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The Landlord Shoveling Snow Dilemma — Brooklynian

The Landlord Shoveling Snow Dilemma

donewaiting
edited November -1 in Park Slope

I am sure this discussion must have come up on the board a few times ago but a few searches couldn't reveal it.

Am I the only person going through a moral dilemma with regards to snow? I live in a three family building and last year I shoveled the snow in front of the house.... But... you know... I don't think I should be the one doing it..

So now I am battling the "Don't shovel the snow you pay a lot in rent and it's not your job" devil on one shoulder and the "Be a good neighbor and shovel that shit!" angel on the other shoulder.

I guess tomorrow I am gonna shovel, but I will do it angrily.. ](*,)

Comments

  • sorry youre paying for the service of having a shovelled walk unless you have something arranged with your landlord where you get a discount or something to shovel. Id not touch it, It is not your problem and if you fall contact me and ill be happy to put you in touch with a good PI Attorney.

    My next door neighbor refuses to shovel i dont/wont do theirs and i look forward to calling 311 in the AM to get them a nice ticket

  • Shovel the snow if it's impeding your ability to move about. The person who normally does it is likely in a bind themselves. It's not like people can easily move about right now.

  • I'm in an 8-unit brownstone. The stoop/sidewalk hadn't been touched by about 3 PM, so I finally bit the bullet and cleared it. Wondering if this is something I should bring up when the landlord asks for a rent increase at release time?

  • You should bring it up regardless. Maybe something happened that prevented the snow from being taken care of in a timely manner.

  • Yeah, I would definitely give the benefit of the doubt if not for the fact that this is a chronic issue.....

  • The myth that others will meet our needs is a fragile one

  • If you want to get out and there is only one way of doing it....take pics and then print them when you have to renew your lease.

  • Consider taking what a snow shoveler would have charged off your rent

  • Is it possible your landlord has somebody who is supposed to be doing it but isn't showing up?

    I'm not sure what the standard ticket is for not clearing the walk but I think it goes as high as $350. Maybe letting them get hit with a ticket is a good corrective measure...

  • Yeah I guess I should have a conversation with them... nonetheless, they are on the naughty list.

  • You werent hired to shovel snow you did it on your own volition,. you are not entitled to anything for compensation. Of course if your doing the snow results in ice buildup or other hazzardous condition and someone falls and gets hurt youve just opened yourself to be a defendant in a lawsuit, and you would NOT be covered by your landlords insurance because he did not specifically ask you to remove the snow or ice

  • It is your landlords responsibility. Unless you have an arrangement with the landlord, then he/she needs to be the one to take care of it in a timely manner. Don't do it and let them get a fine from the city. If the building owner does not want to take care of it then they need to arrange to have someone do it.

  • Talk about it and/or hire someone else to do it and deduct it from your rent.

  • I give you a thread started on this very topic by a landlord...

    http://brooklynian.com/forum/park-slope/are-the-roads-in-park-slope-and-prospect-heights-clear-by-the-gov#post-718936

    ...it seems he wants to know whether he should try to reach his properties to shovel because the roads may be not passable.

  • Do you like your landlord?

    If not, don't do it and tell them to do it. If you do like them, then go ahead and shovel it. I l like my landlord, and he's out of town now, so I shoveled it for them so he doesn't get a ticket or look like a schmuck. But I know that he would have shoveled it himself if he was here.

  • It's the landlord's responsibility. Your rent should be discounted if you're the one taking care of it or someone should be hired. Period.

  • you shouldn't shovel it unless you really like your landlord, one of my tenants always offer to shovel it for me. but i like to do it myself.

    reasons are don't want to strain them, and also don't want them to be liable for any stupid lawsuits by jerkwads etc...plus we have a good rapport with them and don't want to strain that either. plus i like the work out :p. i rarely move out of my dungeon playing games etc..

  • For those keeping score at home...

    Monday night, sometime after 12am, someone shoveled! It was either the shovel elves or the landlord, or someone they paid.... Because at the time the other tenants in the building were still on holiday...

    I'm still gonna reach out to the landlord and just ask them what they want us to do about snow in the future, just to get the conversation going.....

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