Len Rosenberg points to unwanted satellite TV equipment attached to his property.
EAST NEWARK –
A landlord is disturbed about a communications company that he says isn’t listening to him.
Len Rosenberg, the owner of a six-family dwelling in the 400 block of N. Third St., East Newark, says he’s given several satellite TV companies written notice that he doesn’t want them doing installations at his properties because he feels it disfigures the buildings.
But they do it anyway, he says.
The latest incident happened July 31 when DirecTV sent a sub-contractor to do a hookup at a first-floor apartment at the N. Third St. location.
According to a police report, the technician drilled a hole through a wall of the apartment that tapped into the main electrical service line feeding the building and, ultimately, knocked out power to the entire structure for several hours.
Members of the borough’s volunteer Fire Department responded as a precaution though no fire was triggered, police said. However, according to Rosenberg, the volunteers had to open up part of the wall in the first-floor unit to see if any electrical wiring had been compromised.
Rosenberg said that a second floor tenant whose child relies on power-supported medical equipment had to rush the child to an area hospital after the 11 a.m. outage occurred.
Despite his complaining, Rosenberg says the company had the technician return a few days later to finish the installation.
Asked for reaction, company spokesperson Meghan McLarty said: “We have an electronic signature (from the “landlord”) on file that was provided at the time of installation confirming we had the landlord’s permission for the installation.”
McLarty provided a reporter with an electronic copy of the tenant’s “work order” form, labeled “Landlord Permission” with a partly legible signature purporting to be Rosenberg’s.
However, Rosenberg countered that, “At no point does [DirecTV] even ask who the landlord is or attempt to get their permission (strategically). In the case of this property, [the company] President has on file a letter which specifically orders that NO installations are to be made.”
And, Rosenberg added, “The signature on [the landlord permission] form is not the landlord’s (mine), I was not present at the time of installation and [DirecTV] made no attempt to contact me to ask permission.”
Rosenberg, who sits on the board of directors of the Property Owners Association of New Jersey, said he’d like to see legislation that would create a “clearing house” that would allow landlords “to put their properties’ addresses on a ‘do not install’ list” and that would provide for penalties against companies “that violate landlords’ rights.”
– Ron Leir
