Rent Increases

$300/month more?
You building is not rent controlled?
That doesn't sound right.
Look over your lease and see what the conditions are for such a huge increase. Ask you neighbors if they too had to pay a huge increase in renewing their lease. Perhaps you should also call 311 to find out the regulations.
By the way, did you have anything major done in your building or in your apartment? A landlord can tack on the costs of renovations to the building or your apartment to your lease (at least that's what MY lease states).
Good luck!

I am not rent stabilized unfortionately (once apartments reach above $2000 they get exempted from regulations), so they don't have to follow any regulations.

Barbara Corcoran must die!

Can you believe this? I found it on my friends blog here http://www.whitless.com/ . This is a quote from her own blog....

"The best property leads I've ever chased have come from gay waiters or would-be actors serving my meal at a fancy restaurant. I've made a habit of asking, "So, where do you live?" and have learned the names of neighborhoods and small enclaves where the space you get is big and the rent is still cheap. Much to my surprise, I've uncovered dozens of wanna-be neighborhoods yet to be discovered in and around New York City, something most city folk find hard to believe. I've found that actors, gays, and other open-minded types are comfortable being outsiders and consistently gravitate to neighborhoods that are both urban and open to the outsider. What they bring to their new locale is enthusiasm, a great sense of community, innate style and all their friends. They always seem to seek out areas where big space is available and the rents are cheap. They are for many investors the modern day version of wagon train pioneers. Big space, low rent, high demand and neighborhood commitment all add up to the birthing of a new up & coming area. And, as every investor knows, this is exactly the kind of investment that can make you a killing."

My post on Barbara's Blog:

"What a repulsive person Barbara is. I'll be moving to Boston. There's no hope for New York. "

Let's see how long it stays there.

Link!

That picture up above of her is kinda different from her blog page, she is all wrinkly in the blog page. She sort of looks like Rocky Marciano. lol

Hatches/ It's already been removed. Bah!

I told you to save up for a down payment. Didn't listen, didya? Spent all your money on pretty boys instead, didn't cha?

See where it got you? Why, by the time you're my age you won't have a pot to piss in. Don't come cryin to me, nosiree bob.

Mean 'Ol Darla Damond

You know why you hate Barbara? Everything she says is TRUE! Show me a gay neighborhood where the property values are depressed. Chelsea is soooo inexpensive. She's an effin genius and rich and it just kills you, doesn't it? Hell, I owe my place to a gay bartender. Get with the program and stop complaining. Hatches, come over here now, I'm gonna force feed you martinis until you straighten up and fly right!

Mean, Greedy

Why is it that these people have no shame when it comes to their greed and avarice. And they seem so pround of their behavior. Ugh.

AHHH Gordon Gekko all over again.
The trouble with the whole concept of 'saving for a down payment' is that it's just NOT possible for MOST people and that is certainly not because they spend it on anything else. Most people are having to live paycheck to paycheck. As someone who has ALWAYS worked - decent muggle gigs I may add - there is still NO way in which I could afford to buy anything in Manhattan since I don't have another partners $ nor do I have family help of any sort or family or friends who can act as a financial safety net. Why must I then be 'punished' or have to live in a ghettoized area of where I can afford. Is choice just for the rich or the greedy.
We all have to be careful when we talk about rents and people finances not to be sweeping but realistic.
I loathe greed and consumerism at this high tilt but if its any compensation, i have truly ALWAYS found the people I have known who have 'much stuff' to also be the folk who have little souls and few REAL friends/relationships. Aye therein lies the rub.

*

AN/ Republicans hon. Republicans.

Most can't afford to buy their own home? Gee, I thought most was a number > 50%. Must be that leftist math again. Of course Manhattan is more expensive than other locations. That's because it's desirable. No one has a "right" to be able to buy in Manhattan. Only the ability, or not.

"Home Ownership: a Bright Spot
The one area of most consistent good news is home ownership. In 2005, nearly 69% of
households owned their own homes, a significant increase over the 64% ownership rates of a
decade ago. Since 1999, the most dramatic increases came for Hispanics, whose home ownership
grew to 49.5% or by 4 percentage points in 2005. White home ownership rates increased 2.2
percentage points since 1999 and were 72.7% in 2005. Over the same time period, rates increased
by 1.9 percentage points to 48.2% for blacks. Hispanic home ownership surpassed that of blacks for the first time."

http://www.epinet.org/newsroom/releases/2006/08/SWApr-wealth-200608-final.pdf

Bobby considers anyone who is smart, hard-working, successful, and knows how to invest to be "greedy", especially if they don't try to present themselves as a bleeding heart liberal. It makes him feel better. What the hell ever happened to your fame and fortune, Miss Miller? Bitter, then?

quote:

Most people are having to live paycheck to paycheck.

