FOREST & GARDEN OWNERS, INC.
House Rules
Revised as of March 2016
Please visit the Important Forms page for a printable version of the House Rules.
In an effort to increase the quality of life and address related issues in our complex, please be advised of the following updated House Rules. Please note that failure to comply may result in an administration fee or fine being added to your maintenance. Chronic non-compliance may result in escalating fines and/or termination of your proprietary lease.
1. All residents are entitled to the quiet enjoyment of their premises. Therefore, no Lessee or other occupantor pet residing in Lessee’s apartment shall engage in excessively loud behavior if same shall disturb or annoy other occupants of the building. Residents are also asked to remember that voices carry in the property gardens and pathways and are encouraged to modulate their conversations, especially after the hours of 11 PM and before 8AM.
2. Parents/ guardians/babysitters must reasonably supervise their children and their behavior at all times, including in the public areas (no yelling, screaming, screeching or playing on the grass). No throwing balls or other objects, riding bikes or tricycles, running or jumping in the apartments.
3. Co-op is not responsible for the abduction from the complex nor for any injury to anyone within the complex grounds.
4. Shareholders / residents are responsible for the actions of their family members, roommates or visiting guests as pertains to these House Rules and liable for any damages to the property, indoors or out, that they may cause as well as any attendant legal fees that may be incurred.
5. No playing is permitted in the public halls, courtyards, elevators, stairways or garages of the complex. No bicycle or scooter riding, roller skating, ball-playing or chalk writing is allowed anywhere on the property.
6. No Lessee shall play upon or suffer to be played upon any musical instrument or permitted to be operated a stereo, radio, CD player, iPod, television or other device in a manner that shall disturb or annoy other occupants of the complex, especially between the hours of 10 PM and 8 AM.
7. Apartment floors must be 80% covered with rugs and/or carpets with a carpet pad underneath, especially on high traffic areas such as hallways and foyers. Minimum thickness of carpet/rug pad combined must be ¼”. A mandatory carpet inspection will be conducted by the Superintendent 30 days from the move-in date. Non-compliance at that time is subject to a fine.
8. Any action by a resident causing persistent and chronic odors (including food, tobacco and/or marijuana smoke) to linger in the hallways or to pervade neighboring apartments will not be permitted.
9. Smoking of any kind is not allowed in any public areas of the buildings, including lobbies, hallways, elevators, stairwells, basement, garage, laundry room or storage rooms. Receptacles for cigarette butts have been provided in the vicinity of the fountain and benches by the walkway. Please do not dispose of them on the ground or in the garden beds. Likewise, tossing cigarette butts out of windows is a hazard and is not permitted. These receptacles are not for empty cigarette packs or other trash.
10. Consumption of alcohol or drugs in any public areas of the complex (inside or out) is strictly prohibited.
11. Drug use of any kind, including smoking marijuana, is prohibited anywhere on the property, including inside apartments. If medical marijuana has been prescribed, it must be taken in a non-smoking form.
12. Public halls and stairways of the buildings shall not be obstructed or used for any purpose other than ingress or egress – no loitering. No storing of carts, strollers, shoes, umbrellas or any other items may be left in these areas, even temporarily. This is a FDNY directive.
13. No article shall be placed in the hallways or on staircase landings nor shall anything be hung or shaken from the doors, windows or roofs or be placed upon the window sills, ledges or fire escapes of the buildings.
14. No sign, notice, advertisement or illumination shall be inscribed or exposed on or at any window, door or any other part of the building without first obtaining the written consent of the board. Likewise, nothing shall be hung on apartment doors other than seasonal hangings such as wreaths or swags.
15. No radio or television antenna or satellite dish shall be attached to or hung from fire escapes or the exterior of the buildings.
16. No awnings or ventilation devices shall be used by the Lessee or the Managing Agent nor shall anything be projected out of any windows of the building without approval. All window air conditioning units must be supported by a bracket in compliance with New York City building codes.
17. No mopeds, motorcycles, bicycles, scooters, strollers, baby carriages or other wheeled items shall be allowed to stand in public hallways, passageways, garages or areas of the pathways and courtyards between the buildings.
18. Residents with authorized pets, strollers, baby carriages, bicycles, scooters, private grocery/laundry carts, suitcases or any other wheeled conveyances must use the basement entrance to enter and exit the buildings.
