House Rules

The Coop invested a considerable sum in renovating the hallways. Appropriate respect should be paid to the investment of your building. The following rules and guidelines were created.a) The public halls and stairways of the building shall not be obstructed or used for any purpose other than ingress to and egress from the apartments in the building, and the fire towers (A&B stairs) shall not be obstructed in any way.b) Children or animals shall not play in the public halls, courts, stairways, lobby or elevators and shall not be permitted on the roof without supervision.c) No public hall above the ground floor of the building shall be decorated or furnished by any resident, in any manner, without the prior consent of the Board of Directors.

a) Laundry facilities are to be used only between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

b) Please be considerate of your neighbors. Remove your laundry promptly after completion from both washers and dryers. Please clear the lint trap in the dryer after each use to prevent a fire hazard.

c)  If you notice any leaks or have problems with any of the machines, please inform the doorman or super immediately.

d) The Lessor shall have the right from time to time to curtail or relocate any space devoted to storage or laundry purposes.

a) Garbage and refuse from the apartments shall be disposed only at such times and in such manner as the superintendent or the managing agent may direct. Garbage and refuse (including recyclable deposits) from the apartments shall be disposed of only between 8:00 a.m and 11:00 p.m.b) All wet debris is to be securely wrapped or bagged in small package size to fit easily into the compactor chute door.c) Renovation and construction materials must be removed by the Lessee’s contractor under the supervision of the superintendent. Failure to comply will result in a fine to be levied at the discretion of the Board.d) Under no circumstances should carpet sweepings containing naphthalene, camphor balls or flakes, floor scrapings, plastic wrappings or covers, oil soaked rags, empty paint or aerosol cans or any other inflammable, explosive, highly combustible substances or lit cigarettes or cigar stubs be thrown into the compactor chute. These materials are a fire hazard.

e) Vacuum cleaner bags must never be emptied into the chute. Such dust, dirt, etc. should be wrapped in a securely tied bag and then be placed through the compactor chute door for disposal.

f) The Superintendent shall be notified of any drippings, or moist refuse appearing on compactor and corridors.

g) Cat litter should be wrapped in a securely tied bag and then be placed on the compactor room floor. DO NOT THROW IT DOWN THE GARBAGE COMPACTOR CHUTE! It will damage the compactor and repairs will be charged back to the Lessee.

h) There are signs indicating New York City’s recycling law posted in every laundry room, Recyclable items shall be disposed of in the appropriate bins. Corrugated cardboard boxes need to be flattened and left neatly stacked in the laundry room.

i) If you have large items that need to be disposed of, such as appliance boxes, old appliances etc., call the superintendent. He will help you get rid of them.

No resident shall make or permit disturbing noises in the building or permit anything to be done therein which will interfere with the rights, comforts or convenience of the other residents. No resident shall play upon or suffer to be played upon any musical instrument or permit a stereo or radio or television loud speaker in such resident’s apartment between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. or if the same shall disturb or annoy other occupants of the building.No construction or repair work or other installation involving noise shall be conducted in any apartment except weekdays (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) and Saturdays (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) (9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. is quiet time) (not including legal holidays).

New York City law requires window guards on each window in an apartment that is the residence of children ten years old or younger. Annual certification is required from each resident stating whether the apartment is inhabited by young children. If desired, you may request window guards even if no children live in the apartment. To have window guards installed, please contact the Superintendent at 212-779-2568 who will help you get window guards that meet the standards set by the New York State Department of Health and by the Board of Directors and who will help you with the installation.

a) Toilets, and other water apparatus in the building shall not be used for any purposes other than those for which they were constructed, nor shall any sweepings, rubbish, rags, cat litter or any material disposed in such. Should any damage result from residents’ or sub-tenants’ misuse, they will be held responsible for any damages.b) Water Usage. The building pays a water bill based upon actual usage. Water charges, like heat, are included in your maintenance payments. Please minimize water usage. Certainly don’t waste water.c)  Please report any leaks in your apartment immediately to the superintendent. A leaking faucet can cost $100 in water over a year. A running toilet can cost thousands of lost dollars if not repaired.

No alterations or renovations may be made without the prior written consent of the Board of Directors. This procedure is intended to prevent damage to the building and its mechanical components, and it is intended to ensure that licensed and insured contractors do the work.All renovation and/or alteration plans shall be assigned to one of two categories.

With both the Light Work and Alteration Agreements, paperwork is required in terms of workers compensation, contractor insurance and/or homeowners insurance.

a)  Category 1 – Light Work Renovations
Light Work Renovations include work that does not influence or disturb the building’s structure or any of its systems, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing (both water and sewer) and heating elements. The following is a list of Light Work Renovations:
• Painting, wall papering or plastering
• Carpeting (wall-to-wall)
• Floor tiling
• Floor refinishing
• Mirror installation
• Closet system installation
• Installing window treatment
• Re-facing cabinets
• Replacement of interior doors
• Installing appliances of same type, in same location, using existing electrical/plumbing lines.

