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How about a DHCR-sufferers board?

NYC Rent Regulation: Rent Control/Rent Stabilized, DHCR Practice/Procedures

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How about a DHCR-sufferers board?

Postby Cathy Lambert » Wed Apr 17, 2002 5:58 pm

A closed one, for people to exchange horror stories, naming names, specific RAs, inspectors, etc., without landlords snooping.
I was hamstrung in one previous topic because I couldn't really reveal facts publicly.
Tenants with active cases (we could ID ourselves by name to tenant.net) and tenant lawyers would be welcome. Some of us tenants can use a good lawyer! (hint hint).
How about it, Tenant.net?
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Re: How about a DHCR-sufferers board?

Postby TenantNet » Wed Apr 17, 2002 10:29 pm

While we have email addresses as part of the registration process, we don't have a user's name or other personal information. How would one verify who is a tenant and who isn't? We already have a closed forum for "tenant leaders" but that idea doesn't seem to be working.
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Re: How about a DHCR-sufferers board?

Postby Phil Cohen » Thu Apr 18, 2002 2:41 pm

Well, I suppose you could get, via email, the person's name and phone number, plus a copy of a DHCR filing (an order addressed to the person, that kind of thing). I agree that a closed DHCR forum, for tenant-litigants and tenant lawyers, would be terrif and would be happy to participate.

Originally posted by TenantNet:
While we have email addresses as part of the registration process, we don't have a user's name or other personal information. How would one verify who is a tenant and who isn't? We already have a closed forum for "tenant leaders" but that idea doesn't seem to be working.
Keep in mind that I am a tenant. Not a lawyer!!!!!
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Re: How about a DHCR-sufferers board?

Postby TenantNet » Thu Apr 18, 2002 5:36 pm

Well the Tenant Bar Forum was sort of in that direction. But there really isn't any traffic. I tried to prime the pump, but it petered out. More than that, to get additional info to verify things would be an administrative nightmare. We're not opposed to the idea, but there needs to be a workable formula.
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Re: How about a DHCR-sufferers board?

Postby Phil Cohen » Fri Apr 19, 2002 2:52 pm

Well, I wonder if maybe it is that tenant lawyers are sticking to that closed forum and not looking at this one or others--where their views certainly would be welcome. People like myself who have active DHCR cases might well have something to contribute (in addition to nagging people or advice!), but we can't get into the lawyer forum. I have asked, BTW.
It's a two-way street. If I ever need a lawyer in my DHCR case -- I think I may need one within the next year -- I would look here first.

Originally posted by TenantNet:
Well the Tenant Bar Forum was sort of in that direction. But there really isn't any traffic. I tried to prime the pump, but it petered out. More than that, to get additional info to verify things would be an administrative nightmare. We're not opposed to the idea, but there needs to be a workable formula.
Keep in mind that I am a tenant. Not a lawyer!!!!!
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Re: How about a DHCR-sufferers board?

Postby TenantNet » Fri Apr 19, 2002 3:31 pm

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Phil:
[QB]Well, I wonder if maybe it is that tenant lawyers are sticking to that closed forum and not looking at this one or others

That's not the case - they just aren't active.

[QB]but we can't get into the lawyer forum. I have asked

We never received any request from you. When a person asks, we send an email. We need the person's real name and some information why the person is a tenant attorney or tenant "leader". It was never meant for the person with only a high degree of interest. Some others did ask, but declined to reveal their names. Hey, that's our rule.

But beyond that, there's no real way for us to determine who is a legitimate tenant in need, or a landlord posing as one. To make those determinations would require a lot of resources, which we don't have. That's the problem with cyberspace.
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Re: How about a DHCR-sufferers board?

Postby Cranky Tenant » Fri Apr 19, 2002 3:52 pm

As good as the idea sounds it also sounds like a lot of work for Tenant.net And once you begin seriously screening forums you're likely to discourage as many people who might benefit from it as well as contribute to it. Even if someone doesn't have an active case they may have useful experience to add.

Some time back I had some questions about an ongoing case in housing court. The most helpul answers came from a Landlord who is a regular on this forum..
I'm a cranky tenant NOT a cranky lawyer.
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Re: How about a DHCR-sufferers board?

Postby Phil Cohen » Fri Apr 19, 2002 6:29 pm

I admit, it would require a phone call or two. I'd be happy to help.
Will re-send my email to tenant.net. I didn't get a response. I think it might have been inadvertently deleted as a spam, as I my subject heading, in retrospect, was spamlike. I think it was "hi!" or something like that.
I'm not really a tenant leader, though. I have a DHCR case, and so do some other people in my bldg. and we exchange info. Does that make me a tenant leader?
I agree that landlords can contribute good info. The risk I'm addressing is giving info to the opponent in a DHCR case.
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Re: How about a DHCR-sufferers board?

Postby TenantNet » Fri Apr 19, 2002 9:11 pm

The term "tenant leader" is elusive and as TenantNet was created, in part, as a reaction to the entrenched "tenant leaders" selling out tenants, we don't want to discourage new blood. People can be leaders in their own buildings. Send your request (and we'll send you the form to fill out). But there really isn't any traffic in that forum. Good idea, but it hasn't taken off. It was really meant for a higher level of discussion than "what are my rights" that you might see from general inquiries on the board. For example, detailed analysis of Urstadt, FMRA, DHCR policies, etc. But you need a) people who know their stuff, and b) people willing to talk. What this thread appears to ask for is a place where people can divulge info that might be revealing as to names of LLs or fact patterns that might be readily identifiable. Not a bad idea, but still it would be an administrative nightmare to determine who's legit or who is deserving. What would be the criteria? Would screening be intimidating? Is it necessary? We're open to the idea, but it needs to be fleshed out some more and there probably needs to be some sort of demand beyond the regular forum. I'm not sure there is.

Other ideas we're considering - something where individual building tenant associations could set up an area, or a topic of the day (there is some automated FAQ software that might be workable on that).

Also consider, our resources are very thin and we've spent too much time on TenantNet in the last few months, to the detriment of our other web site (hellskitchen.net) and other priorities. If there's a well-defined need, we're open to good ideas, but...
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Re: How about a DHCR-sufferers board?

Postby Cathy Lambert » Sat Apr 20, 2002 5:39 pm

I think everybody has raised good points. What motivated me, I guess, was when I saw how little reaction there was to the post about rent administrators. Of course, creating a board isn't necessarily going to result in encouraging responses to posts.
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