short of creating a negative pressure in your apartment there is no way that this dust will not travel.
  • mantic
    mantic
    If the pieces that came down are sheetrock, not much to worry about, just dust.
    If what fell down is slat and plaster, there may be a possibility of lead dust from old paint. I seriously doubt about asbestos, unless it is an older building and there are heating pipes in the floors in the section that fell that may have shed.

    If you've complained to the landlord about the leaks before, now his dumbass has to clean up the mess from it.

    I hope this teaches you to be observant about your surroundings. The ceiling had to show signs it was going to fall via cracking and/or sagging.
    Prolonged water leaking + ceilings = ta-rubble.
  • independent mind
    independent mind
    Are you saying your name was 'apartment blues' BEFORE this event? You poor thing, maybe this is a good weekend for a last-minute getaway to the beach? Just deal with it all on monday morning....
  • krnie
    krnie
    I have had to deal with lazy landlords before, and pretty much all it took was a quick email to them that was short, to-the-point, and borderline rude/bitchy with appropriate parts in all caps. If he doesn't show up on Monday something along these lines would be appropriate:

    "As you know, on x date our kitchen ceiling fell in. This is obviously is a danger to our family, especially our infant, and needed to be fixed immediately. As you did not show up today when you promised you would to in order to fix the problem, we will be calling a repair man today to fix the ceiling and we will deduct the total bill from our rent. We will send you his bill with our deducted check when our next month's rent is due. In addition, we will be taking our child to the pediatrician to check for any lead/asbestos exposure, which could have resulted from this preventable accident."

    Good luck! I hope everything works out for you.
  • veets
    veets
    As much as I sympathize with the OP's situation I have to say it is difficult to get someone in on a weekend to deal with these kind of things. Unless your landlord is a "handyman" and capable of doing his own repair in this type of situation it seems reasonable that the earliest you can expect repair is Monday. If indeed the apartment is not habitable in your estimation then stay at hotel or even at a frinds and send a bill for the hotel or deduct the day's rent that you can't live in your apartment.

    Indeed if the Apartment Blues handle is something you have been experiencing for a long time with this landlord I understand why you expect things will not be addressed quickly.
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