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Answer: The Superintendents Technical Association has both union and non-union members. It is the Association's policy NOT to get involved with questions of union versus non-union. Sorry we can't help you. This is a choice YOU alone have to make. Pgrech

Answer: You can get more info on which to base your decision from the union's website at http://www.seiu32bj.org/.

Answer: There may indeed be health issues: If I read the question right you are in a central air-conditioned building, so there is usually a cooling tower. The cooling tower many years ago was responsible for Legionnaires Disease. Poor maintenance of this equipment can lead to sickness. The cooling tower water has chemicals added to it. So a proper answer depends on the maintenance of the cooling tower, as well as how close any planned deck is to the cooling tower. Pgrech

Answer: This is a very simple form you can get from any superintendent who has a standpipe and sprinkler system in their building. If you still have a problem getting the forms feel free to contact me at cardona1009@aol.com, we can work something out and make them available to you. Roberto Cardona

Answer: I found this very reliable company called Guardian Gates. I have a contract with them. They will respond the same day or if the emergency is extreme within a few hours ( depending on the time of day) The number is (718) 725-4700. Chris Christensen

Answer: Experience is experience. As long as you can prove it there should be no problem. New York also requires that you have three reference letters from three different Licensed Stationary Engineers prior to taking the test. Pgrech

Answer: There is no Code limiting the use of card entry, as opposed to key entry, for rent stabilized apartments. If the landlord is wise, he would install a battery back up, which would not cost much more to install. I prefer the old key system, but that's just me. Keep in mind that even though you pay rent, it is still the landlord's property, and therefore he can restrict entry only to tenants and family who live with them. Visitors are treated the same way as the usual key way. By using a card system, it is better protection for the building in general as you can not make copies and give them out to people. Pgrech

Answer: All policy is predicated on a mutual understanding between a super and the management/board/owner. It sounds as though you have not been at this building more than a year. If no agreement was made when you were hired, I think that the board/manager should be responsible for the fill-in super. They are the only ones that can assess the substitutes' qualifications and abilities. Also, no other super should need to use your apartment while you are on vacation. I am a super in LI and I would not stand for the board/manager telling me I'm responsible for the covering super. Stand your ground and insist that it's not your responsibility. Also, it should be a predetermined (what was the policy BEFORE you arrived) policy and what that person will be paid to take your place. Good Luck! Gene Marabello

Answer: Your situation is not uncommon. Most small buildings where the landlord does not live on premises use an existing apartment in the same way.  Contact the landlord and try to resolve it. Otherwise, as a last resort, call HPD. PGrech

Answer: Call NY State Public Service Commission's Complaint Line: 800-342-3377. They can help you. They have a direct connection into the utility's computer and can bring your Con Ed bills up on their screen. This unit of PSC is one of the state's best kept secrets! Dick Koral

Answer: The New York City Health Code (Section 131.15) requires DOHMH-approved window guards to be installed and maintained by the owner, manager, or agent of a multiple dwelling (building with three or more units). Each year, landlords or managers must give tenants a form that should be filled out and returned to inform the building landlord or manager if a child ten years of age or younger lives in the apartment. The tenant should also provide information on whether window guards need repair, or if window guards are requested even if no children live in the apartment. Tenants may not refuse window guards if they have a child ten years of age or younger living in the apartment. Dick Koral

Answer: First of all, safety bars are a safety code in multistory buildings in NYC where children are present. I'm sure that safety bars are not an issue so long as there is access to and from the apartment above the guard. Gates that cover the entire window must have quick releases or similar device to allow the quick opening of the gate in the event of a fire or other emergency requiring egress through the window. Gene Marabello

Answer: What really kills sound transmission is mass. Try rearranging both rooms to put as much furniture against the wall as possible. Heavy hangings (art, drapes, etc.) will also help here. A real job would be much more than $200 and involve measures that would alter the wall cavity. Another strategy is to buy a "white noise" device that masks other noise. Look in electronics stores. Dick Koral

Answer: Precisely, one does not need a "license" to operate ("tend") a boiler in NYC except for very high pressure boilers, as used in power plants and very large institutions. In the world of housing, we are talking about low pressure (max. 15 psi) boilers. Then, two "Certificates" are required only if one is attending a heavy oil (#6) boiler. (1) a Certificate of Instruction in Air Pollution Control from NYC Dept. of Environmental Control (DEP) and (2) a Certificate of Fitness for Operators of Heavy Oil Burners from the Fire Dept. Get the details from DEP's and FD's pages on www.nyc.gov. Dick Koral

Answer: Yes. The wet seal acts as a filter to keep out the gases and the same can be said about the hand basin, the bathtub ,as well as your kitchen sink drain lines. Roberto Cardona

