Page 22 - New York Cooperator January 2019

22 THE COOPERATOR — JANUARY 2019 COOPERATOR.COM Representing residential and commercial property owners and management companies throughout the metropolitan area for over forty years.  Landlord-Tenant Proceedings  Real Estate Litigation  Transfer Agent  Foreclosure  Collections Proceedings  Bankruptcy Proceedings  Attorney General Filings  Land Use & Zoning  Closings  General Representation of Cooperatives & Condominiums  Mortgage Refinances & Condominium Loans Contact: Email: Websites: Eric M. Goidel, Esq. egoidel@borahgoldstein.com directorprotector@borahgoldstein.com www.directorprotector.com www.borahgoldstein.com Manhattan Office 377 Broadway New York, New York 10013 T: (212) 431-1300 F:(212) │ │ │ 334-0960 Queens Office 108-18 Queens Blvd. Forest Hills, New York 11375 T:(718) 263-6611 F:(718) 263-8272 │ │ │ www.borahgoldstein.com perhaps that’s an indication that things are running smoothly. Make It Relevant Ray Levy is a board member of a 54-unit co-op building in Washington Heights. “The most substantive thing we’ve done is posting agendas and providing opportu- nities for shareholders to add items to the agenda,” he says. ”You’ll want to come to address your issues. Having people serving on committees or task forces that are re- porting out also encourages investment in the meetings.” He adds that the most enjoy- able thing his building has done is to hold a social hour following the meeting. “I don’t know if more people came for refresh- ments, but people certainly lingered and this served as a good community builder.” What a Difference a Neighborhood Makes Allison Spitz recently moved from a co-op on Manhattan’s Upper East Side to one on Fort Washington Avenue in Hud- son Heights. She says the culture of the two buildings are vastly different. She served for many years on the board of her East End Avenue building, which never had a prob- lem attracting shareholders to any business meeting for the corporation. In fact, the meetings had to be held off-site, in an au- ditorium big enough to accommodate the crowd. “We didn’t so much as offer a cup of coffee,” Spitz recalls. She is very aware of how different her new Hudson Heights building operates. There are subcommittees of all types, which her former building didn’t have. People are encouraged to get involved—as she has— and the semi-annual meeting is referred to as a ‘town hall.’ Resident issues and com- ments are solicited before the meeting for the agenda. The feeling is just a bit cozier. She is eager to see the turnout at the town hall meeting and how it will compare to her previous experience. Communication Is Key Joseph Rosenberg is the COO with At- lantic Management, a property manage- ment company based in Secaucus, New Jersey that oversees many co-op and condo communities. To him, the important thing in getting residents to attend is commu- nication. “We help the boards promote the meetings as part of our management responsibilities,” he explains. “We run an- nouncements in the association bulletins if they have one, send out email reminders, and even make phone contact with the unit owners to get them to the meetings. We remind them how important their atten- dance is. They also have the opportunity to put their issues on the agenda.” Clearly, communication and a feeling of inclusiveness are the key. As the adage says, it takes a village. n AJ Sidransky is a staff writer at The Coop- erator, and a published novelist. GET ON BOARD continued from page 6 have four or five client buildings located on the same street, or within a couple of blocks of each other. On the same street, you can cover all \[of those associations\] with the same cleaning service or lawn maintenance. There are a couple of man- agement firms in Boston who do this.” “Typically the problem with small as- sociations and corporations is that they don’t have full-time staff,” says Fox. “That can be challenging, because what would normally fall under the responsibility of the super, like meeting a contractor, for instance, is then assumed to be done by the manager – which isn’t the case.” Fox’s firm doesn’t formally bundle properties for more efficient manage- ment, at least not in the sense of going out looking for those types of arrange- ments. But, he says: “We do have areas where we’ve picked up a number of prop- erties on the same block, and that makes things more worthwhile for us, because one agent can handle a number of build- ings at the same time.” À la Carte Services Rosenberg explains that for some small associations, the cost of full-time management is just too high on a per- unit basis, so they offer an alternative: à la carte services. “Recently, we began offering bookkeeping services,” he says. “We collect the monthly charges and pay the bills. Everything is done online. If it works well, we will expand the program.” The cost of keeping an attorney on retainer is far too high for most small associations, so in most cases legal ser- vices are procured on an as-needed basis. Professional services such as lawyers, ac- countants, and architects are treated sim- ilarly to contract services such as lawn work, snow removal, building cleaning, and minor maintenance. The association seeks those services only when they’re needed. Potential Legal Issues Jeffrey Turk, a partner in the Brain- tree, Massachusetts-based law firm of Turk & Quijano, says: “People buy a con- do so they don’t have the headaches of a home. Someone else mows the lawn and shovels the snow. But in a small condo, you don’t have that. Who is going to do those tasks? You. There are no economies of scale.” Financial considerations can be even more pressing. “If someone doesn’t pay their condo fees in a 100-unit condomin- ium association,” Turk continues, “there is likely still enough money to keep op- erating. In a four-unit condo, that might not be the case. The problem is that con- dominium associations are true democ- racies. Everyone has an opinion and a vote. Who wants to spend money and who doesn’t? There may be three mem- RUNNING SMALL continued from page 10 Since 1958, out clients have been assured of excellence in building management. Your building’s nances are secure, your les are in order, permits and lings are current and building systems are properly maintained. Your Board will rest easy knowing that all is right with your building’s world. At Buchbinder & Warren, we understand your apartment is not just an investment...it’s a home. Please call us to learn more about our services. One Union Square West • New York, NY 10003 212.243.6722 CONFIDENCE www.buchbinderwarren.com