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Coop Living

July 9, 2005 By pia

I had been feeling strange since last week. Couldn’t explain why; it wasn’t anxiety as in ‘anxiety attacks.” Just a feeling that something wasn’t right. Then I came home Thursday night to my 600 square feet of prime Manhattan real estate. Like most New Yorkers I have many locks on my apartment door. I only lock two of them; one is a decoy.

My super used to feel that he could walk into my apartment whenever he felt like without calling in advance or leaving me a note explaining the reason for his visits. When I would try to explain to him that this is highly illegal, except in an emergency, when he is always welcome, he would pretend to be deaf. I finally complained to the Board of Directors, and building management. Hated to do that, but hated having my rights violated even more.

At the time I didn’t have a decoy lock, but something would always look a little different when I came home. A window shade would be askew; a candle wouldn’t be in the place I left it. As I live alone, and like keeping things in the places I decide that they look best, I would always know.

But I decided that having a decoy lock would ensure that I knew. Having just gotten off the subway Thursday night I wasn’t in the greatest of moods to begin with. Finding this lock, locked, made my mood worse. Nothing was out of order; I couldn’t understand why he had been in here.

I decided not to ask him nor bring it up with building management or the Board of Directors as I might want to rent my apartment out next year and people who sublet are subject to the same strict rules that people who are trying to buy are subject to.

In a coop, anybody can be turned down by the Board for any non-discriminatory reason, and discrimination is hard to prove unless it’s racial or sometimes religious. I must admit my entire interview was over in ten minutes, and they kind of let me know on the spot that I had been accepted. Being accepted by a strict coop board is one of the greatest guilty pleasures a New Yorker can experience; being accepted virtually on the spot is ten times that thrill. Hey I know it’s a cheap thrill, but…

It’s really a very expensive thrill. Though my apartment is small, it’s totally renovated, has a bath and a half, and the kitchen does look cute. You don’t realize how impractical it is until you actually try working in it. I can sell it for three to four times what I paid for it in 1997. While that’s still way under the average price of a coop in Manhattan (between 1.2 mil and 1.3 mil, depending on what realtor gives the statistics) it’s still a hefty amount and would buy me a very nice condo in Santa Monica CA.

I have explained previously that the difference between a coop and condo is simple; instead of owning the apartment itself; in a coop you own shares in a corporation. The building is responsible for everything behind the walls and under the floorboards; the coop “owner,” is responsible for everything else. Though if your floorboards are warped (as mine were) from other peoples floods, the building is responsible for replacing it. Though there are exceptions to that rule.

The number of shares a person owns is determined (in my building) by the number of rooms, and location. Most buildings use a square foot model, which would be much fairer to me as I live in two and half rooms, yet pay almost as much in maintaince as my neighbor does who has views of the Hudson and 300 more feet. Yes, her apartment is one third larger than mine with better views yet she pays only about one sixth more a month. Maintaince charges are like common fees but are much heftier. While I don’t have a mortgage my building has several, so I do get their tax breaks plus an exemption all coop and condo owners in New York get each year because we pay more taxes than home owners. Why that isn’t changed is a mystery of life. Of course my building takes the exemption money as an assessment (or additional charge that goes usually for capital improvements.)

I was unnerved enough Thursday night; I didn’t need to know that the frigging super had been in the apartment. I decided not to ask why as I want to remain on everybody’s good sides, if that’s still a possiblity.

Almost all the old doormen were fired or retired this past year. Coop directors are elected yearly. This year a new resident who owns one of the penthouses was elected. As she owns the most amount of shares, it was pretty easy for her to be elected. The amount of shares you own determine how your vote is counted. More shares, of course, equals more votes. Her penthouse had many floods which the building is responsible for fixing. While they’re fixing it, they might as well add on some more things, shouldn’t they? Yes, we’re paying for her apartment to be renovated.

At the annual Board of Directors election meeting, we were told, outright, that we couldn’t be trusted to know what is happening in our own building as we would tell the doormen. That isn’t true, at least in my case. Fernando is the only doorman I have regular contact with and I have spent the past seven and a half years immersed in his personal story: he’s a Born Again who still managed to have seven children with three women.

