AIR CONDITIONERS: Installation of Air Conditioners must have Board approval. Also, Air Conditioners and Gas appliances must be installed by professionals with appropriate insurance. Please do not ask building personnel to make the installation.
WEBSITE: www.339east58.com has been updated. We’d appreciate your comments.
TRASH: Please be good neighbors; take your trash to the basement if you are unable to fit it in the compartments provided. Leaving such matter on the floor can cause a serious injury and/or invite pests and vermin.
BEDBUGS: We are sure that you have heard that after practically disappearing, bedbugs are staging a comeback in apartments, hotels and homes throughout the United States. Newspapers, TV etc., continually warn us of this growing problem.
The bite of the bedbug is not considered dangerous and has been compared to being bitten by a mosquito leading to a small reddish welt, irritation and itching.
We are not aware of any problems at this time in our building. This notice is being provided to you so that we have a standard procedure that you can follow if in the future, you believe there might be an infestation in your apartment.
If that occurs, it is imperative that you give immediate notice to the superintendant and managing agent. Do not try to eliminate the problem yourself. We will provide a qualified exterminator to look into the situation.
STORAGE: If you are interested in renting a storage locker in the basement, please advise us and we will add you to the waiting list.
To get building news quicker, send your email address to gbenson339@verizon.net.
For the Board of Directors.
Gerald Benson

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) substantially expanded the federal regulations governing
painting, renovation, or repair work in most housing units built before 1978, as well as other facilities
visited regularly by children, to minimize health risks from lead-based paint. The new rule covers
“renovation activities” in such housing units - which include even repainting a wall - that disturb
more than six square feet of painted surface per interior room or twenty square feet of painted surface
on the exterior of a building. Contractors performing such renovation activities must obtain EPA
certification by completing coursework approved by the EPA and must abide by numerous detailed
requirements. Penalties for non-compliance can be up to $37,500 per violation.
The new EPA rule has important implications for all cooperatives and condominiums that
were built prior to 1978. Boards must ensure that all contractors performing covered renovation
activities, both in individual units and in common areas, have the required certification and training
and that they are aware of and comply with the new requirements such as posting notices of the work.
In addition, in buildings (including most cooperatives and some condominiums) where board
approval is required before a shareholder-tenant or unit owner may undertake alterations in a unit, the
building’s form of alteration agreement should be amended to make clear that the shareholder-tenant
or unit owner is responsible for ensuring compliance with the new rules. In many buildings, the
board will expect the managing agent to oversee compliance by shareholder-tenants or unit owners.
The new regulations contain exemptions applying to some work done by a homeowner
personally (”do-it-yourself’), or work done in a building where no young children or pregnant
women reside. The new regulations also do not apply where a test confirms that the lead paint level
on all exposed surfaces is less than 1.0 mg/cm2. However, the scope of these exemptions as applied
in multi-unit buildings is not entirely clear. In practice, to ensure full compliance with the regulations
and ensure that dust potentially containing lead is not released, boards should require that any work
done in any portion of a covered building is performed in accordance with the new rules.
This new EPA rule is likely to have an impact on purchases and sales of residences, including
both single-family homes and cooperative or condominium units. Purchasers may seek assurance
that they will not need to comply with the regulations when they make future alterations, because all
painted surfaces are free of lead-based paint or the lead levels are less than the threshold. However,
the testing process requires making small borings in the walls, which many sellers may be loath to
allow. It may be prudent for buyers to require that sellers make a representation in their purchase
agreements, to survive closing, that the property is exempt from the EPA rule, or to make closing
contingent on an inspection by a certified inspector confirming that the property is exempt.

A notice was received from the NYC DEP instructing the building to install a prevention device in order to prevent backflow from getting into the public water system. This is one of the many items now being enforced by the City which, of course, brings additional funds to it, in the name of permit fees.

Along with these items is the present work on the South facing exterior wall where erosion has caused leakage to a number of apartments. Work has just been completed.
For the time being, to pay for these items the Board of Directors has decided to use funds from our Line of Credit rather than invoking an assessment.
Three apartments have been sold so far this year. At present, we are aware of two others which are for sale.
It has come to our attention that some apartments have had weekend “guests” an inordinate amount of times. We want to remind you that it is definitely against corporate rules to “hotel” and we will take all legal steps to stop this activity including termination of the shareholder’s Proprietary Lease. Not only is it against our rules but it can be dangerous and can lead to putting other residents in jeopardy.
Recent incidents have pointed out the importance of having homeowners (renters) coverage. Virtually all our shareholders have complied with that requirement. We think it’s important that if you have a legal sublease, you should make sure your tenant also carries such coverage. Injury or Damage that is caused by the subtenant can result in the shareholder having to pay for it.

