The Manhattan Open House Bandits are Caught

November 26th, 2007 | 5 Comments

Last night, Doug Heddings reported on his blog that the Manhattan Open House Bandits were caught. Today, both Curbed and the New York Post follow up on the story:

Two Upper East Side women could soon be en route to the big house - for targeting rich Manhattan residents at open houses and making off with their valuables, cops said yesterday.

Jessica Joyner, 39, and Jennifer Jones, 33, were arrested on Saturday and charged with petit larceny, grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.

Big ups to Doug for reporting them in the first place and to the person who managed to get the license plate number. This is by no means an end to a very serious problem. Real estate agents who conduct open houses need to have a system in place that insures that our clients valuables are safeguarded. Whether it’s having multiple agents or assistants conducting open houses and escorting buyers or checking for valid ID, as a brokerage community, we owe our clients a piece of mind. Step up New York!

Update:

Jennifer Jones on FaceBook

Although they did steal some things from open houses, everyone deserves a second chance. I’m interested on hearing their side of the story to see why they did this. Was it for fun? Were they broke? Drugs? Mental issues? I mean, let’s take a step back for a second. Yes, they did do some bad things but they didn’t kill anyone. Let’s all learn from this event. Take some notes. Make some changes. Be smarter and more aware of our surroundings. Be more professional.

Update - 11.27.07

According to the New York Post via Curbed:

Joyner was convicted in New Jersey of drug possession seven years ago, according to her lawyer, Karen Newirth, who told a judge that “Joyner has medical and psychiatric issues.”

Records reveal a slew of civil judgments against Joyner for unpaid or uncollected bills totaling nearly $30,000 in Virginia and New York.

Both Joyner and Jones were clients of the Some Like it Hot Yoga salon on East 63rd Street, whose owner said Jones claimed to be the head of a financial firm, even as she tried to hawk a line of “energy juices” to staff there.

Jones was arrested in Brooklyn for robbery in September 1989, and busted again a month later for drug possession and sale a month and a half later, records show. She spent nearly four months in jail, but the outcome of those cases was not known yesterday.

Her lawyer, Newirth, said Jones “is active in the recovery community” and “has medical issues and severe pain” caused by a neurological condition.

And, according to the New York Sun:

The two women suspected of stealing luxury goods from Manhattan open houses are being linked to a similar crime in an affluent New Jersey town, officials said.

So, it seems they have quite the history. Like I said earlier, I just wanted to know why they did it. This information gives us an idea of their state of mind and reasons behind their criminal actions.

Posted by Rudolph D. Bachraty III | Filed Under Manhattan Open Houses

2007 NYC Thanksgiving Day Parade

November 24th, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Everyday should be Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, life gets in the way sometimes and we forget to appreciate what matters most to us - our family and friends. Luckily, this one day gives us a good kick in the ass which helps us remember what’s really important.

The crowd after the parade on Seventh Avenue

This years Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City was hot. Literally. With the temperature in the mid 60’s, it seemed like everyone came out of the woodwork. Never in all my years of going to the parade have I seen so many people. Although it felt like spring outside, the holiday spirit was churning inside. Sharing this moment with my wife and daughter was truly priceless. I am thankfull!

Posted by Rudolph D. Bachraty III | Filed Under Manhattan, NYC Photos

Thanksgiving PSA - Deep Frying Your Turkey is Dangerous

November 21st, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Source: YouTube

Are you are planning on deep frying your turkey this year? We’ll maybe you shouldn’t. If this video doesn’t scare the bejesus out of you I don’t know what will. If you live in Manhattan, please don’t even think about deep frying inside your apartment or even on your balcony. Sounds crazy huh? Who in their right mind would even think about doing that. Well, the New York City Fire Department - FDNY - issued a warning just in case some smarty pants thought about doing so. If you see someone bringing in a deep fryer into your building, warn them. If they don’t listen, report them. Rather than deep frying your turkey, you could end up deep frying your building or even worse - yourself. Be safe. Happy Turkey Day!

According to the New York City Fire Department:

Turkey Fryers Come With Safety Concerns

In recent years deep-frying turkeys has become increasingly popular, however this new tradition is a recipe for a holiday tragedy!

The use of turkey fryers are considered a serious injury and fire risk because:

• As the turkey is placed in the hot oil, oil may spill from the fryer onto the burner causing a fire.

• Turkey fryers can easily tip over, spilling the hot oil onto anyone nearby.

• Most turkey fryers do not have an automatic thermostat control. With no temperature control the oil could overheat to the point of combustion and cause a fire.

• The turkey fryers, including the lid and handles get extreme hot and may cause burns.

• Partially frozen turkeys placed into the fryer can cause a spillover effect.

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has decided not to safety certify any turkey fryers due to the increasing number of fires and burn injuries related to their use.

H/T - Gothamist

Posted by kiosk | Filed Under New York Hazards

Social Networking Explained by Rocketboom

November 15th, 2007 | 1 Comment

Source: Rocketboom

Confused with all the social networks out there? With so many choices - Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, LinkedIn, HI5, Xanga, Bebo etc - what’s a social butterfly to do? Rocketboom gives us the inside scoop on the evolution of social networks and what’s really happening behind the scenes today.

Posted by kiosk | Filed Under NYC Video

Wanted - Manhattan Open House Bandits

November 14th, 2007 | 4 Comments

If you’re holding an open house in Manhattan, be aware of the open house bandits. They were caught red handed at one of Doug Heddings open houses this past Sunday. Unfortunately, they managed to flee the scene. Noah from Urban Digs, Joey from Curbed and Peter from Comitini.com also managed to get the story up in hopes of spreading the news about these crooks. The more people that see their picture, the faster we can get them off the streets.

These two knuckleheads obviously don’t read blogs. If they did, they would have known better then to try to rob one of Doug’s open houses. It would be pretty amazing if they were caught because of the online exposure real estate bloggers generated. If they have been doing this for some time, I’m sure the brokerage community will put the pieces together and pool our resources to find them. This is a great example of why all open houses should have at least two or more agents present at all times. Each person can not only help answer questions but also keep an eye out on the bad apples who roam open houses.

If your clients still live in the unit and have personal belongings present, it’s essential to protect their valuables. I’ve seen agents who sit on their asses at open houses and let people wander around not knowing what the heck their doing. It’s dangerous and irresponsible. From my own personal experience, I have to admit that I too have been overwhelmed with a flood of traffic at some of my past open houses. I learned quickly to get some help. I realized that I could not manage all the people at once. Having an assistant there with you is crucial - especially in light of this brazen robbery.

Open question to the real estate community: Besides having people sign in at our open houses, should we take photos or video of everyone who attends our open houses or even check for valid driver license ID? Is that even legal? Does that cross the privacy line? I’m not so sure. Personally, I think we should give it a try. Our clients homes and contents are too valuable to just let anyone in off the streets. Maybe it’s time for a serious open house shakedown?

Posted by Rudolph D. Bachraty III | Filed Under Manhattan Open Houses, NYC News

The Manhattan Open House Bandits are Caught

2007 NYC Thanksgiving Day Parade

Thanksgiving PSA - Deep Frying Your Turkey is Dangerous

Social Networking Explained by Rocketboom

Wanted - Manhattan Open House Bandits

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