SCAMS ON THE MENU
Burglaries Also Discussed At Board 10 Meeting
by Ralph Mancini
Home improvement scams, burglaries and identity theft prevention were three prominently featured topics at the latest Community Board 10 meeting, held Thursday, Jan. 3 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in South Ozone Park.
Home improvement fiasco
Those in attendance were tipped off on numerous home improvement projects gone awry due to people failing to do their homework on the contractors who were paid to perform work in and around their homes.
“It’s very important if you’re going to hire someone to do any type of work on your home, [to] check them out with the Better Business Bureau first,” said Elder Crime Victims Coordinator Debra Lapadula of the Howard Beach Senior Center.
Debra Lapadula of the Howard Beach Senior Center (pictured standing at right) tells the audience of numerous home improvement and identity theft crimes prevalent in Community Board 10. Also pictured are Board 10 Executive Secretary Nellie Santiago (at far left) and Queens Borough President Liaison Jerry LaMura.
“Also [check with] the Department of Consumer Affairs,” she added, also informing that the Federal Trade Commission has recently joined the fight against unscrupulous home improvement specialists.
In stating her case, she brought up the plight of a local woman who hired a contractor solely because he she witnessed him working down the block from her residence.
“Her home fell to the ground,” reported Lapadula, who went on to describe how the homeowner kept unsuccessfully pouring money into her dwelling which was in shambles.
The damage done to the home is reportedly being investigated as a possible criminal and civil case.The speaker further advised potential victims to avoid being pressured into signing contracts with contractors.
“When they’re pressuring you, don’t do a thing. [Tell them], ‘I need to sleep on it’ and read the fine print; that’s the most important thing on a contract.”
Not having a formal contract agreement established and simply doing business based on verbal promises and word of mouth, she said, is a “no-no.”
Area burglaries
Lapadula commented on local house break-ins as well, telling the audience that many homeowners are being “careless” by leaving their side doors, windows and basements open.
Residents were warned not to enter their homes if they notice things looking differently upon entering their dwellings.
“Step out and go to the nearest neighbor or phone you can find and call 911” when confronted with that type of predicament, she said.
By reporting the incident immediately, she continued, homeowners can more easily file a report with the New York State Victims Crime Board and possibly receive compensation for their losses.
The police will usually afford burglary victims a seven-day window when submitting their reports. Those filing grievances after that period will reportedly be subject to extensive questioning on the part of law enforcement authorities.
In a similar vein, residents and Board members were told to be wary of landscapers who may take advantage of being privy to the daily schedules of homeowners.
Identity theft
When broaching the subject of protecting personal documents, Lapadula reminded everyone not to carry their social security cards with them.
Social security numbers, she acknowledged, “open the door the door to a multitude of scams.”
Love on Aqueduct
A report on the latest on Aqueduct Racetrack was issued by Larry Love, legal counsel to Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer, who communicated that both Pheffer and State Sen. Serphin Maltese are both “optimistic” that talks between the governor’s office and the two houses of state legislature will come to terms on deciding the fate of the New York Racing Association in relation to the approval of a memorandum of understanding decreeing the racing organization as the operator of the local racecourse.
“The details are still floating around out there and things are still shifting a little bit,” he admitted. “We’re hopeful that everything will be done within the next couple of weeks.”
Zoning text amendment
Board members were made aware of a zoning text amendment proposed by the American Institute of Architects that “works in favor of developers and not the community,” said Board 10 Chairperson of the Land Use Committee John Marus.
He went on to characterize the AIA as an “ individual lobby group” intent on reducing land and yard space throughout the city.
One way they would seek to accomplish their plan, according to Marus, would be through the approval of “sliver buildings” standing about 18 feet wide.
Members of neighboring Community Board 9, he added, are formulating a study to oppose six “negative” items proffered by the text amendment.
Board 10 members learned that they aren’t required to hold a public hearing and vote on the matter. The issue, however, will reportedly be voted on during an upcoming Borough Board meeting.
State of the Borough address
Borough President Helen Marshall’s liaison, Jerry LaMura, apprised meeting attendees that Marshall will be holding her State of the Borough address on Tuesday, Jan. 15 at the Colden Center, located at Queens College in Flushing.
Additionally, he spoke about a recently-published book that Marshall contributed to called “The Neighborhood of Queens.” The book is authored by Claudia Gryvatz Copquin of Argentina.
Community Board 10 regularly meets on the first Thursday of the month at the Knights of Columbus Hall located at 135-45 Lefferts Blvd. in South Ozone Park. For further details, call 1-718-843-4488.
