VLAD RESTORATION LTD

Vlad began work shortly before Christmas and estimated the job would take about two weeks. The firm is non-union and uses laborers from Poland, most of whom do not speak English. They knocked down most of the walls on my terrace and used the terrace to put up scaffolding for them to work on other floors. There were delays because of snow, but in mid-February I noticed the crews were rarely showing up. I discovered that the New York City Buildings Department had issued a stop work order on Feb. 23 because Vlad was not in compliance with safety regulations. This was apparently in response to a complaint submitted by another tenant in the building. In mid-March, I spoke to a representative from Vlad who said they had filed the required safety plans with the Buildings Department and I should wait two weeks for them to be approved. When I called the Buildings Department, they said no such plans had been filed. I have tried repeatedly to call Vlad but have only gotten a taped message, and no return phone calls. I do not know the status of the company _ whether they are just ignoring my calls or have folded up shop. Right now, my terrace is unusable, without most of its walls, with only flimsy plastic netting. The terrace is also filled with debris, building material, broken bricks, and scaffolding. I have to keep the window of my child's bedroom closed to prevent the excessive dust from seeping in. This situation has now existed for four months and counting. The NYC Department of Housing Preservation has issued an emergency violation, and will hire a contractor to do the work and bill the landlord if necessary. Vlad was clearly out of its league because there are strict safety regulations for contractors who work on buildings above 15 stories in NYC, such as having an onsite safety inspector, etc. Vlad has left me and my family with a complete disaster.