19. Trunks and heavy luggage shall be taken in and out of the buildings through the service entrance.
20. All messengers, deliveries and trades people shall enter and exit through the basement service entrance only.
21. No shareholder or resident may make any major alterations of or additions to an apartment without first submitting a written request to Principal Management and obtaining the written consent of the Board of Directors. To obtain alteration/renovation package, contact Principal Management.
22. Approved construction is permitted Monday through Friday from 9AM-5PM only. No construction is permitted on legal holidays. You must notify affected neighbors (above, below and next door) prior to start of renovation.
23. No private washers or dryers are permitted to be installed in any apartment. The cost of damages incurred by the use of any illegal appliances shall be billed to the resident.
24. All residents must use exterior gate fobs to gain access to the property. Security personnel are not authorized to open exterior gates to any resident under any circumstance. Fobs can be obtained and programmed directly from the Superintendent. The number of fobs allocated will be commensurate with the number of people dwelling in each unit, as noted on the residency application or as required by a regular service provider (home health aide, dog walker or the like).
25. Complaints regarding service shall be made in writing to the managing agent or to the Board through the dedicated e-mail address, thegates11415@gmail.com. You may also place your written complaint or suggestions in the suggestion boxes provided in each lobby or next to the Superintendent’s office in the basement of 118-60 building. Please be sure to include your name, building and apartment number and contact information so that we may respond to you.
26. The agents of the Lessor and any contractor or workman authorized by the lessor may enter the apartment at any reasonable hour of the day with reasonable notice being given for the purpose of inspecting such apartment. Should an inspection of such apartment deem it necessary or desirable to control or exterminate any vermin, insects or other pests therein, such extermination measures shall be billed to the Lessee as additional rent.
27. Any shareholder wishing to sell his/her apartment must contact Principal Management for a re-sale package. Re-sales of any apartments are subject to the review procedures instituted by the Board, including re-sales and re-purchases within the complex. Current financials must be submitted to the Board for review and any shareholder whose file contains complaints for infractions of the House Rules may be denied permission to re-purchase within the complex. In the case of re-sales and re-purchases within the complex, it is the responsibility of the seller to advise Principal Management if the potential buyer is already a shareholder in the complex and to ensure that the buyer submits the appropriate paperwork. All potential shareholders must be interviewed by the Board of Directors without exception. This process can take up to 2 months.
28. Sublets of apartments may be done after one year of residency for an initial term of one year only, with an effective sub-lease document in place and payment of applicable fees. Subtenants must be interviewed by and approved by the Board of Directors. To obtain a sublet package, please contact Principal Management.Subsequent sequential leases may be allowed subject to review of the subtenant’s file and approval by the Board of Directors. Under no circumstances are apartments to be rented to transient tenants, whether or not the principal shareholder/resident remains in the apartment. This includes utilizing such businesses as Airbnb and the like. Any such arrangements shall be considered as illegal sublets and subject to immediate legal action, fines and cancellation of your proprietary lease. Likewise, the use of any apartment as a “crash pad” by flight crews or anyone else, will be construed as an illegal sublet and subject to attendant fines and legal action.
Any shareholder who marries, invites a domestic partner to share his/her apartment or wants to have one (1) roommate, must notify the Board and provide photo ID of same. The Board retains the right to know and recognize who is living permanently in the complex. In the case of roommates, an interview is required by the Board.
Any shareholder discovered illegally subletting their apartment will have an administration fee of $1,000 applied to their maintenance and legal action will be initiated, the costs of which will be the responsibility of the shareholder.
29. All move-ins/move-outs must be authorized and coordinated with Superintendent via Apartment Move notification form. Authorized moves can be done Monday-Saturday, 9AM-5PM only (excluding legal holidays). Anyone attempting to move outside of these parameters will have their belongings turned away by Security. All moves must be done through the basement. Should a piece of furniture require entry/removal through the lobby doors due to size, notification and approval must be made to and from the Superintendent or other maintenance staff and with their supervision. A moving deposit of $300 payable by money order, bank check or certified check payable to Forest & Garden Owners, Inc. must be delivered to Principal Management prior to moving and will be refunded to the Lessor if the move causes no damage to the buildings.
30. Loitering in the lobbies, hallways, laundry rooms, garages and any other public areas of the complex is prohibited.
31. Congregating in any public area of the complex (inside or out) after midnight is prohibited.
32. There shall be no walking on the grass or any part of the gardens, sitting on chain posts, climbing over fences, sitting on fences or walls, hanging on trees or climbing fire escapes (except as egress in a fire or smoke condition).
