Letters to the Editor: Jan. 15

Cartoon by Jim Meadows

Subletting requires more than just matchmaking

To the Editor:

Your story of January 8, 2014, entitled “New business aims to find sublets for students in Stuyvesant Town,” may lead to a misimpression, namely, that making arrangements for a sublet through Lucas Chu may be the complete, legal process.

Tenants should be aware that ST/PCV sublets are governed by rent stabilization regulations. DHCR Fact Sheet #7 lays out the obligations of the prime tenant which include, among other things, informing the owner of an intent to sublet 30 days in advance by certified, return receipt letter and spelling out the terms of the sublease.

Unsuspecting tenants may not realize their obligations or even that they may be in violation of rent regulation laws and unknowingly circumventing these requirements. The result could be eviction should the landlord choose to pursue it.

Ultimately, the approval of a sublet rests with landlord. As CWCapital’s spokesperson pointed out, Mr. Chu is marketing a legal service. This “legal service” is essentially a matchmaking service, but will CWCapital/Compass Rock vet the subletters? Is CW/CR now relaxing subletting requirements?

It used to be – and may still be – very difficult, if not impossible, for long-term tenants to get approval for a sublet. Are students in a privileged position?

Frequent short-term subletting increases the transient nature and instability of our community. It depletes our quality of life. It undermines our security. Characterizing Mr. Chu and the landlord’s apparent comfort with his services as outrageous is understating the case.

Sincerely,

Susan Steinberg,
Chair, Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association

M15 locals hard for infirm passengers to board

Re: “MTA not responding to M15 concerns,” letter, T&V, Jan. 1

To the Editor,

Thank you for publishing Carol Greitzer’s wonderful letter about the M15.

I have just a small addition. Last month I was traveling from the low 60s on 2nd Ave.

I waited at the local stop as I saw a bus coming.  It turned out to be a SBS with about a dozen passengers and whizzed by. This happened four more times! (The now dead blue lights would have told me to walk five blocks to an SBS stop.)

The thing I realized is that when the local comes it is always an older bus requiring one to climb the three steps at the front door. If you’re a little infirmed as so many are in this hospital and doctor offices corridor, it’s harder to board than the SBS buses which are one low step to get inside.

What would it cost the MTA to put newer buses on the local route?

I hope the City Council or someone sparked by Ms. Greitzer can be really heard on all these very real issues.

Joyce Ann Kent, Gramercy Park

‘Adventures’ article brought back memories

Re: “Adventures in Stuyvesant Town from the playgrounds to the projects in the 1960s and 70s,” T&V, Jan. 1

Brenden Crowe’s second article on growing up in Stuy Town in your January 1 issue was a gem. Loved his first article two years ago (“Growing up in Playground 5.”) This one was magnificent.

He mentioned that he lived in 245 Avenue C. So did I. I was older than his crowd, yet I used to watch him and his friends with envy as they played hockey, punchball, etc, and some of their shenanigans in and around Playground 5. I want to write more about his great article on growing up in Stuy Town, but it would be very long.

Possibly Mr. Crowe could answer a burning question for me: I loved Fraedels soda shop (for want of a better term, because it was so much more). It was located on Avenue B between 13th and 14th Streets. A great place and suddenly – like 1975 – it was gone! Blam! Just like that, replaced quickly by a bicycle shop.

Would Mr. Crowe know anything about why a seemingly thriving business for years closed or moved (doubtful) or whatever was its fate?
Thanks for a great article. It sure took me back to another time.

Gratefully,

Richard Luksin,
Minneapolis, MN

Not seeing affordability

Re: “Mayor focused on affordability how?”, letter, T&V, Jan. 8

Am I missing something? I don’t remember ever having a zero percent rent increase for a year lease or a small increase for a two-year lease. How can this compare to the pro-landlord increases approved by Bloomberg’s Rent Guidelines Board? Also, why is there an assumption that condo/co-op conversion will be affordable?

Marilyn Levin, ST