The slow paperwork slog continues. I learned a lot this past month about continuing to stay on top of things as much as I can.
October 1: My building tells me the initial deposit I made for the renovation was not enough. One email said 3%, but the paperwork I signed was 5%.
October 2: I sign with a new contractor who does not have issues with my building
October 5: I send out checks for the new deposit with the contractor. I also send out additional money for the security deposit – $440 to top up on the original amount, and then another $60 because I changed contractors.
October 7: We send updated scope to my building’s property manager
October 9: Mr. Save My Cents and I decide on some lights and blinds. My architect will be on vacation first week of November. If we don’t get permits in time for October this pushes the renovation to mid-November.
October 13: The checks to the contractor never arrive. I begin making Zelle payments to my architect / expeditor so he can pay in person. Over the course of about 7 – 8 days (due to limits on Zelle), I send $2,400 to architect, $2,500 to electrician, $8,800 to contractor, and $650 to building engineer. I update scope to our building. We find out that contractor permit rejected by the DOB for missing two documents.
October 14: I try to ask my property manager to be clearer in their communication. Electrician does a walkthrough of our home. I purchase LED flush-mount lights for about $125.
October 15: Re-confirmed checks with property manager
October 21: I pay another invoice for the building engineer. $300. My architect seems stuck with the paperwork, so I re-organized a very confusing Excel my property manager made, into a list for him. Contractor permit rejected by the DOB for a small part of the application not being handwritten
October 22: My architect sends over contractor’s license, approved drawings, affirmation, COI, EPA, noise mitigation plan, TPP for the contractor, the electrician’s permit. Building manager notes we’re missing worker’s comp, the TPP was blank, the electrician’s license needs front and back, the electrician needs an affirmation and COI, and additional paperwork for the architect, and oh yeah, we need the permit for the contractor.
October 23: Submit workers comp and more license images
October 26: We find out that we are not able to get the permit for the contractor because my building is under violation for a very different issue altogether – our laundry room is not to code. The building manager claims that there is no way to resolve the laundry room thing for a while and that if there’s a fee, I need to write the board.
October 30: I write my friends on the board. Asking if they approve the fee. The board is confused as to why we haven’t paid some fee, saying the board always approves fees. The architect in the meantime went to the borough commissioner’s office, and said that the building needs to pay a fee.
The saga continues…
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