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Culture on the Cheap
Turkey Roasting : Part I
Since I am a vegetarian, I abstain from roasting fowl. Slaying an animal with two legs, wings and a brain the size of a pecan strikes me as being inhumane. However, I am perfectly at ease roasting FOUL: the delightful and very dysfunctional group of people (whose legume-sized brains are rife with greed) who manage the Astral Apartments:
1. Pistilli Realty
2. The ever-famous Porno Super
One would presume this delectable shit hole would merit some civic-oriented reporter’s (or television crew’s) attention. It has all the elements of a good story:
- A beautiful building, a historic landmark no less, going to shit because…
- the owner of said building (Pistilli Reality) has (in all likelihood) leveraged it in order to construct a shit heap of Co-ops that look like a Jawa Sandcrawler.
- And under Pistilli’s employ is a Super who seems reluctant to fix anything. Probably because he is too busy doing softcore porn shoots on the premises*, drinking beer at the front of the building and schmoozing with his buddies.
Alas, it didn’t. Clearly the media cares not to be a watch dog in the public’s interest anymore: they prefer to alarm them about street sneakers instead. No worries, a myspace group has been formed for people afflicted by the malfeasance of Pistilli Realty. My informant writes:
I am one of the many tenants of the Astral. I have recently been forced out of my apartment due to bedbugs and I was hoping you could post this link on your blog. It is a group I’ve started for tenants of the Astral to talk about all of the problems we’ve been dealing with.
If you live in the Astral and are experiencing problems regarding maintenance, bedbugs, or dislike watching half naked chicks posing on the banister of your stairwell, please join this group. The only reason this situation has persisted as long as it has is because:
1. Lack of communication between landlord and tenant. As rent-stabilized tenants you have rights, they are outlined in your lease rider. What’s a rider you ask? It is a document outlining how the rent was calculated for your rent-stabilized apartment (in accordance to increases dictated by the state) and informs you as to what legal recourse you have in the event of:
A. Poor maintenance (HPD, DOB, DHCR)
B. Harassment (HPD, NYC Department of Human Rights)
C. Rental overcharge (DHCR)
Shortly after I saw this truck pumping heating oil into the Astral I learned from a tenant that she had been without hot water for two days. Not only is this disgusting, it is illegal: landlords are required to have hot water at all times. Period.
2. Lack of communication between tenants. The reason shitbags like Pistilli get away with this shit is because they count on ignorance and lack of communication between their tenants. Simple as that.
3. Educate yourself:
Division of Housing and Community Renewal
Department of Housing and Preservation and Development : all public housing and rent-stabilized apartments are (ostensibly) under their supervision. Don’t let the 311 operator bullshit you.
Department of Buildings: WORTHLESS.
The above (blurry) image is of 143 Huron Street. They were erecting scaffolding until 9:00 p.m. last night. I have called 311 repeatedly about after hours construction. My last complaint was October 16, 2007. It has yet to be investigated.
4. New York’s Bravest (F.D.N.Y): While I do not want to encourage people to call the fire department for housing-related stuff, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that the F.D.N.Y. has the authority to report safety hazards to the Department of Buildings. Last year I watched the dickhead behind my behind my building rip the roof off the first story of his building with nary a permit to be found. The Department of Buildings didn’t seem to care, so I called the Fire Department. Why? In so doing he eliminated a second means of egress for three of his tenants. Their fire escape lead into a 20 foot abyss. For 48+ hours.
It got followed up. FAST. Unlike the Department of Buildings, the F.D.N.Y. seems to care about people.
5. Communicate with your neighbors.
Who am I to write the previous, you ask? I have been there— and then some. Greenpoint is full of unscrupulous landlords. The Astral is the most notorious. Has been for a long time…
**********Studio Courtesy*********
Models Must Arrive on Time,with Clean Hair and Nails Done.
2-Please put your cell phone on vibrate during the shoot
3-Automatic Cancellation if I don’t receive a callback or confirmation call at least 24 hours before the shoot.
Miss Heather
Comments
6 Comments on Turkey Roasting : Part I
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rowan on
Mon, 26th Nov 2007 9:25 am
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vintagejames on
Tue, 27th Nov 2007 12:36 pm
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missheather on
Tue, 27th Nov 2007 12:39 pm
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vintagejames on
Tue, 27th Nov 2007 1:12 pm
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missheather on
Tue, 27th Nov 2007 1:33 pm
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rowan on
Wed, 28th Nov 2007 2:55 pm
i was also affected by the lack of hot water. it is not the first time it had happened. on the most recent occurence, i went through the motions and called the super, then 311 and finally Pistilli. i told Pistilli that i would pro-rate my rent check for every day that i did not have hot water. immediately i was forwarded to the building manager’s voicemail, where i repeated my intentions. this guy called me back within two hours, to reassure me that this was not ever going to happen again. we’ll see…at least now i have his name and direct number.
Watch out about withholding your rent payment. As bad as your problem may be, it could violate your lease agreement. You may be better off by putting part of your rent into an escrow fund. You should lalk to a lawyer (I am not one) or someone else who really understands the legal shit. If you withhold rent, you could be in violation of your lease and be evicted, which is probably what the owners want so they can get enough empty units to co-op the building. Be careful here, you are on sticky ground and need good info on what to do. I wish you the best of luck.
Actually James I think they want constant turnover so they can start removing these apartments from rent-stabilization.
Heather, I know that. But maybe they want to keep some apartments empty (garage them) so they can make the place a co-op or condo or something. If they get enough people to buy the empty apartments, it can be converted. It doesn’t take that many units to do it and the rest will be history. It may be coming. And that is what it looks like. Those people need legal help to discover what portions of their leases are being violated. That’s why God created lawyets. I usually dislke then, but they can have a purpose. The residents there may be best off if they take one on.
The point is–don’t try to make a statement without understanding the legal pitfalls. Trying to be active can cost someone their legal leg, and their apartment. Be careful. Very, very careful.
Ah yes, you are right. Humor me, my parents just left town this morning. I am a little slow on the uptake. 😉
i have a very bad feeling now this is what is going on: trying to get people to leave because conditions aren’t good and then rebuilding/renovating. i’m looking into my rights as a renter and getting my information together. i do have a connection within Housing Court, who is a lawyer that represents tenants against bad landlords. he has been able to give good advice in the past and has also advised me to put any withheld rent in escrow, should it come to that. any action i do take, it will be well-thought out and probably a last resort. i prefer to try to work things out first with management. from what i gather though, Pistilli doesn’t really seem to care if people leave without paying last month’s rent. hopefully i don’t have to move, but it’s not looking good for this building. which sucks massively since i spent so much money moving twice last year. i was hoping for a reprieve. plus i like the neighborhood so much.
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