Much like the NY Times columnist who couldn't believe George McGovern lost the election because everyone she knew voted for him.

People in the United States and throughout the world on whole have more money and assets than ever before in history. There has never been a better time economically, ever.

By the way, if you have any economic sense at all, you buy outside of Manhattan to start and then use the appreciation of your property to leverage your way in. Yes, you are competing with the rest of the world that desires to live here. Sometimes, you lose. I never promised you a rose garden and anyone who does has an ulterior motive.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bobby:
Darla, don't assume that you can speak for my fame or fortune. My fame and fortune are quite intact. As for fame, I doubt if you will ever even begin to achive the level of exposure that I have unless you consider your reputation as a drunk annoying republican drag queen to be fame. Personally I don't care what you or your ilk think of me or the rest of the world. I know the difference between people who are wise enough to invest their funds in order to make a profit and security and some one like Haliburton who make that profit at the expense of others. Even if it means war and the killing of thousands of people. War mongers care only for the lining of their own pockets. And as for your rethoric that it is the best of economic times, that is only further proof that you have no clue as to what the rest of the world beyound your self centered, limited perspective is actually like. But I have no fear for the future, history has proven over and over again that hateful and elitist people never win in the end. we'll see in 2008 when Dubya gets sent packing and someone with a brain attempts to undo all of his stupidity and error. It may be too late now that the idiot has ruined our countries reputation, changed our American constitution to suit his whims with his idiocy and bankrupted us with his manufactured made up war. The end might just well be nearer than we may think and I don't mean the war.

May I suggest a doc I worked on in 2005. Could open some eyes. "Waging a Living" by Roger Weisberg.


http://www.pppdocs.com/walsynopsis.html

Thanks for that dose of sobriety Mr. Roth.

All right wing blather about rosey economic times is lies.

Even if the majority of people in this country did own their homes you never hear the promoters of such a mass delusion talk about the chronic underlying economic problems caused by unequal distribution of property. There are still over fifteen million children in this country who do not know if they will get any food to eat today. A widely reported study published only two months ago showed there is an all time hiigh number of homelss families living in New York City, more now than since figures were first started to track the homelss back in the 1970's. -I'm, we're, supposed to listen to idiot rhetorical thumping about winners and losers in an economic/real estate competition called the market? That could only come from someone who is more dead inside themself now than their body will be when it lets go of this earth. Its time such people pay attention to recovering their own humanity and stop pretending THEIR claim to Bobby's fame is their own overestimated capacity to piss anyone off here.

As for the proponent of all things right wing here, no one is impressed with their imitation of a snotty twelve year old, but herself.

The Diamond Quoteth: "In 2005, nearly 69% of
households owned their own homes, a significant increase over the 64% ownership rates of a
decade ago. Since 1999, the most dramatic increases came for Hispanics, whose home ownership grew to 49.5% or by 4 percentage points in 2005."

AHEM!!!!! Now we have disaster with the sub-prime market defaulting on their mortgages. All those people, not just Hispanics btw who for the first time ever yes had their own homes... but it was an illusion, a scam in the free market, the poor got sucked in by greedy yes GREEDY mortgage companies offering 'no interest loans,' etc. etc. we know the whole pathetic saga.

Such companies constantly send me literature to "pay off' my mortgage by borrowing at a lesser rate, yes, but for longer term, and at a NON-FIXED rate! They STILL have the audacity to ply their trade of scavenging. There are no curbs on them. Why not?

I'm bloodie sick of people glorying in their ill-gotten gains.... I was recently at a party and talking to a fairly interesting photographer, who THEN told me his family was "TEARING DOWN MANHATTAN" to build high-rises... He was GLORYING in it... Like it was something so fucking CLEVER... meanwhile he lives FAR FAR away from the cultural, economic and sociological repercussions of this DEVASTATION. His eyes had that fixed glassy look of millions in the bank. He seemed amazed I was NOT IMPRESSED... but there's just NO TALKING to these morons!

