[11-Feb-2009] Still in the midst of a case we filed in New York County Small Claims Court to get our deposit back, so may need to update this.
The problem is less with Mr. White (basically just the name you put on the checks) than with the gentleman who manages most of his Schenectady properties, Mr. Joseph Fava. In sum, Mr. Fava is a sociopath and borderline bipolar. Do what they always tell you to do: insist on a signed copy of the rental agreement prior to moving in. Fava is all sweetness and light before you move in, but you'll find that changes dramatically afterwords (as do the terms of your agreement, if you haven't already got one). Check the terms carefully once you get it: the rental agreement they use leans highly in favor of the landlord, omitting or leaving ambiguous many standard tenant protections.
In our case (we were only tenants of his for a month before it was clear this was a bad situation), he also got into the habit of allowing entry into the apartment without prior consent, with the repairmen who entered causing minor damage, leaving building materials lying around, and leaving the front door to the apartment unlocked.
Mr. White's principal problems are 1) he owns several residences, most of them in other states, and so is to a large degree shielded from both tenant complaints and legal action, and 2) he is aware of Mr. Fava's psychological difficulties, but uses them to his own advantage as "the good cop." If you can ensure the paperwork is tight and have a personality that lets you shrug your shoulders at melodrama and disrespect, Fava & White might not present a huge obstacle, otherwise be wary!
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