One of our clients recently asked us to investigate the accuracy of their building’s square footage as listed on New York City’s Notice of Property Value. In order to contest the gross building area of a parcel, the city requires an eng…

Q I own a co-op in Mount Vernon, New York. I was unable to sell the co-op so the board approved a sub-lease. The  maintenance was in arrears by one month plus the current month. I was sent a letter by an attorney to pay the arrears plus t…

Q My wife and I own the shares for our co-op apartment jointly. We wish to  establish a revocable living trust for our assets and the apartment. Our co-op  board is unwilling to make the transfer to the trust. How can we convince the  boa…

 You’ll find knishes, borscht, blinis, loads of shops, bakeries, fruits and  vegetables, black market caviar and of course, vodka, along Brighton Beach  Avenue, the neighborhood’s main artery that caters to a thriving Russian community. Da…

 It’s the age-old question for apartment dwellers living in cramped spaces: where do  you store all of your possessions? If you live in a New York City co-op or  condo, most buildings have a solution: sizeable storage units at the ready th…

 Not everybody on a co-op or condo's board is an accountant (or can even balance  their own checkbook, for that matter.) No doubt, handling large amounts of money for an entire building is a huge  responsibility. Residents, therefore, rely…

 New Yorkers are a resourceful bunch—we pride ourselves on being able to snag a cab during rush hour, get from the  Upper West Side to Greenpoint in less than three subway transfers, and show no  fear as we battle the crowd at a hot design…

 Thirty years ago, Cats won the Tony Award for best musical, setting it off to  secure its place as the second longest running Broadway musical in history. New  York City streets were filled with women in torn sweatshirts and leg warmers  …

 Twice a week whether it is on Tuesday and Thursday or Monday and Friday, in  every neighborhood throughout the city, you can hear it. Usually before first  light you are roused from a sound sleep by the rumbling, beeping and crushing  sou…

 Who wouldn’t want to be on the board of directors of their co-op or condo, watching over  their most precious possession and probably their most significant investment—their home?  Most people, actually. It’s a rare co-op or condom…