It's A Dog-Eat-Dog World
Of Co-op Living At Clearview Gardens

By MICHAEL SCHENKLER

Meet Edith Nussbaum. Edith is the mother of my friend and colleague Mike Nussbaum, Tribune Associate Publisher. I’ve met and chatted with Edith quite a number of times over the past 11 years that Mike and I have worked together.

Mike, in addition to his responsibilities here at the paper, has assumed leadership roles in numerous charitable, religious and advocacy organizations. As a result of his fine work, I have found myself attending meetings and or dinners in his honor and as to be expected, mom is always there.

She’s a typical mom — a Jewish mother — not that unlike my own. Michael, of course, is perfect in her eyes (Mike’s wife Dale and I could tell you otherwise). The grandchildren, Scott and Eric are the supreme source of pride to her. To round out the Nussbaum clan, there’s Keaton, a musty looking adorable cutie dog pictured on this page.

I’m not sure of how Edith feels about Keaton. But, focus on this: it is Keaton and Edith that are at the center of this story of Queens cooperative housing.

Mike grew up in Clearview Gardens, a large co-operative located in Whitestone — south of Willets Point Blvd, just west of Utopia. Edith and her late husband were one of the original co-operators at Clearview, purchased their co-op unit when it was built in 1952.

For those of you unfamiliar with cooperative housing, the introduction to the by-laws of the Clearview Gardens Co-op provides a simple explanation:

A housing cooperative is a group of residences owned and operated by the families who live there. The entire property, or community, is owned by the non-profit cooperative corporation, the shareholders of which are solely residents. The "shareholders" are thus their own landlords! The cooperative corporation holds title to the property and executes a blanket mortgage. The individual family’s liability is limited to its own investment.

The shareholders elect a Board of Directors whose duties and powers are generally the same as those of corporate boards. All basic decisions are made either directly or through the elected Board of Directors.

This, my friends, is where many a co-op goes from well meaning cooperative living to maniacal governance. You see the Board of Directors makes (and I guess enforces) rules to ensure that all residents/cooperators/shareholders are forced to live in a cooperative and happy manner.

They print and distribute those rules as by-laws or whatever – in Clearview’s case – 16 pages of an outline for behavior modification to live with others.

Now don’t get me wrong, there have to be rules and guidelines; I understand and endorse that. However, when it comes to where you live, there has to be compassion and understanding. Clearview makes a weak attempt at the compassionate with its page 3 "How Can I Make Clearview Gardens A Better Place To Live?" For example #5, "Gently remind my neighbors not to allow their children to play ball on front lawns." Isn’t that "gently" just what is needed?

But we’ll skip the Carrying Charges, Parking, Garbage Disposal, Apartment Inspections, Air Conditioning and Violation Processing Fees and go right to Miscellaneous Rule #17 on page #12: Dogs are not permitted to be harbored in apartments, or on corporate property for any period of time including overnight and/or weekends. Violation of this rule is followed by a processing fee of $25.00 and notification to our attorney or necessary legal action. Attorney is authorized to institute dispossess or any other proceeding which he may determine.

Go back to the afternoon of Sunday, August 6 when Mike Nussbaum drove from his Hollis Hills home to pick up mom, Edith, at her home in Clearview. Mike brought along Keaton for the ride. Edith lives on the ground floor of the garden apartment. Mike knocked on the door; Edith opened it; Keaton (on a leash) ran in; Mike followed. Edith said hello, picked up her bag and the three (Keaton still on his leash in Mike’s hand) walked back to Mike’s car.

Boom! $25 Violation Notice "DOG IN APT."

But Edith explained, he doesn’t live here. He never stays over. It wasn’t even five minutes. My son just came to pick me up. "Pay the $25 or we may begin eviction proceedings," she was told by one Board Director.

Now we haven’t talked about Edith’s age. Mike is petrified that his mom would never forgive him if I refer to her as the oldest person I know, so I won’t. I can’t quite understand why when people reach those wonderful milestone years and function, they still are self conscious about their age. As my late dad used to say: Old age is sure better than the alternative. However, at age 90, even dad refused to use a cane because he said it made him look old. Ah, vanity.

But somehow, I can’t imagine responding to a very senior citizen like Edith in this way, this director responded to Edith. Personally, it’s cooperative housing; no one should be treated in that manner.

But Edith, like many of her generation, is a fighter and she is refusing to pay. So is her son, Michael. Me, I’m not sitting on the sidelines on this one either. If you haven’t figured it out, there is a modicum of outrage coming from my keyboard.

Dogs are not permitted to be harbored in apartments!

Harbor: (vt) to serve as, or provide, a place of protection to; shelter or house; conceal or hide.

C’mon give me a break! The mutt walked in and walked out.

And now these Clearview bozos are threatening eviction.

We called the Clearview Gardens and the Secretary for Clearview Co-op Management told the Tribune: "The dog rule is a Board policy and the manager of Clearview cannot discuss it." When asked about the threat of eviction, we were told: "We can’t discuss it."

Just before we went to press, we received a copy of "Notice of Default" papers sent to Edith that could scare anyone into compliance. They bully her, saying she is "required to cure the violation within ten days from the postmarked date of this notice by removing said dog." That would be the dog that left with Edith and her son on the day Michael picked her up. And they give her until Sept. 11 to take action or her "tenancy will be terminated and you will be required to remove from and surrender possession of such premises to the landlord."

Is it necessary to take our vulnerable senior citizens and manhandle them with such delightful tactics?

We’re not sure of the next chapter but Michael or I will find an attorney to defend Edith. We will follow this absurd behavior by the Board of Directors of Clearview Gardens. Perhaps we will invite some of you dog owners to come visit some of the Board members with your pets and us. Perhaps we’ll just print the names of the board members.

If anyone wants to let them know how you feel, you can reach them at: Clearview Gardens, 160-70 Willets Point Blvd. PO Box 570337, Whitestone, NY 11357. Please send me a copy of anything you send to them.

As far as I’m concerned, their own shareholders should start writing and complaining.

Edith has been a good resident for almost 50 years and what type of recognition does Clearview give her?

Shame on you Clearview Gardens!

If you have any other interesting tales of outrageous treatment of any sort in Queens, feel free to share them with me.

FAUSTO RODRIGUEZ: Last week I lost a friend.

Queens lost a fine and honest businessman. A family tragically lost a loved one when Fausto Rodriguez was shot to death in a struggle with an armed robber at his store, Jillian’s Jewelry on the westbound service road of the Long Island Expressway in Bayside.

I knew Fausto since he ran Lupy’s Jewelry with his first wife on the same block as his present store. We did business way back then. He advertised with the Trib. I bought holiday gifts for my wife and staff members at his creative, pleasant establishment. We did business with each other for maybe 20 years.

I know his oldest son Giovanni who frequently helped me when I shopped at the store but has since moved to Florida with his own family. I’ve met his older daughter Jillian. My wife recently met Fausto’s new wife Elizabeth. They had two children, a boy 9 and a girl 7.

I’m sad.

I extend my condolences to Elizabeth and her children and to Giovanni, Jillian and Lupy.

Fausto was a charming, creative, warm gentleman who always had time for friendly and meaningful conversation when you stopped by the store.

He was what retail business in Queens was all about.

I’ll miss him.

Reprinted from the Buffalo Beat, Buffalo, New York

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Michael Schenkler can be reached at: MSchenkler@queenspress.com