If the renovation you intend to do falls under Category 1, you may utilize the Apartment Light Work Alteration Agreement.

If you are doing something in your apartment that does not fall into Category 1, you must follow the procedures set forth in Category 2. The Board, in its sole discretion, may require more or may impose additional requirements.

b)  Category 2 – Alteration Renovations
This category includes any and all work which affects the building’s mechanical, electrical, plumbing and/or heating systems as well as the building’s structural integrity. If the renovation you intend to do falls under Category 2, you may utilize the “Alteration Agreement”. The Alteration Agreement is available from the Managing Agent and a $450 alteration fee is required, payable to 159 Madison Owners Corp., as well as a $450 fee to Century Operating Corp.

Before beginning construction, a refundable security deposit of $1000.00, made payable to 159 Madison Owners Corp. (certified, bank check, or money order only), must be given to the Managing Agent when approving the Alteration Agreement. The deposit will be returned after the work is completed, providing that no damage has occurred to the 159 Madison Avenue property.

If you have any questions regarding which “Agreement” to fill out or need a copy of an agreement, please contact the Superintendent. He will review the paperwork, and/or make suggestions. All paperwork should be submitted to the Superintendent first, he will then forward it to Century Management Services, Inc., 7 Penn Plaza, Suite 1400, New York, NY 10001 (212-560-6400) on your behalf.

Please be advised that each renovation is different, naturally with Light Work Renovations or Category 1, the review process is a shorter period of time for approval.

Alteration Renovations or Category 2, the process is slightly longer due to the possibility that it may need to be forwarded to the Building’s Architect for advisement prior to approval.

The Board of Directors and Management will make every reasonable effort to expedite the review of your Agreement so as not to unreasonably delay approved renovation work.

c) If you need any work done in your apartment you must fill in a work order form, available at the doorman’s desk. Charges are added to your monthly maintenance bill as repair. The minimum charge per work order is currently $35.00 plus cost of materials.

d)  Hours of freight, delivery and inspection of hallway and conditions prior to work will and must be complied with.

e) Contractor must use the freight elevator only. If they move supplies or materials in another elevator a fine of $300 will be assessed.

f) Hours of Alterations:
Monday – Friday = 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday = 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (quiet work only)
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (all work)
Sunday – No work to be done.

g) If you or your contractor is found in violation of the Alteration/Renovation rules, a fine of $300.00 will be assessed.

a)  159 Madison Owners Corp. is a pet friendly building. Shareholders are allowed to have up to 2 animals per apartment. All animals must be registered prior to moving in to the building. Pets added to your apartment require registration at that time. Photos of the pet are required with the registration.

b)  Dogs and cats shall be maintained within the shareholder pet owner’s unit. When outside the apartment, the pet shall be kept on a leash and under the control of the shareholder at all times.

c)  Pet owners shall assume sole responsibility for liability arising from any injury sustained by any person attributable to their pet in the common areas and agree to hold the owner and management harmless in such proceedings.

d)  As accidents do happen – the shareholder agrees to clean up after the pet and agrees to accept full responsibility and liability for any damage, injury or actions arising from or caused by the shareholders pet(s). If there is any damage done to the hallway carpet, the shareholder will be responsible to pay for any expense incurred for the steam cleaning of that carpet or repairing of said carpet.

e)  If you have a cat within your apartment, please dispose of cat litter in a securely tied bag and place on the floor of the compactor room. DO NOT drop it down the compactor chute. Cat litter shall not be disposed of by flushing down toilets. Charges for unclogging toilets or clean up of common areas required and attributable to pet nuisance shall be billed to and paid by the shareholder pet owner.

f)  Consistent with the spirit of being a “good neighbor” pet owners agree to control the noise of their pet such that it does not constitute a nuisance to other tenants. Failure to control pet noise can result in the removal of the pet from the premises and/or eviction of the resident. Management reserves the right to determine if a pet must be immediately and permanently removed from the premises due to aggressive behavior which causes threat or bodily injury to any tenant, guest, or staff member.

g)  No pets are allowed on the roof deck.

h)  The shareholder agrees to register the pet(s) in accordance with local NYC laws and requirements. The shareholder agrees to immunize the pet(s) in accordance with local NYC laws and requirements.

i)  Fines will be imposed for failure to comply with this policy. A fine of $50 will be charged on the first incident, $100 for the second incident. Further incidents will be reviewed and acted on by the board.