Answer: YES.  The water in the bowl acts as a "wet seal", keeping the vent gases from entering the apartment. PGrech

Answer: Yes, the water does act as a wet seal. In order to keep the sewer gases out be sure to keep water in the toilet bowl. Adding two gallons of water to the bowl once each month will solve this problem. Joe Hogan

Answer: It is not unusual for an owner to make the super pay for the summons. However, in many cases the landlord will do so after a few summons have been paid: Landlord pays the first one or two tickets and gives you a warning that he will dock you the next time. PGrech

Answer: Your question brings up a legal issue that we cannot answer on this site. However with or without permission, the fire escape must be available for the residents to exit the building without running into any obstructions. A locked gate that cannot be opened by the person exiting the fire escape is such an obstruction.  Your question may bring up new questions that will end up in costing a lot of money to cure. I am not saying that any one should put money before safety. But it is an issue if your building cannot afford to reroute the fire escape to the street. PGrech

Answer: There are several issues here. First, with a building this small, I would suggest as we have done in my building (a 20 unit co-op), that you change the by-laws to make all shareholders members of the board. You can still have a reduced number necessary for a quorum. The main issue is that all meetings, whether shareholder or board meetings, are open to all. This eliminates the cliques that often form between the board and the rest of the building. The main conflict in your building is that the building manager and super are the same person. Normally, the manager supervises the super. Since that is not possible, I would suggest that either a different person be super or that someone else on the board act as the supervisor for the job of building superintendent. Finally, it is not really a conflict to have a building owner act a broker. In fact, this person, since they also live in the building, would have more of an incentive to find a responsible buyer for any unit sold. Jeff Eichenwald

Answer: No, it is not illegal to have the super be the manager, owner, on the board and the broker.  Is it ethical to have one person wear so many hats? Since you raised the question, I guess you don't think it is.  Personally, I think the manager and or super Should NOT be on the board.  IF this situation has worked, and worked well in the past with no conflict of interest, then why not. I personally would think that it is unethical or at the very least a large conflict of interest.  It is VERY rare indeed that one person has so much power within a building. I recommend talking to Mary Ann Rothman of Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums. Peter Grech

Answer: Whether you elect to replace the flush valve or replace the entire water closet with a tank type, you must now get a low-volume unit. It is likely that the new low-flush valve will not completely flush the old style bowl. Talk to your plumber to get the pros and cons. Another point: Talk to your super. What is his or her experience with maintenance of the two types. That may be the clincher. Dick Koral

Answer: There is no real advantage to changing to a tank type toilet. To renovate from a flush valve style toilet, the plumbing would have to be redirected to come out of the bottom to feed the tank, which means you would have to either break the tiles to set the pipe in the wall, or you would have to lay the pipe over tile, which is unsightly. Flush valves do work great, and actually they use less water than tank toilets, and flush better too. PGrech

Answer: Your problem is quite common; I've worked on flush valve toilets for years. A number of things may cause this to occur: the parts inside your flush valve (diaphragm) head may be worn or damaged and simply need replacement. You may also have air in your line, or the diaphragm may have "residual" which occurs during shut downs. Many people do switch to toilets with tanks, because during a shut down (the water supply to a line of bathrooms are turned off), when the main water line is opened again air has to be vented out of the lines, and if you are not home the combination of air and water in your toilet can cause flooding in your apartment. as well as the one downstairs. With the tanked toilet, that problem is eliminated because when the tank fills up the water is shut off automatically, therefore no flooding in your apartment. Roberto Cardona

Answer: This happened in the old days, and was called key money. In modern times supers for the most part do not do this kind of thing. If he did not do any service to you that was not covered under your lease, then his requesting money from you is illegal. I would try one more time in explaining to him that you owe him nothing. Do it in writing, and mention that you did tip him 70 bucks and if he persists then your only recourse would be to inform management. He is obligated by law and by his employment to the landlord to repair in a quick and competent manner any problems that arise and that are covered by your lease. If he fails to do that, then you have legal rights. In the end, I am not sure if all this is worth it. No one likes to be squeezed, and we here at the Supers Technical Association find it distasteful and it undermines everything that the club stands for. Good luck. PGrech

Answer: If you did not specifically agree at any time to pay him the $200 in question, then you have no moral or legal obligation to pay it, no matter what the other incoming tenants have paid him previously. Furthermore, it borders on -- if it isn't outright -- extortion, and no super should be allowed to get away with that. If he subsequently withholds normal services, or fails to do timely repairs, because he feels you still owe him the money, it could fairly be judged as extortion, and you should complain to management. If management fails to address the issue with the super and end the matter once and for all, you certainly have a right to take it further. Good supers abhor this kind of behavior.

