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Garden maintenance in a rented apartment

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Garden maintenance in a rented apartment

Postby Shelly » Wed Mar 27, 2002 5:11 pm

I live in a rented ground floor apartment in Brooklyn. There is a garden attached that needs some major maintenance, just two things actually. There is a 70 year old tree that has now grownto span three other properties and is also pressing down on thick telephone cables. I am concerned about having this tree cut back because it is leaning heavily in the direction of a kindergarten school which is right behind the garden. It's on the verge of breaking the fence and possibly those cables. I've asked the landlord over the past two years about cutting it back. He says yes, yes, your're right and then another year goes by. I wanted to find out my leagal rights as a tenant with regards to his responsibilities with this tree seeing that it is his property! How do I get him to live up to his word? Also we had a fence separating our yard from the other yard which is almost nonexistent now. He says that because the property is shared he needs the other landlord's approval to install a new fence, I get the feeling he hasn't ever asked - I've been asking him to fix the fence for four years.

Is there anyway that I can have this landlord live up to his responsibilities??? Do I have any options?? Please let me know. Thank you. :(
Shelly
 
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Re: Garden maintenance in a rented apartment

Postby <Red Zephyr> » Thu Mar 28, 2002 12:02 am

Not sure where your interest is here. Of course it would be bad if a tree fell onto a school; however this is a matter between the landlord and the school. And your landlord is correct, fences and trees that straddle two properties generally have to be dealt with by both property owners. And if one of the owners is a governmental body, such as a school, you can bet they will be snail's pace slow when it comes to making any decisions that affect their property.

Basically, not your problem, why worry about it.
<Red Zephyr>
 

Re: Garden maintenance in a rented apartment

Postby <andy> » Thu Mar 28, 2002 1:29 am

Do you know how incredibly RARE it is to have a ground floor apartment with a yard in NYC?

If i were you i'd really keep very quiet, so you will get a renewal lease each year..
<andy>
 

Re: Garden maintenance in a rented apartment

Postby <Jerry> » Thu Mar 28, 2002 2:26 am

Have you ever been in Brooklyn? People do have yards and something called grass.
<Jerry>
 

Re: Garden maintenance in a rented apartment

Postby Cranky Tenant » Thu Mar 28, 2002 3:50 pm

Originally posted by MVSF:
I live in a rented ground floor apartment in Brooklyn. There is a garden attached that needs some major maintenance, just two things actually. There is a 70 year old tree that has now grownto span three other properties and is also pressing down on thick telephone cables. I am concerned about having this tree cut back because it is leaning heavily in the direction of a kindergarten school which is right behind the garden. It's on the verge of breaking the fence and possibly those cables. I've asked the landlord over the past two years about cutting it back. He says yes, yes, your're right and then another year goes by. I wanted to find out my leagal rights as a tenant with regards to his responsibilities with this tree seeing that it is his property! How do I get him to live up to his word? Also we had a fence separating our yard from the other yard which is almost nonexistent now. He says that because the property is shared he needs the other landlord's approval to install a new fence, I get the feeling he hasn't ever asked - I've been asking him to fix the fence for four years.

Is there anyway that I can have this landlord live up to his responsibilities??? Do I have any options?? Please let me know. Thank you. :(
If the tree fell and hurt someone they might claim you had some resonsibiity because you knew about it. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to write the landlord a polite letter asking him to fix it, and keep a copy for yourself.
I'm a cranky tenant NOT a cranky lawyer.
Cranky Tenant
 
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Re: Garden maintenance in a rented apartment

Postby ChrisG » Mon Apr 01, 2002 12:35 am

i would try calling the phone company (verizon i assume) and telling them about the tree leaning on the wires. they will probably come and check it out and them impress upon the LL the need to cut the tree down. i think they will be able to persuade him. what bearing this will have on your relationship with the LL is uncertain, but one hopes he wouldn't blame you for it; it's just a part of owning property.
ChrisG
 
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