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Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

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

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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby TenantNet » Thu Aug 01, 2019 8:59 pm

I thought the requirement to notify the LL in advance of intent to file had been rescinded. But if not, then do so anyway, it can't hurt.

Better luck at FOIL? Perhaps. I FOIL a great deal of info from the FOIL office and I have reason to believe they have engaged in a deliberate slow-down or stoppage of my requests. Again, it can't hurt if you wish to try it. BTW, I just send letters and normally do not deal with PDF forms or online forms. Still, why not try? If you do get them, please send us copies.

1. Is it within DHCR's authority to order the LL to supply an alternative means, such as a 'dumb' cellphone, as opposed to a rent reduction?

Yes and no. A service decrease complaint only determines if a service has been decreased. But they will consider what the LL is now providing to see if the replacement is sufficient.

OTOH, an Owner Decrease (OD) proceeding or an Administrative Determination (AD) proceeding can also look at these issues. But normally DHCR does not say something like "Use a Ford instead of a Chevy." The LL would have to say something like, "we have installed a Ford and we believe it is a suitable alternative for the following reasons..." and the tenant can dispute that.
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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby TenantNet » Sat Aug 10, 2019 5:20 pm

It took a while as DHCR FOIL office is dragging it's feet big time these days. I had to nudge then several time to get these files, then when they did send them, they were in the wrong format and all pages were dumped together.

But in any case, I've added the last eight files to this thread: http://tenant.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php? ... 324#p58324

As before, I haven't read all of these, so they might be on point, and perhaps they might not be.
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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby Mr_Buzzer » Sun Aug 11, 2019 4:42 pm

Thanks! Got 'em. It will take me awhile to go through them, as I wait to see if the LL responds to my formal notice of intent to file with DHCR.
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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby Mel31451 » Sat Sep 28, 2019 5:56 am

No....any rent reduction you receive from dhcr bc of the intercom: your rent gets reduced from the frozen drie amount via dhcr rent reduction order.., then you notify dof/drie in writing ( certtified mail, return receipt) enclose the decision from dhcr, and drie will adjust the tac.
Unless im having a "senior moment" i believe this is correct
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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby TenantNet » Sat Sep 28, 2019 10:21 am

Mel31451, please designate dhcr as DHCR, drie as DRIE and so on. See the forum rules. People need to understand what you are saying.

I do not know if this is correct or not. Do you have a source on that, any statement from DHCR or DOF? Case law?
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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby Mr_Buzzer » Sat Sep 28, 2019 3:58 pm

"your rent gets reduced from the frozen DRIE amount via DHCR rent reduction order..."


As I had said in post #58098, just below my bolded heading of "Of possible interest to other DRIE recipients", I had spoken to someone at DoF, who was clear on their policy of "capturing" the difference.

Is it possible the person I spoke to is wrong or is handing me a load of BS? Sure. But I haven't been able to find any codified law or court decisions that spell out otherwise.

Further, I've since spoken to counsel, who tells me the non-law regulations that DoF issues on DRIE matters are subject to change without notice, on the whim of Dept. managers, and going to court is the only way to nail down the policy. Counsel further emphasized that going to court is always a crapshoot.

As TenantNet has already asked, can you proffer an authoritative source that can be presented as evidence at hearing? A docket number of a previous ruling that supports your statement would go a long way toward that end.

Believe me, I'd love for your assertion to be the case. But everything I've encountered so far points in the other direction.
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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby Mr_Buzzer » Sat Sep 28, 2019 4:02 pm

Just to update those waiting with baited breath, as to the recent goings-on, things have taken an odd turn.

After notifying the LL by certified mail of my intent to file a complaint with DHCR, even before the ten days had elapsed, the intercom starts ringing via my landline phone service.

I promptly called both the LL and the Co-Op manager to complain, as I had never returned their permission form or otherwise given them permission to use my landline. (Back in early May, the Co-Op had sent all building tenants a form asking for the number you wanted entered into the system, explaining that various data would be collected for unspecified purposes, and that you gave them permission to do so. The form had to be signed).

The Co-Op manager says my LL is authorized, on my behalf, to supply a phone number for intercom purposes, and I should take the matter up with him. The LL says that my having given him my landline number (ostensibly, for emergency purposes), that he is authorized to give it to the Co-Op for use as they see fit.

Rather than file on-line, I make a trip to DHCR's local borough rent office. Things did not go well. I explained the situation to the rep', who tells me "you have intercom service, so you don't have a valid complaint". I try to further explain the problems in detail. They're not really interested, but take my paperwork and say they'll forward it to the LL.

The LL replies that he's in compliance with all requirements. DHCR agrees and considers the matter closed.

I then contact an attorney at one of the indigent legal services. They're not interested in aggressively pursuing this, but were willing to make some inquiries and write some letters. They're awaiting responses from the various parties, including DHCR, but I'm not holding my breath.

In the meantime, all the reasons for not wanting the intercom forwarded to my landline are still valid. Not to mention that, yesterday alone, among other scam callers, I got 41 Robocalls, all from the same scammers, saying "This call is from the Department of Social Security Administration", and how my SSN had been suspended.