33. No dog, cat, bird, reptile or any other animal shall be kept at or harbored in the building unless the same in each instance is expressly permitted in writing by the Lessor and such permission may be revoked at any time and without advance warning. In no circumstance shall dogs be permitted in any of the public portions of the buildings unless leashed or carried in/out. No pigeons or other birds or animals shall be fed from the windowsills or in the yards, courtyard spaces or other public areas of the complex (inside or out) or on the adjacent sidewalks or streets.
34. All dogs are to be registered yearly with the building management and registration fees (currently $60 per dog) and must be paid and current. Inoculation papers must be submitted and updated yearly and a tag must be displayed on the dog collar, indicating registration compliance. Any dog acquired after the registration period must still be registered with the Superintendent and the fee will be pro-rated from the registration period (currently $5.00 per month).The current complex by-laws allow one dog per apartment. One additional dog may be allowed but the Board must be notified and approve of any new/additional dogs and proper registration procedures must be followed. The Board reserves the right to approve or deny any dog or other pet.
35. All dogs, regardless of size, must be “curbed” outside of the complex’s gated grounds at the street curb (not the sidewalk) and all pet waste must be cleaned up by the pet owner, as required by New York City law. Please refrain from allowing your dog to urinate on the garden areas or the fences enclosing the property as it is killing the plants and eating away at the metal.
36. No pets are allowed off the leash in any public spaces of the complex, either inside or outside and must be controlled by the owner at all times. Animals are strictly forbidden on garden areas. No public area of the complex may be used as a dog run at any time.
37. NO LITTERING. Receptacles have been placed in the seating area by the benches for all refuse. Please note that the sand-filled urns at each building entrance are for the extinguishing of smoking materials only and not to be used as trash receptacles.
38. There is a garbage room in each building. Garbage and refuse from all apartments shall be disposed of only at such times and in such a manner as the Superintendent of the Managing Agent of the building may direct.
39. Only one garage space per apartment is allowed and shareholders receive precedence over tenants. Anyone wishing a garage space must fill out a request form available from the Superintendent. There is a waiting list for spaces and the next available space will be offered to the next person on the waiting list and will not necessarily be in the same building as the shareholder’s residence.
40. Authorized cars parked in the garages must have registration on file with the Superintendent. Property parking stickers must be visibly displayed at all times and are not transferrable. If you buy a new car, it must be registered with the Super.
41. Parking spaces are not transferrable. No sublet of parking spaces is allowed. Shareholders holding a parking space who sell or sublet their apartments, lose their garage spot. Violators will have their cars towed at his/her expense.
42. No vehicle belonging to a Lessee or to a member of the family or guest, subtenant, licensee of employee of a Lessee shall park in such manner as to impede or prevent ready access to any entrance of the buildings or any vehicle whether in the garage or on the street.
43. The garage is for the parking of automobiles and/or motorcycles only: one spot per vehicle. Storage of any other items is strictly prohibited. Washing or servicing any vehicle in the garage is also prohibited, as is “revving up” motorcycles.
44. Storage facilities are located in each building for a monthly fee and are managed by Bargold. There is currently a waiting list and anyone wishing to acquire a storage until should contact Bargold directly. The Lessor shall have the right from time to time to curtail or relocate any space devoted to storage.
45. Bicycle storage rooms are located in 118-60, 83-83 and 83-75 and are free, except for a one-time key fee of $10. Anyone wishing to secure a space should contact the Superintendent. There may be a waiting list.
46. Each building has a laundry room which is open from 8AM -11PM daily (last wash at 10PM). Carts and tables may not be removed from the laundry rooms under any circumstances. Sinks have been provided for minor clean-ups but there is to be no dyeing of clothing or washing of pets in the laundry room.
47. It is strongly suggested that each resident obtain a homeowners/renters insurance policy. Any damages resulting from negligence on the part of a resident will be billed to their account and lack of insurance will not be accepted as an excuse for inability to pay the charges.
48. Violations of any of these House Rules are subject to fines at the discretion of the Board of Directors and chronic violators are subject to legal action, including termination of the proprietary lease. Shareholders must satisfy all fines before subletting or selling their apartments.
49. Any consent or approval given under these House Rules by the Lessor shall be revocable for cause at any time.
50. These House Rules may be added to, amended or repealed at any time by a resolution of the Board of Directors.