Management Company Help

Hello! My wife and I recently bought our first place, a 1 bedroom coop in the bronx, and we are attempting to renovate. During our interview the board assured us we could do anything except erect walls (within reason of course). Since we just needed to redo the floor, take down a frame wall (that has been taken down in other units) and get rid of illegal wiring that was done by previous tenants we... [more]

Hello! My wife and I recently bought our first place, a 1 bedroom coop in the bronx, and we are attempting to renovate. During our interview the board assured us we could do anything except erect walls (within reason of course). Since we just needed to redo the floor, take down a frame wall (that has been taken down in other units) and get rid of illegal wiring that was done by previous tenants we thought that we would be done in no time. Most general contractors we met with said the work would take about 5 days. After six weeks we still haven't been able to get our application into the hands of the board due to the management company. They won't return calls, let days (sometimes weeks!) pass before responding with a request for more info on something that they "ok'd" two weeks ago. In general, have been rude and completely un-helpful. My question is : what recourse do I have here? We have everything the management company has asked for (fully insured and licensed Contractors and Electricians, and the proofs that they requested), but still they have not submitted it to the board. We have changed contractors to someone who has done work in the building, removed the request to lower the remove the wall, and have bent over backwards to accommodate them. We can't afford to wait any longer, and our patience has worn very thin. 6 weeks is an insanely long time for this process to take, is it not? Or have I just been driven insane by it...? Can I submit my package to the board directly? I guess thats what I want to know. Or any advice people have would be greatly appreaciated. Thank you! [less]