You know, that is very interesting, how sensitive we are to the order, or lack of it around us. But in some sense, we do it to ourselves: we can't help but see the crap, and we talk about it, but there is some resistance in calling out the good stuff, the flowers, the newly painted porch, some blacktop repair, a nice lawn.
Really, we need to acknowledge that. And thanks to you and others who have brightened up your homes and walks: we love it.
picasaweb.google.com/kingstoncorridor
There are businesses on the Corridor that investing in their appearance. No small thing, lots of work, lots of money and time, no clear return... maybe a bad investment. But it is a kindness, an act of community to be appreciated and acknowledged.
Someplace, guys, we need to be able to talk about the really good stuff we see. We could send a letter to a house saying "Looks really nice! Thank you!" And when we've got a couple of those under our belts, we could say to the occasional mess "Gee, not looking good. Hope you can get around to freshening up. Thanks"
And the absentee landlord: has a name? Glad to send him a note. While one part might not look so good from time to time, there are many other items that take care and $ and there is credit due there: he's slogging through just like the rest of us.
But again, thanks to all the people who are on top of it and whose homes look fresh and beautiful. Don't forget to tell each other what a fine job you are doing.

@kingstoncorridor.com - Interesting how sensitive we are? What's so interesting? I compliment my neighbors on their home improvements often. Just because I complain about an eyesore, doesn't mean I don't get along well with my neighbors and appreciate their hard work and upkeeping.
You must live in a nicer part of town. Hence, I am sure you would be sensitive to one of your neighbors collecting garbage on an extremely visible porch. I agree that comments are due to people who deserve them, but this site is not for that debate. This site is for pointing out problems.

@kingstoncorridor.com - Interesting how sensitive we are? What's so interesting? I compliment my neighbors on their home improvements often. Just because I complain about an eyesore, doesn't mean I don't get along well with my neighbors and appreciate their hard work and upkeeping.
You must live in a nicer part of town. Hence, I am sure you would be sensitive to one of your neighbors collecting garbage on an extremely visible porch. I agree that comments are due to people who deserve them, but this site is not for that debate. This site is for pointing out problems.

Hhey, that was not a criticism John. Sorry. It is really important that the messes be noticed and noted. I see that stuff too and it's yucky and it's nice to know others see that too. Both the good and the bad: they are not "neighbors"... they are any number of parts of the city not near me at all... but I do see them, I do appreciate them, and some of them are very upsetting.
And I am amazed, too, that in the middle of a lot of that mess, there will be a house that is bright and cared for.
There's that house on Emerson by the Honda lot: that was a huge investment, really nicely done. But gee, does anyone get any ponts for that? They should. They've contributed. There are some magnificent places. You surely have some that are noteworthy. Consider putting an "I really like this" up on seeclickfix: see if you don't get others who agree.

Just so everyone knows, this matter is not being ignored. The tenant was informed last week, before this complaint even posted, that the porch had to be cleaned by this week or I, the landlord, would handle it legally.

Wow. Thank you sir. Your communication is greatly appreciated!
And greatly admired.
Gerald Berke
Neighborhood Watch Ward 4 Steward
http://www.kingston-ny-neighborhood-watch.com/

Well, I was unsure if I should post, because I really don't want to get into a debate about who should be a tenant in our building. However, we have owned property in Uptown for over 26 years, and our Property Manager has worked for us for almost 20 years. We, too, care about Uptown Kingston.
BTW, sorry, I didn't mean for my post to be anonymous.

Barbara Duncan

I'm sure you want to see the property well kept and the tenants happy. I know it takes real work and skill. Just saying you noticed, just letting people know that, that was great. Thank you!

The women who lives there is a serious problem for anyone who lives within a block of her. She gets into very loud arguments with people in her house at all hours of the night. She has visitors at all hours of the night too. The subject matter of which she screams about is rated X, not R, too and she is terribly racist against white people. I'll never forget the day when I asked her to keep the cursing down so that the children on the block don't get upset, and she screamed at me, "Cursing in front of kids? F--- you, you probably rape babies you white piece of s---." She screamed this at the top of her lungs in the middle of a summer afternoon while people were walking around. This women needs to be living in a shelter or a home, and is not a candidate for living on her own. If you are the landlord, please do something about this before she hurts herself or some one else on your property. Its not if an incident with her is going to happen, its when its going to happen.

