TENANT'S AGENDA FOR THE CITY OF NEWARK

For decades, landlords were free to do almost anything they wanted, and the needs of tenants simply weren't an issue.  Some key employees at city hall didn't personally feel that they were on a mission to help the residents of the City of Newark; their job was just a job. Things are slowly changing, and Newark is definately moving in some direction. People are taking their jobs seriously, and starting to get things done. The needs of tenants are only now emerging.  However, a lot of work remains to be done.  Our agenda is still very low on the city's priority list.  That is going to change as more building enter into our alliance.

We have lain out the following agenda for our City leaders to pursue. We seek to organize tenants from around the city for the purpose of advancing these goals:
 
(1)    The city should establish and staff an official City of Newark TENANT RESOURCE HUB, located at city hall.  The Tenants Resource Hub should be complete with a hotline number, literature, a website, and staff who are informed and greatly concerned with the rights and the well-being of tenants and their families.    The Tenant Resource Hub should also serve as an intermediary with State code enforcers, especially regarding boilers and Black-Seal Certified boiler technicians.  (Note:  The City has a Rent Control Department which does not currently function in this capacity. They are often non-cooperative with tenant inquiries.)

(2)    The city must pass the new Security Guard Ordinance.  The 380-402 Tenants Association organization drafted the ordinance, and it remains under review. It has twice been tabled, and the buildings have been denied security since April, 2007. 

(3)    Revise and improve the city’s Superintendant ordinance

(4)    Completely transform the way Code Enforcement deals with buildings and tenant complaints.  Better record-keeping and followup is needed city-wide, in addition to cooperation with the Municipal Court Prosecutors and judges.

(5)    Allow and encourage tenants to testify at court cases brought by Code Enforcement upon landlords, and specifically notify Tenant Association of any upcoming court dates. The 380-402 Tenants Association has made some progress with this; but we want it to be policy city-wide.

(6)    Ensure that elected officials remain supportive of tenant issues

(7)    Monitor the actions of Landlord-Tenant attorneys hired by the owners and managers of buildings throughout Newark.  Document any excesses. Encourage tenants to file ethics complaints, if necessary, against offending attorneys. Make sure that the proper serving of notices and evictions are in practice.

(8)    Make sure that tenants get heard completely in Landlord Tenant Court, regardless of whether they are represented by legal counsel.  Ensure that allegations by management are substantiated with legal proof.  End the game of management lying to the court by saying "the tenant didn't cooperate with providing us access into the apartment".

(9) Push for more parks and playgrounds.

(10) Identify abandoned houses and buildings which mar the city’s neighborhoods and detract from the Quality of Life, and work within the city administration for their demolition.

(11) Secure a balanced representation of Tenants on the Newark Rent Control Board.  The definition of "Tenant Representative" should NOT include Tenants who are also employed as agents of landlords, or who are the retired agents of landlords.  (added July 27, 2008)

(12) Secure effective communication between Code Enforcement and the Prosecutor's Office, as well as establishing an effective system for Tenants to get the result of cases.  (added July 27, 2008)
 
What each little tenant organization or individual tenant activist can accomplish, on their own, is small and insignificant compared to these larger goals. 

Until such time that a Tenant Resource Hub is established, tenants throughout the City of Newark and beyond can refer to our website for advise.

 

      TENANT RESOURCE DIRECTORY

                                                   HOW TO SOLVE ANY PROBLEM

   NOTE:  This document is tailored to tenants located at 380 & 402 Mt. Prospect Avenue in Newark, NJ. However, the information is generally relevant for tenants throughout the City of Newark and beyond.  It will be updated accordingly now that it is on the new home page.

     380-402 MANAGEMENT’S CONTACT INFORMATION    24/7 hotline:  866-290-5685 as of 7/8/2008.  Fax # is 973-481-0062

    This will reach Cheryl Cook, Manager or Leasing Agent Kim Reyes, during office hours of 9am-5pm. The regular office number is still 973-481-6544.  Beeper to reach Cheryl is 866-835-1785. A live 24/7 answering service 866-835-1785 will answer at other times, or if she is temporarily out of the office.   This Tenant’s Association desires to have a positive working relationship with Ms. Kellett, who started in February 2008. She cares about the building and wants things to run smoothly here. Our buildings are better run now that at any time in at least the past ten years.
  

Management’s email:  workorders@auduboncommunities.com    and ccook@auduboncommunities.com
 
  Superintendants:                                            ________________

  Bldg #380:   Alberto Fernandez (Cheryl Cook confirmed on 12/31/2008 that Alberto still lives in #402, which is in violation of state codes)  

   Bldg #402:   Jose Reyes, 402, unit 9E                      

  Each tenant must contact management personally for any issues that arise.  Now that management has a reasonable system in place, the Tenant’s Association is no longer acting as a go-between for maintenance issues.  We recommend submitting every request in writing, especially for interior unit repairs.

