BY STEPHEN ELBAZ, nyarm
A recent Supreme Court case illustrates how diligent managers must be in all facets of record keeping. In Hill v Douglas Elliman-Gibbons & Ives [Sup Ct. 1A, Part 17, Hon. E Goodman], an individual is suing 13 residential [Upper East Side] co-op buildings for alleged hiring discrimination that occurred in June,1993. Managers should be aware that documents like copies of advertisements, all applications/resumes received, etc. should be retained for a minimum of seven (7) years. It is not unusual to receive 200+ applications from a single ad. Each application should be clearly marked & dated why it was not considered BEFORE it is filed away.
April marks the beginning
of the annual Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR)
rent registration season. Owners and/or managing agents of all
rent stabilized housing accommodations including SRO's and co-op/condos]
must register the units with DHCR. Some important facts are as
follows:
The building is registered on DHCR #RR 2-S (green) form. Owners
should file only one (1) form per building.
Each dwelling unit is registered on DHCR #RR 1-A (white) form.
Owners fill out one (1) form for each apartment, hotel room, etc.
The deadline for filing with DHCR is July 31, 1999. (I always
urge managers to complete this task early, especially if you value
the summer weather as much as I do.)
All information provided is to be as of April 1, 1999. This is a point that many owners miss. Fill out all forms as of April 1, 1999. This includes tenants that you know have moved in or out subsequent to April 1, 1999. DHCR wants the status of your buildings as of April 1, 1999, period.
Forms and instructions are available from any DHCR Borough or District rent office (listed below) during business hours. Owners and managers of fifty (50) or fewer units may have forms mailed by calling (718) 739-6400.
DHCR BOROUGH AND DISTRICT RENT OFFICES
LOWER MANHATTAN -
156 William Street, 9th floor, NYC 10038
UPPER MANHATTAN - 163 West 125 Street, NYC 10027
BRONX - One Fordham Plaza, Bronx 10458
BROOKLYN - 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn 11201
WESTCHESTER COUNTY - 55 Church Street, 3rd floor, White Plains
10601
STATEN ISLAND - 60 Bay Street, 7th floor, Staten Island 10301
QUEENS - Gertz Plaza, 92-31 Union Hall Street, Jamaica 11433
ROCKLAND COUNTY - 94-96 North Main Street, ground floor, Spring
Valley 10977
NASSAU COUNTY - 50 Clinton Street, room 605, Hempstead 11550
Managers should have
last year's registrations and a rent roll (as of April 1, 1999)
prior to starting the project. If you do not have last year's
records you can get a printout by requesting it in person at any
of the Borough or District Rent offices. The summary form must
be notarized. Send the completed forms (via certified mail - return
receipt requested) to:
DHCR Rent Registration Unit
38-40 State Street
Albany, NY 12207
This information only skims the surface of all of the requirements
in filling out these forms. Even veteran Managers should carefully
read the instructions prior to commencing this difficult task.
Stephen Elbaz-nyarm, is Secretary of the NYARM Board of Directors
and President of Esquire Management Corporation - a full service
management company in New York and New Jersey. Readers are encouraged
to contact Stephen at 212-594-6500 or fax 212-594-8484 with real
estate management questions, concerns and helpful hints. Questions
will be thoroughly researched and answered in this column.