REMINDERS
BEDBUG ADVISORY NOTICE TO SHAREHOLDERS AND OTHER RESIDENTS
WE ARE SURE THAT YOU ARE AWARE THAT AFTER PRACTICALLY DISAPPEARING, BEDBUGS ARE STAGING A COMEBACK IN APARTMENTS, HOTELS AND HOMES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. NEWSPAPERS, TV ETC., CONTINUALLY WARN US OF THIS GROWING PROBLEM.
TWO OF THE THEORIES AS TO WHY BEDBUGS ARE RE-EMERGING ARE THE BANNING OF DDT AND INCREASED FOREIGN TRAVEL.
THE BITE OF THE BEDBUG IS NOT CONSIDERED DANGEROUS AND HAS BEEN COMPARED TO BEING BITTEN BY A MOSQUITO LEADING TO A SMALL REDDISH WELT, IRRITATION AND ITCHING.
WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS AT THIS TIME IN OUR BUILDING. THIS NOTICE IS BEING PROVIDED TO YOU SO THAT WE HAVE A STANDARD PROCEDURE THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW IF IN THE FUTURE, YOU BELIEVE THERE MIGHT BE AN INFESTATION IN YOUR APARTMENT.
IF THAT OCCURS, IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE THAT YOU GIVE IMMEDIATE NOTICE TO THE SUPERINTENDANT AND MANAGING AGENT.
DO NOT TRY TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM YOURSELF. WE WILL PROVIDE A QUALIFIED EXTERMINATOR TO LOOK INTO THE SITUATION WHO WILL INFORM US IF THERE IS A PROBLEM AND PROVIDE US WITH THE SOLUTION.
SECURITY: In order to protect residents and their property, doormen will not give your keys to anyone merely on a telephone authorization. You must give prior authorization in person or in writing.
AIR CONDITIONERS: Installation of Air Conditioners must have Board approval. Also, Air Conditioners and Gas appliances must be installed by professionals with appropriate insurance. Please do not ask building personnel to make the installation.
WEBSITE: www.339east58.com has been updated. We’d appreciate your comments.
TRASH: Please be good neighbors; take your trash to the basement if you are unable to fit it in the compartments provided. Leaving such matter on the floor can cause a serious injury.
STORAGE: All units are presently occupied. If you are interested in renting one, please advise us and we will add you to the waiting list.
If you ‘d like to get building news quicker, send your email address to gbenson339@verizon.net.
WE WISH YOU A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON.
For the Board of Directors.
Gerald Benson

There are no exceptions to these rules unless authorized by management. Please do not place the staff in an embarrassing position by having them deny access to a legitimate visitor.

The rules are:
1) Guests may be granted access if the shareholder is home and allows them to enter the building.

2) Guests may be allowed access to the building if the shareholder has given a the Superintendent or the Management Office written notice of the guests arriving, with the exact names of the guests and duration of their stay. Arriving guests must show ID (unless the doorman knows the guest) and the name(s) must be logged into the log book.

A visitor will not be given access to the building by simply having a key and stating that they are guests of so and so.

We urge your cooperation.

AIR CONDITIONERS: Installation of Air Conditioners must have Board approval. Also, Air Conditioners and Gas appliances must be installed by professionals with appropriate insurance. Please do not ask building personnel to make the installation.
WEBSITE: www.339east58.com has been updated. We’d appreciate your comments.
TRASH: Please be good neighbors; take your trash to the basement if you are unable to fit it in the compartments provided. Leaving such matter on the floor can cause a serious injury.
STORAGE: All units are presently occupied. If you are interested in renting one, please advise us and we will add you to the waiting list.
If you‘d like to get building news quicker, send your email address to gbenson339@verizon.net.
For the Board of Directors.
Gerald Benson

REMINDERS
SECURITY: In order to protect residents and their property, doormen will not give your keys to anyone merely on a telephone authorization. You must give prior authorization in person or in writing.
AIR CONDITIONERS: Installation of Air Conditioners must have Board approval. Also, Air Conditioners and Gas appliances must be installed by professionals with appropriate insurance. Please do not ask building personnel to make the installation.
WEBSITE: www.339east58.com has been updated. We’d appreciate your comments.
TRASH: Please be good neighbors; take your trash to the basement if you are unable to fit it in the compartments provided. Leaving such matter on the floor can cause a serious injury.
STORAGE: All units are presently occupied. If you are interested in renting one, please advise us and we will add you to the waiting list.
If you ‘d like to get building news quicker, send your email address to gbenson339@verizon.net.
For the Board of Directors.
Gerald Benson

A Fair Contract with Significant Innovations
At midnight on Tuesday, April 20, 2010, Michael Fishman, president of Local 32BJ of the Building Service Employees International Union, and Howard Rothschild, president of the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations, Inc. shook hands on a four year contract agreement that includes pay increases of 2.33% per year. for 32BJ’s 3000 residential apartment building workers in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.

Pledged Savings in Health Costs
The contract further provides that the Health Fund, which is jointly administered by trustees from the Union and from the RAB, will commission a study to help implement annual savings of $70,000,000 or 10% of the Health Plan’s current average annual expenditures beginning no later than January 1, 2012.

Employer Contributions Firmly Capped
Caps on employer contributions to the Health and Pension plans during the life of this contract ensure that if, as was the case in 2004, the reserves of either Health or Pension plans should become depleted, employers will not be responsible to make any additional contributions (the opposite was the case in 2004 when employers agreed to substantial, unexpected contributions ($2400 per employee) to rescue the then failing health fund. This dramatic change in the paradigm ensures employers of certainty in their budgeting for labor during the term of this contract. All parties are optimistic that no problems will arise, and that the anticipated economies will be easily achieved.

Reduction In Force
In addition, in recognition of the length and the extent of the economic downturn an important phrase has been added to the contract provision regarding Reduction In Force, enabling a building to reduce staff upon submitting proof of financial hardship, provided that no additional work is added to the job descriptions of remaining employees.

A Fair Agreement
The building service workers who are members of Local 32BJ are the best paid service workers in the world; they also have excellent benefits and training opportunities. And this is as it should be. These workers keep our buildings safe and clean. They are part of the community that is our cooperative or condominium. They watch our children grow up; they help us daily in many ways largae and small. We are all pleased that the current negotiation has produced a contract that is fair to one and all.

Pattern Agreement
The RAB negotiates a pattern agreement, which each of its residential members with 32BJ employees is then invited to sign, Copies of the agreement will shortly be sent to your building (or your managing agent). If your cooperative or condominium has six or more employees, your superintendent is a Resident Manager, subject to an agreement that expires June 20th.