All Forum Posts by: Matt Clark

Adam Jernow we deal with Cox Communications rather than Verizon, but have similar problems. It seems all of the telecom giants with monopolies have the same M.O. While things are going fairly smooth for us right now, history suggests it's only a matter of time until our staff gets stuck spending hour upon frustrating hour every week to correct problems that we didn't even cause. The only way we've ever made headway (albeit it limited) is to politely but firmly be the proverbial squeaky wheel. After a while they get worn down and will sometimes actually listen and try to problem solve rather than make excuses.

Margie Pierce I would encourage you to dig deeper into the permitting issue. I can't imagine a locality that would not require a permit for the work you described, and the cost of violating permit regulations can be a huge expense.

Maybe a blank cover plate to match the switch plates in the room?

Kwikset makes SmartKey locksets that can be re-keyed in a matter of seconds without even removing the lockset from the door. They don't provide the benefit of a master key, but I've found no other faster or simpler option.

@Nerissa Marbury, I've never heard of that happening, but I'd be interested to hear his rationale... I think.  However, I'm certain that if I was using a realtor to market the property I would insist on using "my" lease and not theirs.  Generally speaking it seems like I would want to use a realtor who is open to new ideas and is good at communicating their opinions about those ideas.  And I'm far less concerned about risk (perceived or real) to the realtor than I am about risk to me as the owner.

As a side note, there were some changes in 2016 (I think) and now anyone who owns more than one rental unit in the Commonwealth is subject to the VRLTA.  I think it's a good thing... 

Andrew B. I would think anyone with knowledge of the crime should notify the postal inspector and local law enforcement right away. I'm not aware of your state laws, but it does not seem logical for the landlord to be responsible to provide any remedy beyond ensuring the box is repaired.

That's good news! Sorry, I missed that point in the original post. Most policies will not cover "consequential" damage, which is where lost rent would fall. But it wouldn't cost you much to sue them in small claims court. If they've already admitted responsibility they may settle before you even get to court. I'd probably give it a shot.

I think you'd have a tough time convincing a judge that the city's contractor is at fault. Do you have conclusive and specific details to demonstrate the cause of the damage?

Yep, exactly!

Tyler Willson that's great! I'm quite familiar with OSW having lived there, and currently office there. There's a lot of potential but it's a bit spotty from one block to the next. Jim Haynes of Haynes Design is well versed with historic guidelines in OSW and does a lot of renovations there. Joe Patrick Craft is a realtor who lists a lot of flips, and although I've never worked directly with either of them I think they would be good resources for you. The city permit center is also quite helpful, and they will help you navigate the approval process with the Architectural Review Board.