GENERAL ADVISE:  CALL THEM at 973-481-6544 or 866-290-5685 and REPORT ISSUES TO A LIVE PERSON !!! Can also follow-up to management’s email: workorders@auduboncommunities.com.  Issues reported to Superintendants or maintenance staff don’t count as being officially reported. Documentation is important, including email correspondence, in addition to a phone call.  Keep a file folder specifically for repair issues. Keep all correspondence.  In the event that management is slow or unresponsive, send a certified letter to the address listed above and keep the green signature card once it is returned to you.  If the problem has gone to that level, the Tenant's Association will assist you, email us at ericmartindale@optonline.net.  See also “Issues for Newark Code Enforcement”

FLOODING IN YOUR APARTMENT CAUSED BY BROKEN PLUMBING FIXTURES:  If you can turn off the water yourself, do so immediately.  If it is coming from the wall, obviously you cannot.  In either case, Call management office immediately and try to find the building Superintendant or any Maintenance person. If necessary, go to the other building to try and find staff, and/or knock on the Superintendant’s door.  These are priority issues because they can quickly cause damage in apartments for several floors below the point of damage.

ISSUES FOR NEWARK CODE ENFORCEMENT:  Can be reached at 973-733-6471, make sure to get a Citizen Complaint # (CC#). Inspectors work between the hours of 8:30 am- and 10:00 pm, after which an answering service will take your call. It’s best to call 8:30 – 4:30 for most issues. Except for elevator outages, contact building management first for all code-related issues and tell them that Code Enforcement will be called if the problem isn’t fixed. Then do it if management isn’t responding to your satisfaction.

Code Enforcement will send out an Inspector within 24 hours.  So if the problem is inside your apartment, be prepared to be home or have somebody at home to let them in. If they find a violation, they will send a certified letter to management. When the green card is returned, management has 24 hours to fix the problem before a 2nd inspection.  If the problem still hasn’t been resolved, they set a Court date for management (you don’t need to go) and fines may be issued.  If you need to follow up with a Supervisor, have your CC# before you call. Her name is Ms. Thomas 973-733-5605. The Newark Code Enforcement Dept. will respond to several categories of issues:

(1)DETERIORATION OF WALLS, CEILINGS, FLOORS, CARPET:  Plumbing leaks from the heating units/risers and any associated bubbling, crumbling, and other deterioration of ceilings, walls, or flooring is a Code Enforcement issue.  Our plumbing is old, and these problems are common.  Again, contact building management first and tell management that you will contact Code Enforcement and the Tenants Association if it is not fixed immediately. (Hint: by showing management that you know the process, they will take you very seriously.)  They will probably respond and fix it.

These are considered “habitability issues” by the Court; you have the right to demand a rent reduction or to withhold rent.  If your problem gets this involved, contact us directly for more advise. Keep in mind that if the issue winds up in court, management’s STANDARD RESPONSE  will be to lie and say that you failed to allow them access into your apartment.  Therefore, document everything, especially if they fail to come during the promised hours. For serious problems, send certified letters and keep an email log of everything.

(2)NO HEAT, AIR CONDITIONING, HOT WATER:  These are all code enforcement issues.  However, use reasonable discretion before contacting them.  It is best to contact building management first at 973-733-6544, which is also a 24/7 hotline. Some of these complaints can be resolved , even during non-business hours because each building must have a Black-Seal Certified Boiler Technician living onsite who checks and records the status of the systems every two hours. On many occasions during normal business hours, outages are temporary and deliberate in order for maintenance work to occur on the 4" riser pipes that carry hot or cold water to the heating/AC units.  If any unit above or below you is undergoing plumbing repairs, your plumbing line will be shut down for a few hours.  Our boilers were replaced in 2006 and they are functioning excellently; heat and hot water outages are almost always due to plumbing issues. (FYI: heat and air conditioning is provided by hot water (or cold water) coming up pipes into the small heat/ac units in your apartment. When you turn it “on”, a little fan blows air over hot or cold coils. Those pipes are separate from your residential water supply). Management should be able to advise the time length of the outage.

We do not want residents to contact Code Enforcement due to scheduled intentional outages of heating, AC, or water supply (these are needed for plumbing repairs) because these are not violations.  It’s a waste of their time, don’t be “crying wolf”

(3) ELEVATOR OUTAGES:  Contact building management first, especially during overnight hours. During regular business hours, the Super’s and/or maintenance staff generally find out within 15 minutes, either from a resident or they see it themselves. They contact management immediately.