My contact with the other doormen is strictly to say “hi, how are you?” That’s a shame but given the Board’s extremely negative approach to running a coop, and the Super’s extraodinary powers, I dare not become friendlier with them. At the board meeting I was dying to ask why the super seems to run the Board of Directors. I refrained from that as it was such a hostile meeting. They did tell us we could go downtown to the management firm’s office and read the monthly Board of Director minutes. As they only put in what they want people to know, why bother.

I woke up early on Friday morning and remembered a few Google searchs that had shown up on my site-meter. “Fired doormen,” “my street,” and other variations of that. Actually this made me feel better as I understood that there was a reason for my vague sense of unease. I have a “rep” of being too friendly to the doormen. Until I moved into this building I never thought of that as a bad attribute. I also signed petitions and did other “horrible” things to have one of the doormen reinstated.

Living in a coop is like living in a country without many civil rights. I find it ironic how people think New Yorkers are so liberal when we’re willing to give up basic rights just to have a place to live. What’s even more ironic is that when this building went coop, it elected to allow people to remain even if they didn’t want to buy their apartments. They remain under New York City’s rent control and rent stablization laws. They get all the improvements, are entitled to more services than we are such as having refrigators replaced if they break, paint jobs, and the like. Of course they don’t have the fabulous investment equity we do, but many of them can afford to own second homes because they pay relatively little in rent for a large old fashioned New York apartment.

Lately I have been seriously thinking about leaving New York. I will probably never know why the super was in here Thursday night as he has a history of lying. When confronted with the lies, he “ums.” A few women took restraining orders out against him as he goes only into single women’s apartments when we’re out, or without notice. Again I won’t do that, as I do want try living somehere else before selling. He respects all men including the drunk upstairs for whom he has lied for on numerous ocassions, and married women. In the year 2005, that’s sickening.

Know that I sound like a wimp. I’m not. Our last super was fired because he would go into women’s apartments, while they were home–middle of the night, and touch underwear and other things. Knew that he had problems from the first day I met him. He wouldn’t go into my apartment as I was “board approved,” and we were too high up the chain. Of course we’re supposed to pretend that this never happened.

I’m tired of complaining. I complained loudly and often when he would come in, without notice, in 2002. People who complain get less services; people who complain become branded. I have seen that happen to people in my building. When the board was friendler they would admit that the super’s a horrible people person but good with floods. We have constant floods as we have so many pipes they have a special pipe schematic!

I was shocked at the hostility shown by some of The Board of Directors toward the shareholders. The only thing that could help would be a law suit, and as I own stock in the building (my shares, legally I’m called a shareholder,) I would be suing myself. It would be costly and I could lose.

I’m glad he came in. In my mind the deal is sealed. I have somethings to finish in New York and then, adios, au revoir, whatever. It’s a shame and saddens me as I love New York. But I don’t like it anymore. The cost of living in every respect is too high.

Filed Under: 9/11, New York Stories Tagged With: 9/11, New York Stories

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Comments

  1. Kat says

    July 9, 2005 at 9:50 pm

    I would suggest setting up a video camera. Who knows, maybe he’s been in your apt setting one up and needs to come in to change the tape?!? There are just way too many wackos in this wacko world of ours.

  2. Lucas says

    July 9, 2005 at 10:01 pm

    Setting up a camera is my first thought as well. You’ve got a guy breaking into your home on a regular basis. Since he isn’t just some stranger and he didn’t you went ahead and told him not to do it seem to be causing any harm, you told him to stop.

    Only he didn’t. He’s breaking into your home…have him arrested and/or fired. It sounds like there’s something wrong with this guy… neither you nor anyone else in your building should have to put up with that.

  3. Robin P says

    July 10, 2005 at 12:27 am

    I don’t understand why you can’t report this to the police. Breaking and entering is a crime….even in New York!!

  4. Pia says

    July 10, 2005 at 3:09 am

    Thanks. Unfortunately reporting a door locked that you didn’t lock would be looked at as if “you are crazy.” Can’t report a crime that you have no physical evidence of.

    Did have a friend who is a tech expert look for hidden cameras, holes, whatever–none.

    I changed my locks. Put the new keys in a device I found in a hardware store that if opened couldn’t be closed again.

    When my wallet was stolen two years ago, and my identity was stolen, the police pretty much knew who did it. they were excited as I make a good witness, and was very willing to testify.

    then NY was put on high terror alert and because the bank did put the money that was stolen back in my account, it became a low priority.

