Saturday, July 6, 2013

So worldly, so unwelcome


I understand that doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc. can hang a shingle on a house in a residential area. But this seems to be taking matters to a whole new level.

World Financial Group's website says that they are a "leading financial services organization in North America." Well, H & R Block hires accountants, but you don't see them working out of a 2-family home the way WFG does at 21-24 Himrod Street in Ridgewood. This is a commercial business, as far as I am concerned.

The zoning here is R5 without a commercial overlay. If this operation doesn't already violate the zoning, then perhaps some text needs to be changed to make sure that it does. If you lived in the other apartment, I'm sure you wouldn't want strange people walking in and out of your shared hallway all day. The commercial signs on the door and in the window also are eyesores on a residential block.

It's harder to crap up attached houses than freestanding ones, but someone always finds a way.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I did a quick Google search and when I inputted "World Financial Group," the next suggested word was "scam."

From the search results it sounds like one of those schemes where they lure you in and maybe one out of 100 people make money.

Also there were a lot of results in Flushing. Everywhere in Flushing there is signage on residential houses. And from the looks of that awning (ugly clear plastic which Chinese use on every other house in Flushing), I'd bet the rent it's Asian transplants.

If you have the time, report it and don't stop until something is done. Once you turn a blind eye, 10 more signs will pop up e-mail especially if they are Chinese.

Joe Moretti said...

Anon stated "Once you turn a blind eye, 10 more signs will pop up".

--------------------------------
So true, that is one of the reasons residents of communities should not play the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."

Nip this shit in the bud now.

Anonymous said...

If you have the time, report it and don't stop until something is done. Once you turn a blind eye, 10 more signs will pop up e-mail especially if they are Chinese.

1. this is only step one. do not address the specific if you do not take care of the general or you will be up rooting crab grass the rest of your life.

2. go after your elected officials and your community boards as well as your newspapers that waste space simply shilling for the pols and developers. MAKE A COPY OF YOUR EFFORTS AND SHARE WITH CRAPPY. The pols go nuts when they hear anything bad said about them.

Anonymous said...

If your first level is brick veneer, you are allowed to have a business office downstairs.

Anonymous said...

To correctly inform the ignorance and not that I have any direct affilation with it, World Financial Group is actually a network marketing business that sells life insurance and other financial products which is backed by AEGON a reowned company. I know because my ex was in it, but the products are legit (as one of them I know did get paid out with life insurance).

But it's labeled as a 'scam' because of the aggressive tactic that the people there perform by recruiting member to work for them (just like how a real estate broker recruits agents ..or a life insurance broker recruits agents).

These new recruits will have to get a license to do any transaction. But problem is that the new recruits are not trained to be financial or life insurance agents FIRST, but they FIRST should recruit members to sign up for financial products and then later on when they have enough 'members' as their own team, they will train them. But by that time a lot dropped out.

So it is a business..but due to its network marketing nature, the offices can be open up almost anywhere, but usually there is no signs. But as far as opening up in the residential with this sign, that might be pushing it.

Anonymous said...

Agreed with commentor no. 1. But good luck getting DOB to do something