Answer: No. Landlord is only obligated to paint once every three years or as required by law for Rent Controlled and/or Rent Stabilized leases. Read more in New York City's Housing Maintenance Code, and more specifically: Subchapter 2, Article 3. PGrech

Answer: Not sure about the red tape. However, New York City and New York State laws state that the landlord MUST provide HEAT after Oct 1, when the temperature goes below 55 degrees, and must maintain an indoor temp of 68 between the hours of 6 am and 10 pm. All other times the landlord must provide heat and maintain an indoor temp of 55 when the temp is below 40 [See heat requirements page]. THAT'S THE LAW.  THE courts do not accept ANY excuses PERIOD. Your landlord is obligated to find other means of providing heat if the heating plant is unable to do so. PGrech

Answer: Each apartment must be served by cold water supply, hot water supply, and waste plumbing risers for each bathroom and each kitchen. Also, in a typical small apartment building, one combination steam supply - condensate return riser. That's 7. But, depending on the layout, kitchens and baths that share a common wall with other kitchens or baths in the same or adjacent apartment will share the plumbing risers. From the aforesaid, you can figure how many risers there are. Hint: Look at the number of plumbing pipes that penetrate the roof. Multiply by 3. Then add the steam riser and you have your answer. Dick Koral

Answer: Phone jacks, like cable connections, are not part of the landlord's responsibility, unless specified in your lease. PGrech

Answer: Of course it depends on the lease or rental agreement that you signed, but no lease/rental I've ever heard of has provided that the landlord installs your phone jacks for you. Normally the phone company must install at least one when the service is turned on -- if there are none available already -- and will install more for you if you wish, for a fee. If you want more installed now, call any of those people looking for work on our Situations Wanted page. At least some of them would be happy to help you out.

Answer: Every drain pipe riser is accompanied by a vent pipe. The vent pipe, which is tied into the drain pipe riser at each floor, allows the gases and air to move upwards so the drain and sewer water can move downwards. The vent under normal conditions is NOT carrying any waste. It only carries gases. These vents are made of galvanized pipe. So when they break or crack they will leak gases (including methane), yet not leave any trace of a leak other than a smell. If your building is 100 years old, that is your problem: the vent is leaking gas. Peter Grech

Answer: Chlorine is in the water that the City supplies. Ordinarily, it comes out of solution only when the water is heated. For some reason, the escaping gases from your building's domestic hot water heating system is bubbling up to your tap. Of course, you could periodically run the hot water faucet and allow it to escape. But a plumber should be brought in to install a vent to the roof. This should not be very expensive. Dick Koral

Answer: It is extremely unlikely that enough chlorine in the potable water would escape to cause burning in your eyes. It is more likely caused by a large amount of chlorine in the waste piping due to discharge from clothes washing machines or chlorine saturated waste water being dumped into a sink. It is possible that there is a trap problem somewhere. I would look for the problem in the drainage system before I would suspect the water supply. Jeff Eichenwald

Answer: Call the Department of Labor, they will interview you, and then can tell you whether or not you have a case, and what to do about it. Also, if you are owed vacation and sick pay, you could try suing in small claims court. Not sure on what the limit is these days, but if the limit exceeds what is owed you, you could possibly file twice, once for vacation pay, and again for sick pay, keeping them both separate. PGrech

Answer: Currently there are no building codes that state that a gas stove or oven (other than for commercial use) needs to be vented. So therefore you are NOT in violation. However, the building code does state that a kitchen must have two ways for air to flow.  Example, a door and a window or two doors in and out of the kitchen or a door and a vent from the kitchen. Specifically, no mechanical vent for a gas oven is needed in a residential kitchen other than the above. PGrech

Answer: First try the unions, I believe local 1 or Local 2; Second, try the yellow pages for elevator companies and call them. Third, check the NY times and Daily News Sunday employment sections. Forth, go online to New York Times employment and search. PGrech

Answer: The New York City Building Department can answer all your questions regarding this inquiry. I believe they have jurisdiction over these matters. Good Luck and I hope you get some satisfaction. Eugene Marabello

Answer: Go to the NYC Department of Building Code Web site and click on the Table of Contents, because the code is enormous. Your answer is in there, someplace! Dick Koral

Answer: That all depends on the agreement the super made upon being hired, known as the job description.  In many cases supers and their staff get extra compensation for cleaning vacant apartments. In my building, we clean the apartment including the appliances but not the windows. Windows are extra.
PGrech

Answer: The answer is yes.  However, you would need to speak to the Fire Department of New York to find out if any permits or licenses are required to operate the generator. Also, the generator must be properly vented to the outside. You can't vent it through the boiler stack.  You would need to check the code, but I believe a pipe leading out of the boiler room like into the back yard maybe fine.  Installing a steam turbine that generates electricity from unused steam is usually referred to as cogeneration,