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Posted by John on June 14, 2000 at 08:03:02:

In Reply to: access to basement.... posted by artie on June 13, 2000 at 15:35:17:

Yeah, I hate those ESTIMATED bills. They say they over charge based on last year’s usage, but it is always to Con Edison's benefit, and this summer is going to be hot.

First start a tenant association in your building. The more people involved with this problem (and any others) the better the negotiations will be with your landlord. After that send certified letters to your landlord in reference to access to the basement and any other problems all of you may have in the building.
Then if thing don’t improve report this illegal basement apartment to the building department, it would not hurt to call HPD to file a complaint, which will notify the landlord and force him to remove the super from the basement.

You can go as far as hiring a lawyer and starting a HP Action to correct the problem, so choose wisely what you and the other tenants want to do.

Good Luck

: I live in Brooklyn, NY. My building is a rent stabilized building with 8 units. The landlord has transformed the basement into an apartment or some kind of living quarters because he used to live down there, and now the super of the building lives there. No one can gain access to the basement. We tenants cannot store anything down there because noone has a key. When Brookly Union or Con-Ed comes they cannot gain access, therefore the tenants get an ESTIMATED bill that all of a sudden doubles or triples when the utility companies finally do get the actual readings. This at times has caused me to fall behind on my bills, including the rent. I have to pay on the bills because of turn-off notices and such. Are we as tenants not obligated to have the basement to use as storage space. And is it legal for the landlord to transform the basement into a apartment, thus making it a nine unit building???? Can anyone help?

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Comments:
: Yeah, I hate those ESTIMATED bills. They say they over charge based on last year’s usage, but it is always to Con Edison's benefit, and this summer is going to be hot.

: First start a tenant association in your building. The more people involved with this problem (and any others) the better the negotiations will be with your landlord. After that send certified letters to your landlord in reference to access to the basement and any other problems all of you may have in the building. 
: Then if thing don’t improve report this illegal basement apartment to the building department, it would not hurt to call HPD to file a complaint, which will notify the landlord and force him to remove the super from the basement. 

: You can go as far as hiring a lawyer and starting a HP Action to correct the problem, so choose wisely what you and the other tenants want to do.   

: Good Luck


: : I live in Brooklyn, NY. My building is a rent stabilized building with 8 units. The landlord has transformed the basement into an apartment or some kind of living quarters because he used to live down there, and now the super of the building lives there. No one can gain access to the basement. We tenants cannot store anything down there because noone has a key. When Brookly Union or Con-Ed comes they cannot gain access, therefore the tenants get an ESTIMATED bill that all of a sudden doubles or triples when the utility companies finally do get the actual readings. This at times has caused me to fall behind on my bills, including the rent. I have to pay on the bills because of turn-off notices and such. Are we as tenants not obligated to have the basement to use as storage space. And is it legal for the landlord to transform the basement into a apartment, thus making it a nine unit building???? Can anyone help?


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