Note:  In February, 2008, management began using Atlantic Elevators as the new elevator maintenance company, and chronic elevator problems ceased immediately. They’ve responded quickly to a few minor repair issues.  In the event that a major elevator outage occurs, contact Code Enforcement, and get a CC# for the complaint.  Especially if you see that an elevator is down for an extended period of time, it is important to start the process.  Email the Tenants Association at 380402tenants@aol.com and give us the CC#. 

If stuck in an elevator, try the emergency button and/or call somebody on your cell phone to get management’s hotline # and then call them.  Maintenance staff have a special key to rescue you. They enjoy proving that they can rescue someone quicker than the fire department can arrive here, so try them first before panicking and dialing 911 on your cell phone.  We don’t want to burden city resources in any instance when the building can take care of itself.

(4)ORDINANCE VIOLATIONS:  If anyone determines that management is in violation of any city ordinance, Newark Code Enforcement handles this as well.

 ISSUES FOR NEWARK HEALTH DEPARTMENT:

 They can be reached at 973-733-6971. Contact building management first for all health-related issues. The Newark Health Dept. will force a timetable for management to respond, and if the issue isn’t resolved by a set date they will take management to court (you don’t need to go) and fines will be issued.  The Newark Health Dept will respond to several categories of issues:

 (1)  Mold and mildew (it is particularly unsafe for babies to breathe black mold)

  (2)  The cleaning of vents and heating units

  (3)  Unsanitary conditions and odors in the building, apartments, and terraces

  (4)  Pests such as rats, mice, bedbugs, fleas, cockroaches, etc.

  (5)  Exotic pets which are prohibited by law in the State of New Jersey.  We don’t expect anyone to move in with a pet alligator, for example, but you never know.

  (6)  Persons who feed pigeons, especially at Fine Fare and the corner of Mt. Prospect & Abington 

MISC. BUILDING ISSUES:

CLEAN YOUR HEATER/AC UNITS:  All tenants are recommended to have their heater/AC units cleaned out by the maintenance staff once every one or two years.  They can become disgusting with mold and dust over many years.  It is particularly unsafe for babies to breathe black mold.  Having seen the results first-hand, we strongly recommend this.

UNIT UPGRADES:  Management has been graciously allowing long-term tenants, on a case by case basis, to transfer to a fully rehabilitated apartment of the same size without a rent increase, or to stay in your existing unit but have your carpeting replaced and your walls painted.   Both buildings are almost completely full, and transferring units depends on availability.  There is a $200 unit transfer fee.

RENT CONTROL ISSUES & TERMS OF YOUR LEASE:  Your annual rent increase can only be 4%, that covers all large buildings in the City of Newark. (rental units in smaller buildings and houses are 5%).  If you feel it has not been calculated properly, contact Maria Hernandez at hernandezm@ci.newark.nj.us or 973-733-3675.  This office also has jurisdiction over the buildings on a multitude of issues; the exact extent we have not yet determined.  Hernandez and her staff handle tenant complaints, and report to a Rent Control Board.  Be advised that the city’s Rent Control office may not be people-friendly. This Tenant’s Association complained to our city leaders about them in 2007.  If you are not treated courteously, professionally, and completely by the Rent Control Department, report them to the Mayor & Council.

Sometime between November 2006 and late January 2007, management switched lease formats. The new leases have clauses that many of us find objectionable.  They no longer state that AC is included as a right. They also give reasons, of questionable legality, for denying return of your security deposit when you move out.

ETHICS COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE LANDLORD'S ATTORNEY:  In the event that you are treated unjustly or illegally by your landlord's attorney, you may file an ethics complaint against him or her. Contact the State Office of Attorney Ethics, 800-406-8594, enter your zip code, and after you are transferred request filing forms. You can also mail them a letter to:  Office of Attorney Ethics, P.O. Box 963, Trenton, NJ 08625.

We strongly advise you to consult with an attorney before making this decision, to determine if the actions taken constitute a breach of ethics.

POLICE & FIRE ISSUES:

 FIRE:  Call 911 before calling management.  There are fire alarm boxes and fire extinguishers in the hallways on every floor.  Aim fire extinguisher at the base of the fire.

DRUGS, ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES, GANGS:  Newark Police and management both encourage tenants to report drugs, illegal activities, and gangs. Note that management may not like the police bearing down on them, and may use significant discretion before reporting the information to the Police.  In order to be assured of complete confidentiality, report any issues of this nature directly to the Newark Police 2nd District Investigative Unit at 973-733-6231. (The Police main number is 973-733-6000).  As long as law-abiding people are the dominant force in our buildings, not the law-breakers, our presence here will be a deterrent against drugs, illegal activities, and gangs.  We are in "Zone 217 of the 2nd Precinct".

VICTIM OF A CRIME:  If you see a crime occur or if you are the victim of any crime, call 911 to reach the Newark Police Department.  Also file an incident report with management if it occurred on building property.

