Q. I reside in a residential co-op in which the board elected to pass on the capital assessment to its shareholders based on the their respective shares. My question is does the board of directors need to use the outstanding shares or aut…

Q. Can a homeowner who is in a lawsuit with his condo legally be an executive board member of that condo? Wouldn’t that annul his fiduciary duty? The story: One of our homeowners was elected to the board of managers last November; his fe…

Working for any sort of multifamily community–whether it’s a condo, co-op, HOA or rental–requires a certain amount of skill and training. After all, staffers carry out many duties, and often have access to residents’ property and personal i…

One of the most unforgettable events of 2012 was the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, which, according to the National Hurricane Center, resulted in approximately 147 deaths in the U.S., the Caribbean, and Canada, and at least $50 billion in pro…

There’s an old adage that goes along the lines of, “You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your relatives.” That’s true of the people you serve with on your co-op or condo board. Board politics, like all politics, can get uncomfortab…

A democracy fares best when it is proportionally representative of its constituents. For all intents and purposes, the board of a condominium, cooperative, or homeowners’ association is a democratically-elected entity, and as such, one coul…

The key to any healthy relationship is good communication. That holds especially true for the sometimes-delicate dialogues that take place among residents, shareholders, board members, and managers in co-ops and condos of all sizes and conf…

Changing management companies can be a complex process -- but it doesn't have to be an ordeal. By making sure that your community's important documents and information are transferred from the outgoing firm to the incoming one in a timely, …

Like any homeowner, co-op owners are always planning improvements to their homes.  But one major difference between a cooperator and a homeowner is that the cooperator just can’t do whatever and whenever he/she wants.  For example, if if th…

In an age of increasing global anxiety over any number of potential disasters, one can be forgiven for seeking comfort where they can get it. And for some condominium and cooperative residents, that comfort takes the form of an emotional su…