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Wait > I had a freight elevator door pin my hand and damage a bunch of nerves while I was helping someone move furniture into his illegal Brooklyn loft. I got

Wait > I had a freight elevator door pin my hand and damage a bunch of nerves while I was helping someone move furniture into his illegal Brooklyn loft. I got $50k for it. You were doing something illegal, got injured, and sued? And you say "the system is broken"? The system is broken because of behaviour like yours

reificator 7y ago
Yes. That's why they told the anecdote.
taxidump 7y ago
The apartment was illegal, possibly not zoned for residential or not up to code. The act of helping someone move would not be illegal. He had every right to sue.
kempbellt 7y ago
Much of Brooklyn's "residential" offerings aren't legally residential. They're old commercial buildings that landlords have cheaply repurposed to get a piece of the rising demand in housing. I lived in Bushwick for a year and a half, never met my landlord, and I'm sure the building was breaking at least a dozen laws, but it was relatively affordable so no one really asked questions.
- teslaberry 7y ago
  thank god people break the law or you'd be broke paying rent you couldn't afford, or homeless. the law is fucked in part. and it works in part. where the law breeds problems, lawbreakers sometimes provide solutions.
Scoundreller 7y ago
Being in the elevator wasn’t the illegal part though. Nor was moving stuff in it. Only the occupation of a non-residential space residentially was.
frosted-flakes 7y ago
"Illegal" apartments in converted warehouses are very common in Brooklyn. Supposedly, the city turns a blind eye to them. Once someone lives there, they can't be evicted, even if it's not a legal residence. So renovation works happen without a work permit. At least, that's what my brother told me, who lived in such an apartment. It was an eccentric place, but everything seemed up-to-code.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
blotter_paper 7y ago
The system is still broken, regardless of what you think of GP's actions. "You shouldn't steal our customers' passwords" isn't a clever response to being told that your customers' passwords have been stolen and sold for $50K.

reificator 7y ago

Yes. That's why they told the anecdote.

taxidump 7y ago

The apartment was illegal, possibly not zoned for residential or not up to code. The act of helping someone move would not be illegal. He had every right to sue.

kempbellt 7y ago

Much of Brooklyn's "residential" offerings aren't legally residential. They're old commercial buildings that landlords have cheaply repurposed to get a piece of the rising demand in housing. I lived in Bushwick for a year and a half, never met my landlord, and I'm sure the building was breaking at least a dozen laws, but it was relatively affordable so no one really asked questions.

teslaberry 7y ago
thank god people break the law or you'd be broke paying rent you couldn't afford, or homeless. the law is fucked in part. and it works in part. where the law breeds problems, lawbreakers sometimes provide solutions.

Scoundreller 7y ago

Being in the elevator wasn’t the illegal part though. Nor was moving stuff in it. Only the occupation of a non-residential space residentially was.

frosted-flakes 7y ago

"Illegal" apartments in converted warehouses are very common in Brooklyn. Supposedly, the city turns a blind eye to them. Once someone lives there, they can't be evicted, even if it's not a legal residence. So renovation works happen without a work permit. At least, that's what my brother told me, who lived in such an apartment. It was an eccentric place, but everything seemed up-to-code.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

blotter_paper 7y ago

The system is still broken, regardless of what you think of GP's actions. "You shouldn't steal our customers' passwords" isn't a clever response to being told that your customers' passwords have been stolen and sold for $50K.