Virginia K. Smith
ContactPosts by Virginia K. Smith:
Death to overly precious, inspirational wall decals (Curbed)
Manhattanites: Track down your neighborhood's best burger with this handy list (Thrillist)
Pro tip: If your landlord dies, that doesn't mean you get to stop paying rent (Brownstoner)
If you've gotten hooked on the recent craze for Young Adult novels, chances are, you're already very familiar with Carolyn Mackler, the author of beloved YA books including The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, and Vegan Virgin Valentine.
Q: We saw a sign outside a brownstone for the basement apartment for rent (there was no mention anywhere of a broker's fee). We called the number, and the property manager showed us the apartment about two hours later. We liked the apartment and signed the forms right then and there, at which point he told us we owed him a 15 percent broker's fee. Since he didn't mention the fee up front, and did only a few minutes of work for us, is he really entitled to a 15 percent fee, or can we fight this?