With this type of crapola, if UPS tried to make a delivery, the chance of them getting through is slim to none.
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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby TenantNet » Sat Sep 28, 2019 5:08 pm

Sounds like both the coop and LL are giving you a load of BS. Ever consider complaining with the Public Service Commission in that your phone line has been coopted [sic] and/or diverted?

I would send the LL a cease and desist letter. This sounds like harassment to me.

DHCR borough offices are seriously understaffed and they don't know that much.

Legal services most likely will not help. They have limited resources and usually help tenants facing eviction in housing court, but not much else.

But you get phone scammers. Most people do. How is that connected to your intercom situation?

I would think through some sort of strategy where the LL does not have access to your phone line, which at that point you can have a services complaint that DHCR might listen to.
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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby Mr_Buzzer » Sat Sep 28, 2019 6:20 pm

"Ever consider complaining with the Public Service Commission in that your phone line has been coopted [sic] and/or diverted?"


I can try. But I'm more than a little familiar with their rules and regs, and I'm pretty sure this is outside of their purview. More likely than not, they'll just tell me to be sure I'm on both the State and Federal "Do Not Call" list, and have been re-added within 5 years of the previous addition.

"I would send the LL a cease and desist letter."


I will ask counsel about doing so. (I won't do too much on my own until counsel says they're done, as previous experience has shown that things can wind up conflicting).

"But you get phone scammers. Most people do. How is that connected to your intercom situation?"


Only in that, on some days, the onslaught of Robocalls is so nearly continuous that no one can get through. At times I couldn't even have my medical monitoring devices (which use a fax protocol) call out to the clinic. It's just one more reason why having the intercom call my landline is unsuitable. (That, and feeling the need to bitch about the damn scammers, that seem to be increasing in both number and frequency. :-) )

"I would think through some sort of strategy where the LL does not have access to your phone line, which at that point you can have a services complaint that DHCR might listen to."


I've been thinking about that very idea. Unfortunately, short of changing my number (which creates a whole other set of problems*), I'm drawing a blank.

*I've had the same number for just short of 50 years, and it's the only way for many to contact me. Trying to remember everyone that needs to be notified of a number change is a near impossibility.
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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby BubbaJoe123 » Mon Sep 30, 2019 6:53 pm

Mr_Buzzer wrote:
"Ever consider complaining with the Public Service Commission in that your phone line has been coopted [sic] and/or diverted?"


I can try. But I'm more than a little familiar with their rules and regs, and I'm pretty sure this is outside of their purview. More likely than not, they'll just tell me to be sure I'm on both the State and Federal "Do Not Call" list, and have been re-added within 5 years of the previous addition.

"I would send the LL a cease and desist letter."


I will ask counsel about doing so. (I won't do too much on my own until counsel says they're done, as previous experience has shown that things can wind up conflicting).

"But you get phone scammers. Most people do. How is that connected to your intercom situation?"


Only in that, on some days, the onslaught of Robocalls is so nearly continuous that no one can get through. At times I couldn't even have my medical monitoring devices (which use a fax protocol) call out to the clinic. It's just one more reason why having the intercom call my landline is unsuitable. (That, and feeling the need to bitch about the damn scammers, that seem to be increasing in both number and frequency. :-) )

"I would think through some sort of strategy where the LL does not have access to your phone line, which at that point you can have a services complaint that DHCR might listen to."


I've been thinking about that very idea. Unfortunately, short of changing my number (which creates a whole other set of problems*), I'm drawing a blank.

*I've had the same number for just short of 50 years, and it's the only way for many to contact me. Trying to remember everyone that needs to be notified of a number change is a near impossibility.


Is your phone service with Verizon, or with the cable company? If the latter, then I highly recommend signing up for nomorobo (nomorobo.com). Free service - if a call is from a robocaller, then it just rings once, and then hangs up. Not perfect (it still rings, and every now and then a robocall does get through), but a huge improvement.
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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby TenantNet » Mon Sep 30, 2019 7:03 pm

We don't know this service (nomorobo.com), so we can't recommend it. Even so, this seems a bit off-topic.
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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby BubbaJoe123 » Mon Sep 30, 2019 8:01 pm

TenantNet wrote:We don't know this service (nomorobo.com), so we can't recommend it. Even so, this seems a bit off-topic.


Fair enough, feel free to delete the post. I was just making a suggestion that I thought might help the OP out. For what it's worth, the service is actually partnered with Spectrum: https://www.spectrum.net/support/voice/ ... ected=true
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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby TenantNet » Mon Sep 30, 2019 8:06 pm

As in NY1 -- as in Time Warner?
That Spectrum?

Such a boat-load of credibility.
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Re: Intercom and/or Key Fob issues

Postby BubbaJoe123 » Tue Oct 01, 2019 2:41 pm

TenantNet wrote:As in NY1 -- as in Time Warner? That Spectrum? Such a boat-load of credibility.


As in Spectrum (the brand name of the cable service of Charter, which owns the former Time Warner Cable systems). Point I'm making is that Nomorobo is actually endorsed by the phone provider, not just some random startup. Anyway, if the OP has Verizon, it's a moot point.
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