    I would rather have the police concentrate on terror and crimes against people like rape.

    Think it’s damn ironic that people in New York put up with so many rules to live a very cramped life in the country’s most expensive city, yet have a rep as being lawless, etc.

  5. trine says

    July 10, 2005 at 5:34 am

    well, that’s of course very good of you, but surely they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with going in and out of your HOUSE?? I think ive been very anglofied, my home is my casa and stay out! i would hate if someone came in here while i was away. YUK!

  6. trine says

    July 10, 2005 at 5:36 am

    ps, looking forward to the literary posts. interesting to see another side of you….

  7. Jet says

    July 10, 2005 at 7:46 am

    Pia; Get the camera. People who are not stopped can become bolder and bolder. This is not normal. Protect yourself.

  8. joe says

    July 10, 2005 at 9:07 am

    forget the camera.

    that’s for paranoid military techno-geek paranoid schitzo’s who are giving up on old-school methods of catching the bad guy red-handed.

    nothing is out of place… you are not in danger.

    set up a booby-trap.

    something that will teach him a lesson.

    be like maxwell smart. think mcguyver.

    it’s all about out-smarting your opponent.

    afterwards make sure u buy the condo here in santa monica. you’ll have instant friends!!!

  9. jane says

    July 10, 2005 at 10:23 am

    hi pia,
    i must say, my 1st inclination was that he was going thru your personal’s drawer. can you get thread the color of your dresser & discretely tape the drawer closed? that way, if he opens it, the seal will be broken. you aren’t doing this so much to keep him out, but to find out if thats what he’s doing in your house.
    he sounds like a sick fuck! ‘scuse my french but he does. and that entire place sounds like a soap opera. don’t let those people get you down. you’re too good of a soul for that stuff!

  10. krip says

    July 10, 2005 at 1:05 pm

    Sounds like a weirdo to me.
    Me? I’d video the creep and name & shame him on the web.
    First visit. Nice blog.
    PS Living in a New York apartment seems sooooo complicated.

  11. joe says

    July 10, 2005 at 4:01 pm

    YEAH. someting like the ol’ yarn on the dresser trick was EXACTLY what i was getting at!

    and while it does sound like a complicated situation, just know it even happens out here in *gasp* los angeles.

    my friend found a neighbor pulling her garbage out from the dumpster in the complex parking area. then suddenly her underwear was missing from her laundry a couple times from the community laundry area.

    uggh.

    she finally got the situation worked out, but it was pretty freaky no doubt.

  12. alice says

    July 10, 2005 at 9:35 pm

    i got the chills reading this! i’m also angry at the Board for dismissing the shareholders. Business is business, but one has to remember the human side of things, too.

  13. frstlymil says

    July 11, 2005 at 9:20 pm

    Eek! This just makes me squirm. Okay, Nanny-cam in a teddy bear or mantle clock for one thing – catch him! good that you changed all the locks – and if the building takes dogs….get a dog!!!!!! Best look-out and creep-deterant a girl can have – not to mention built in physical trainer.

  14. Rosie says

    November 19, 2007 at 6:44 pm

    Pia,
    a lot of good advice has been given to you. A hidden camera or nanny cam would be a good idea. You definitely would have evidence against him. If there was no emergency for him to enter without notifying you first I would think you would have a case.

    One person thought he might have planted a camera of his own to video you. There is a device called a bug detector that will scan a room detecting a hidden camera or a hidden microphone. This would ease your mind about him possibly watching you or listening to your conversations.

    Good luck and be careful, he sounds like a nut.

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About Me

I live in the South, not South Florida, a few blocks from the ocean, and two blocks from the main street. It's called Main Street. Amazes me too.

I'm from New York. I mostly lived in the Mid-Upper East Side, and the heart of the Upper West Side. It amazes me when people talk about how scared they were of Times Square in the 1970's and 1980's.

As my mother said: "know the streets, look out and you'll be fine."

What was scary was the invasion of the crack dens into "good buildings in good 'hoods." And the greedy landlords who did everything they could to get good tenants out of buildings.

I'm a Long Island girl, and proud of it now.
Then I hated everything about the suburbs. Yet somehow I lived in a few great Long Island Sound towns after high school.

Go to archives "August 2004" if you want to begin with the first posts.

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