VICTIM OF A CRIME:  (specifically VANDALISM or THEFT FROM AUTO):  Call 911 or 973-733-6000. The North Ward Police Precinct is currently investigating persons suspected of these activities in our neighborhood, and they keep a database and map of all occurrences.  They want every incident reported, do not assume that they are busy with “serious” crimes and don’t care about this. It is also important for statistics that become the basis for city hall to allocate more police coverage in our area.  Our Police Precinct, North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos, and several local community associations all want more police coverage for the North Ward.  This is a big political issue. Also file an incident report with management if it occurred on building property.

COMMUNITY ISSUES:

CITY ISSUES / NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES:  Write to the Newark Mayor & Council at: 920 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102.  City Council meetings are usually the first Wednesday of every month at 12:30 PM (sometimes 1:30) and the third Wednesday at 7:00 PM, but the times change frequently.  Contact the city clerk at 973-733-3844. Those wishing to speak must fax a letter stating name, address, and one line on the subject matter by the PRECEDING FRIDAY to 973-733-3725 (fax #).  See also www.ci.newark.org for an enormous amount of information on the City of Newark. 

There is also a Mt. Prospect Business Improvement District, which has been 8 years in the making. The organization is "fully funded", and it's first Executive Director started January 1, 2009

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE & GRAFFITI:  coming soon

NOISE & ANIMAL ISSUES:

NOISE COMPLAINTS:  Call management’s hotline # 973-481-6544. We want at least one of the Superintendants to be onsite 24/7 to directly handle noise issues in either building.  Newark’s noise ordinance kicks in at 8pm. After 8:00 PM, Newark Police can be called at 973-733-6000 (not 911) for noise complaints, but we’d prefer that the building handle these matters internally rather than take up police time.

PETS:  We have been informed by Senior management that pets are prohibited in the buildings, except for those which are grandfathered. Senior management wants to be made aware of any new unregistered dogs and/or any unruly pets.  Senior management wants tenants to report all incidents of dogs urinating or defecating in elevators, other common areas, or on balconies.  The dog population in both buildings peaked in February 2008, the day Leslie Rodriguez left the premises.  It has gone down dramatically since then.  At least 5 pit bulls have been evicted.  There is no tolerance for any large or vicious dog breeds.

BEDBUGS and other PESTS:  Bedbugs, fleas, cockroaches, and mice are a serious matter because they can spread to other units. This should be reported immediately to Management so that extermination efforts can be coordinated immediately.  Please also report bedbugs to the Tenants Association at tenants380402@aol.com

PIGEONS:  Old ladies feeding pigeons at Mt. Prospect & Abington, and also around Fine Fare caused an overpopulation of pigeons. This problem was largely resolved early in 2008, but could resume at any time.  Feel free to confront them on the spot and demand that they cease their illegal activities or be reported to the Newark Dept of Health. If you have a camera, take their picture and email it to us at tenants380402@aol.com. They are soiling our balconies, window ledges, cars, and sidewalks, and even building nests on our balconies.  The city, the police, and the Wesley Towers Seniors Building (444 Mt. Prospect) have all been cracking down on the pigeon ladies.  Any incidents near Mt. Prospect & Abington should be reported directly to Daniel Acosta, Manager of Wesley Towers, at 973-484-4441 so that he can prosecute his residents. At all other locations, report pigeon feeding to the Dept of Health at 973-733-6971.

Note:  The 380-402 Tenants’ Association desires to work together with management and all of the residents here to make our buildings a pleasant and desirable community, and to have all issues handled promptly and appropriately.  


                                                     OTHER RESOURCES:

New Jersey Tenants Organization  www.njto.org   contact person = Mitch Kahn

City of Newark  www.ci.newark.nj.us (see Quick Links on right column)

North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos, Jr. www.anibalramosjr.com

State Assemblywoman Grace Spencer

State Assemblyman Alberto Coutinho

State Senator Theresa Ruiz, Bloomfield Ave, Newark 07104  973-484-1011

Regional Office – Audubon Communities:                     Corporate Office – Audubon Communities:

 1000 South Lenola Road, Maple Shade, NJ 08052      15 W. 39th Street, Suite 800, NY, NY 10018

Phone : 856-914-1700.                                          Phone: 212-279-9600     Fax: 212-279-0887

Andrew Schwartz is the CEO of Audubon Communities, Charles Reyher is the President, Gavin Sachs is the Senior VP, and Tammy Shields is the VP of Operations.  Our property manager, Cheryl Cook, reports directly to Tammy Shields. Aububon owns and manages buildings in at least four states. Contact Tammy Shields or Charles Reyher at the Maple Shade office if you are dealt with in an unprofessional manner, or if your issues do not get handled in a complete and timely manner.                            

NOTE:  This is a work-in-progress,  and it will be updated as needed.