This is remarkable and unfortunate. We are an excessively free country, rather fearful of invoking law to compel civil behavior: such things as "disturbing the peace" were found to be unconstitutionally vague.
A landlord does not have the legal standing to screen or evict people for unpleasant but lawful behavior. So long as the tenant does not violate the terms of the written lease, the tenant has a contract to occupy that property.
And there is a notion of what a good neighbor, a good citizen, ought to do. Keep the grass cut, the sidewalk swept and gounds free of garbage, clean up after our pets, keep whatever loudness we need to vent firmly inside out houses: no loud music, dog barks, shouting etc on the streets. That doesn't seem like a particularly heavy list of responsibilities. Anything missing? Anyone want to add something?
Maybe "Good Neighbor" goes with Neighborhood Watch.
"This is a watchbird watching a good neighbor. This is a watchbird watching you. Were you a good neighbor today?"

@watchbird
What are you talking about? It is difficult to ascertain what you are saying here. You think this woman belongs in society, or you think she should be welcomed by an unsuspecting absentee landlord?

Still a mess, please evict...

he means clean it up dumas

Still a mess...

what part of handling this legally do you not understand? John L, if you had called George or I personally you would have found out, before posting this, that we were already working on the situation of this tenant.

Barbara Duncan

I have no idea who George is, and I have no idea who you are, though I do now after you posted your name. I live further up on Green Street and have the unfortunate pleasure of driving by this building everyday on my way to work. I fully understand that legal situations take some time, hence why I stopped commenting. That is all you needed to say. The only reason why this issue is still open is because the problem still persists. I am not the anonymous poster who keeps posting, "still a mess." I put John L. on my posts.

John L, my apologies. Hopefully we will see some improvement next week. Tenants have rights, and I don't want to ignore those rights and then jeopardize my legal position. I may not live in the building, but I do care about it and how it looks.

Barbara Duncan:

Ms Duncan: is there a reason, you the owner, have not removed the garbage from the front porch?

BTW - I am friends with a gentleman that lives directly across the street from this porch. I was at his house watching a ball game a 2 weeks ago during one of this woman's lapses. She was screaming at the top of her lungs that she hates white girls and punching and kicking the door on the porch. This was at 10:20 on a week night too. Isn't she Caucasian? Another time, while attending a BBQ just a few weeks before the baseball game at my friend's house, the entire party was interrupted when a woman's voice was heard screaming "rape." All of the men in the party ran out to the street from the backyard to find her siting on her porch, just screaming "rape" for no apparent reason She ran inside after one or two of our questions. I hope you understand that this person is a severe nuisance/liability and needs to be living under extreme supervision. Do your neighbors a favor and at least screen tenants before renting to them. There is no way this woman was/is capable of passing any sort of screening.

Mr. Berke, we already cleaned the porch once, with her permission, and she did it again. She will not give permission now, so we are taking legal action. She will be gone from the premises, it's only a matter of how long it takes.

Ms Duncan:
Sincere thanks for your work and your response. Personally, it helps a lot to know that work was done, and you certainly have my sympathy with having to deal with a bad tenant.
There is a list of people who have run afoul and have had to go to court that is available for landlords...
www.kingstonlandlordsupport.org/Tenant_Data_Base.doc
But probably you know and your tenant was not listed at than time.

Thanks for your comments, Mr. Berke. Regardless of what some on this site may think, our prospective tenants are run through the Tenant Data Base and we run a police check.

Thank you, Ms Duncan. Nice to be in touch with you.
You can reach me directly at gberke@gmail.com.
I like the way you think and work. Not that my personal opinion matters, but I think your actions work for the betterment of the city.

its is no longer unpresentable toward traffic

thanks to the landlord, Ms Duncan, for taking care of it.