Incorporated under Article XI of the Private Housing Finance Law, Housing Development Fund Corporation (HDFC) cooperatives are partnerships between public and private interests that help the tenants of city-owned residential co-ops – often …
Cleaning products should, ideally, have one primary function: to make things less dirty. But once one delves deeper into the overall goal, things get more complicated. For instance, what makes something really clean? Does it mean to look sh…
The majority of residential buildings in New York City obtain power from Con Edison or secondary energy suppliers. But in recent years, boards and managing agents have investigated, and in some cases, installed “cogeneration” systems that a…
In multifamily buildings that hundreds —maybe even thousands—of people call home, it comes as no surprise that unpleasant smells can become an absolute nuisance. The airways that run through the building, the chutes and areas that house the…
Most folks know that turning off lights in unoccupied rooms, taking shorter showers, and turning down the thermostat a couple of degrees can help save energy – and by extension, money. However, helping an entire building or association cut …
When it comes to energy efficiency, mismanagement of energy could be both wasteful and costly for multifamily properties. Scott Burns of Marathon Energy Corp. talks to The Cooperator on what could be done to prevent those mistakes.
One likely looks upon a towering high-rise shining upon the Manhattan skyline, and assuredly thinks to oneself, “that building must be quite the endeavor to manage, should it be a condominium or co-op residential property.” And that hypoth…
Last in a series on housing discrimination. In case you missed our previous three articles, The Cooperator touched on several important and current issues in housing discrimination law and how they affect co-op corporations and condo …
The New York Public Library is calling out a nearby condo building for imposing a $15,000-a-month fee that could hamper the library's renovation of its Mid-Manhattan branch, the New York Post reported yesterday. According to the s…
Even if you're on the board of a tiny, tight-knit building or association, that doesn't mean that you can handle your community's business with a handshake over coffee at the local diner. For the protection and long-term security of your co…