Friday, April 29, 2011

Still No Verizon FIOS Service for You If You Live in Roosevelt Island's Westview Building - Why Is That RY Management? And What About the Elevator Renovations Paid For By Rent Increases 2 Years Ago?

Image of FIOS from Verizon

The other day I struck up a conversation at the Riverwalk Bar & Grill with a new Roosevelt Island resident who recently moved into Westview.


Image of Westview Entrance

The new Roosevelt Islander was not happy that Verizon FIOS service was unavailable at Westview and that Time Warner Cable and Internet service was the only choice for building residents. Being a former Time Warner Internet subscriber who switched to  FIOS internet several years ago, I understood the dissatisfaction.

I asked Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President and Westview resident Matt Katz about FIOS service for Westview. Mr. Katz responded:
I have been informed by Jennifer Jones, on-site manager for R-Y Management, that Westview and Island House owners have been in negotiation with Verizon for FiOS service. Unfortunately, I’ve been hearing that for at least the past year. I asked for a follow-up on this ambiguous information as recently as April 18, but have yet to get a response. I’ve also asked for information regarding the renovation of Westview’s four elevators, work that was paid for by the tenants two rent increases ago. Again, I was told there was a contract in negotiation, but no start time for the work has been shared with me. The Westview Task Force, a corporation created in 2003 to represent the 361 leaseholders in Westview at rent hearings and in privatization discussions, has declined to ask these questions, with the elevator questions pending since a June 2010 inspection report by DHCR requiring R-Y Management to present a plan to replace these 35-year-old antiques. The lack of shared information is appalling.
Here is the website for RY Management and the Westview Task Force.

22 comments :

lizrinyc said...

We have alot more serious issues here in WV to be concerned with then the lack of FIOS service by a "new" resident.

I totally agree with Matt Katz, also a WV resident.

I am a 29 year resident of this complex.

The Westview Task Force is totally NOT communicating any information about anything concerning the Complex.

There are all kinds of "secret" meeting with different Task Force Members with the current owner- these meetings have been going on since Sept.

There have been No communications to the 360 apartments here that the WVTF represents under Mitchell Lama Law.

This Building is in the process of trying to privatize.

EVERY Tenant Need to know what is going on, as it concerns their homes.

The TaskForce is not in a position to just negotiate any deal that is their best interests and the owner's interets, they represent EVERY Tenant in the Complex.

The annual meeting in December was a joke- their was no building quorum present, no information was presented.

There doesn't seem to be the required number of Members required by the WVTF By-Laws- adopted in 2006- no less than 11 and no more than 21- currently there may be less than 10.

I believe only 50-something tenants voted in the Building-wide election held in January- not even sure that hold us under the Mitchell Lama Rules.

EVERY TENANT MUST DEMAND ALL INFORMATION ON ANY NEGOTIATONS BE DISCLOSED IN A PUBLIC MEETING TO THE ENTIRE BUILDING ASAP.

They may broker a deal and then just present it to the tenants and WV could end up like Eastwood- where the tenants were led to believe things and the deal turned into a total mess.

ALL TENANTS IN WESTVIEW DEMAND TODAY THAT THIS WVTF PRESENT THEIR "NEGOTIATIONS" TO EVERY TENANT IN THE COMPLEX.

Jonathan Kalkin- the RIOC- Real Estate Rep. is also very concerned about the total lack of communication of info. to all the tenants in the Building.

Also-Micah Kellner's office needs to get more involved in all of this.

This is imperative- we are talking about our homes, not just FIOS and Elevator replacements and repairs.

Anonymous said...

lizrinyc:

It is up to you to call a general tenants meeting and invite other interested parties. Get a quorum and declare yourselves the reconstituted Westview Taskforce!

God luck.

lizrinyc said...

To the last poster- it is not up to me to call a general tenants meeting- it is up to every tenant in this buildin to wake up and say something- not just one tenant.

Matt Katz should say something publicly as head of RIRA-for God Sakes he has been living in Westview since 1999.

If he is worried about the elevators- why can't he make a statement about the TF.

I was on the TF as a Member a few years back, it is time for some new people to step up to the plate...

Maybe the one complaining about FIOS can sit on them..

I am a consultant and looking for other full time employment- let someone with more resources and time band together, maybe some of the UN people- they get help with their rent, etc.

Ya never know who might band together and do something- not up to just one tenant in a 360 apt. Complex.

RIRA should make a public statement-they are supposed to represent All the Buildings and Residents on the Island.

Anonymous said...

Your tenants' association leaders wasted an entire year suing DHCR and the landlord to void the 2009 rent increase, losing the case at great expense to you. The rent increase has permitted contracts to even be negotiated. So thank your tenant leaders for NOTHING BUT DELAY.

oldtimer said...

all of you must know what is going on at all times , look what happend in eastwood , ron vass and the eastwood building committee sold out the good hard working middle income people of eastwood .over 200 famiies have been forced to move out of eastwood .because of the agreement made by the e, b, c . these were good hard working middle class people who were forced to move out because of ron vass. he was the was the legal negotiations chairperson.well he should be put in jail for what he did to the working class people of eastwood ,to you people in west view know what is going on .you can lose your apartment like the people in eastwood. and do not use the lawyer that eastwood used .himmelstein, mcconnell,gribben,donoghue,and joseph.they took our money and we lose our apartments.do not use them.

bob said...

the rira will not help you people in west view.this is why. see most of the people on the rira are new to the island . thay pay high rents in the buildings that are not the wire buildings . so they feel that they pay high rent so should you .they do not care about affordable housing on the island , they do not feel sorry for you .they feel they are paying market rent .so you should also; see they were not living here when this was affordable housing . they look down on people like you . eastwood is no longer affordable housing. and if you do not fight westview will no longer be affordable housing ,these people do not care .they pay market rent and so should you.so dont plan on getting any help from the rira ,

Anonymous said...

RIRA members are frauds and crooks. They have criminals on their so called panel. FIOS is few and far between in many different neighborhoods.

june said...

very well said.

oldtimer said...

rira is a joke.go to one of their meetings.they say alot of nothing and get nothing done .they all need to get a life.

Anonymous said...

buy valium valium drug contraindications - where to buy valium online

Anonymous said...

diazepam 10 mg what does the drug diazepam do - diazepam 10mg ampola

Anonymous said...

ambien online purchase generic equivalent to ambien cr - generic ambien zolpidem side effects

Anonymous said...

alprazolam buy xanax side effects twitching - long does xanax 1mg work

Anonymous said...

generic valium buy valium online from thailand - where to buy valium online no prescription

Anonymous said...

lorazepam vs diazepam diazepam injection usp 10 mg - buy diazepam on line

Anonymous said...

order ativan ativan and alcohol effects - ativan use in elderly

Anonymous said...

buy xanax online forum generic xanax .5 - xanax 2mg dose

Anonymous said...

order soma what is carisoprodol 350mg - buy soma us

Anonymous said...

buy soma online somanabolic muscle maximizer official website - can i buy soma online

Anonymous said...

can you buy valium online no prescription valium for anxiety - 5mg valium compared to klonopin

Anonymous said...

generic carisoprodol soma printable coupons - drug information on soma

Anonymous said...

valium cost valium interactions more drug_interactions - valium 97 testo