On good old Republican FOX news yesterday they were saying the new "buyer's market" for homes is so outrageous now, the rate of non-occupancy and defaulting is higher than it has been in 8 years. A friend of mine trying to sell property in Brooklyn said value has been lost on their home, IN ONE YEAR, to the tune of $100,000.

Parroting the lies of Good Times Rolling is just nauseating, how can you stand yourselves! Just friggin blind as they can be. "No Child Left Behind" indeed as seven said, No Children LEFT will be more like it.

Why this attack on Bobby? There is probably no one on these Boards with more integrity.

STRENGTHENING RENT LAWS.....

The main reason things have changed so much and the city has become so unaffordable is the gutting of the rent regulations in 1997 by Pataki that ends up deregulating apartments at $2000.

The only way we can reverse this is if the Democrats take over the State Senate in November. They only need 2 more votes...

This article explains it all....

http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/housing/20080131/10/2419

DEMOCRATS WIN SPECIAL STATE SENATE ELECTION....

ONE SEAT AWAY FROM CONTROL OF NEW YORK STATE SENATE!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/nyregion/27senate.html?ref=nyregion

This means we are one seat away from total Democratic control of New York State Government and the ability to pass new tenant protections, repeal vacancy decontrol (that $2000 threshold where apartments leave rent stabilization) and finally restore some power to tenants in this city.

We are writing to invite you to a press conference this Thursday, March 13, 2008, at noon on the steps of City Hall to celebrate the signing of the Council's historic anti-harassment bill, which will protect tenants and their families from being harassed by their landlords.

This groundbreaking piece of legislation makes harassment, in and of itself, a violation of the law. Tenants who believe their landlord is attempting to get them out of the building will be able to fight not just for basic services, but to put an end to the abuseonce and for all. Examples of harassment include: turning off essential services such as heat and hot water, removing a tenant's belongings, locking a tenant out of his or her apartment, or bringing baseless or frivolous court proceedings against tenants who have a legal right to live in their apartments.

An owner who is found guilty of harassment can face a penalty of $1,000 to $5,000 for each apartment where it is found that harassment has occurred.

We are very proud of this bill and the work we have done with tenant advocates, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the real estate industry to make it strong and fair for both tenants and responsible landlords. When this bill becomes law, it will be another critical tool in our efforts to fight gentrification and protect affordable housing in New York City.

When will this legislation be signed in to effect? I'm currently in a conflict with the landlord where I live (we won in court recently for a breach of habitability suite when the services mysteriously went out just five days after I refused to accept a cash offer to move out).

And thank you very much. There is so little that gets done with regard to progress on tennant's rights nowadays.

The legislation takes effect immediately I think. If anything happens again you can probably sue under the new law.

In other news the Rent Guidelines board is voting soon on the rent increases for stabilized apartments. For a while they were approving increases of 2% for one year leases and 4% for two years. But since Bloomberg appointed the board they have been going crazy with up to 7.5% increases for 2 year leases.

If Democrats take over the State Senate next year, one of the things tenant advocates want is for mayoral appointments to the rent guidelines board to need approval from the city council so they wont be landlord hacks.

If you want to help flip the Senate and get better rent laws, make a contribution to...

http://tenantspac.org/

even if you can only give $20. Every bit will help towards strengthening tenant protections in New York.

I know the Presidential race is heating up and you are being inundated with Obama
requests for money and volunteer opportunities but I am serious when I tell you the very character of our
community is at stake.

We are rapidly losing rent stabilized housing because of the "vacancy decontrol" provision George Pataki
and the real estate lobby put into the rental laws in 1997.

If Democrats take control of the State Senate we can restore some sanity to New York rents....

Please contribute all you can here...... Even $20 is a big help!!!!!


http://www.tenantspac.org/

their website explains it more.

The Greedy real estate lobby isn't stupid, they are contributing to the Democrats too in order
to convince them not to help tenants. If tenants give them more money, we can hold their feet to the
fire. This article in the times explains it more.....


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/nyregion/08rent.html?hp

STRONGER RENT LAWS NOW!!!

Now that the Democrats have taken over the state senate, it's time for tenants to demand they act, repeal vacancy decontrol and protect low income New Yorkers from displacement by greedy real estate developers.

http://www.indypendent.org/200...-rent-reform-begins/

End Vacancy Decontrol...

Save rent stabilized housing...

read this article...

http://www.chelseanow.com/cn_116/sisepuede.html

The Assembly today passed sweeping revisions of the rent laws, protecting tenants. It goes to the State Senate now...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02...nt.html?ref=nyregion