Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. © Copyright 2009 Co-op City Times
Vol. 45 No. 7
Saturday, February 14, 2009
As recession deepens, the number of shareholders in arrearage declines
BY BILL STUTTIG In a surprising trend which contradicts much of what is happening in the rest of the region and nation, the number of shareholders who are late with their carrying charge payments has gone down significantly since the nation’s financial troubles began. In September of 2008, when many of our nation’s financial institutions began failing, sparking this nation’s widespread economic downturn including a spike in the unemployment rate, Riverbay has seen the number of shareholders in arrearage decline. According to Riverbay’s Department of Finance, Riverbay sent out 404 three-day notices of late payment to shareholders in September, the month when the economic downturn began. By this January, even as economic conditions continued to worsen significantly, the number of three-day notices sent out was down to 254. Likewise, the number of petitions of notification of late carrying charge payments filed with housing court was also down over the same five month period. One hundred petitions had to be filed in September of 2008 compared to 85 in January of 2009. Riverbay’s Director of Finance Peter Merola said that he can only speculate as to why more shareholders are paying their carrying charges on time. Merola and others believe that the new policy of the
Department of Parking Facilities to enforce the provision in the parking lease agreement that allows for garage leases to be terminated if a shareholder is two or more months late in the carrying charge payments has had some effect on more shareholders paying on time but since the announcement to enforce that provision in the lease was only first announced in December, it doesn’t account for the decline in arrearages which has been evident since September. From September to October, of 2008, the number of three-day notices dropped from 404 to 308. By December that number was down slightly to 300 and then in January, the number of three-day notices was at 254. Since the filing of three–day notices brings with it a $150 legal fee, some in Riverbay have speculated that with many household budgets tighter, residents are paying more attention to making payments on time and avoiding unnecessary expenses. Merola added that even with the few hundred residents each month who make their payments late, generally shareholders in Co-op City are very good at paying their charges on time. Of the 300 three-day notices required, that number represents less than 2% of the more than 15,000 shareholders that comprise Co-op City meaning
Co-generation turbines could be started by the last week of February BY BILL STUTTIG William May, the leading energy consultant brought on last year to oversee the completion of Co-op City’s co-generation project, told the Co-op City Times this week that the plant could begin operating its two combustion turbine generator sets by the last week in February. Responding to a series of questions
regarding the progress of cogeneration this week, May said: “As I mentioned at the open Board meeting two weeks ago, we have targeted late in February for that next major commissioning milestone. At this point in time, we still believe that objective to be achievable for the last (Continued on page 2)
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Returning your completed Window Guard forms will help Riverbay save approximately $11,000 By filling out and returning your 2009 Window Guard form tomorrow, February 15th, which is the deadline established by the Department of Health, you will save Riverbay Corporation approximately $11,000, which is the cost for delivering forms to those who did not respond to the first mailing. The New York City Department of Health (DOH) requires that Co-op City shareholders fill out a Window Guard form each year. The DOH website includes the following explanation of the process: “Each year, the landlord shall deliver to each dwelling unit, a notice, the form and content of which shall be in English and Spanish as specified in Appendix B, no earlier than January 1st and no later than January 16th of
25¢
the year for which the notice is delivered. “If, by February 15th of the year for which the notice is sent, a landlord does not have a written communication signed by the tenant, and does not otherwise have actual knowledge of the need or desire for window guards, then the landlord or his agent shall, at reasonable times, inspect the dwelling unit to ascertain whether a child ten years of age or younger resides in the dwelling and if so, whether approved window guards are properly installed and maintained.” Riverbay meets the requirement to inspect the dwellings by sending employees with new forms to the apartments of each person who did (Continued on page 5)
Riverbay’s co-generation plant could start running turbines by the end of this month.
MTA proposes restructuring of local lines serving Co-op City BY BILL STUTTIG It turns out that Co-op City commuters have more to worry about than just a 25% to 33% fare increase if the MTA proposed budget cuts ever come to fruition. A closer look at the overall plan to close what the MTA claims to be a $1.2 billion budget gap cut reveals a plan to restructure bus service in Co-op City that will likely mean longer waits, more necessary transfers, and curtailed service, especially on weekends. According to the MTA’s own report, the proposal calls for the elimination or rerouting of portions of Bx. 26, Bx. 28 and Bx. 30 — three lines that take Co-op City residents to and from the west Bronx. According to the proposal, the Bx. 26
will be rerouted to match the Bx. 25, thus eliminating the portion of the run which takes residents to and from the northern sections of the community via Baychester Avenue, Dreiser Loop, and Co-op City Blvd. Residents who take the Bx. 26 from the west Bronx into Co-op City will have to transfer at the corner of Baychester and Bartow Avenues to the Bx. 30 or the Bx. 28. Under the proposal, the Bx. 28 will be split into two separate runs, the Bx. 28 north and the Bx. 28 south. The Bx. 28 north will take riders from Bartow Avenue onto Baychester Avenue and Co-op City Blvd., traveling the entire exterior of Section 1 to 4 before tentatively heading (Continued on page 2)