There are a few things that New Yorkers just take for granted as part of life in  Gotham: Traffic is one. Noise—whether from the street outside or the neighbors upstairs—is another.    And so are swarming, fluttering, cooing, pecki…

 Green truly is the new black in New York City. As more and more co-ops, condos  and HOAs look to save money as expenses rise, more and more boards,  shareholders and unit owners are exploring ways to incorporate “greening” into their buil…

 While recent reports point to signs of economic recovery, many co-ops and condos  are still feeling the financial burden that has accumulated over the last few  years due to increased operating costs, residents in arrears, defaults, and n…

 Residential buildings are constantly under attack—not by barbarians or marauding bandits, but by a force far more subtle and  insidious. The most tenacious enemy of a residential building is not fire or  structural collapse—though a build…

 It’s true that a building is as only as strong as its foundation—and while New Yorkers don't have as much active concern about the foundations of  their buildings as residents of an earthquake-prone area like California might  have, it's …

 After the four walls of a given structure, the roof is sometimes referred to as  the “fifth plane”—and just like the walls that hold it up, the roof is an all-important structure  that can make or break a building’s performance. The tri-s…

 The Cooperator’s annual Co-op & Condo Expo, which is now in its 26th year, is the premier event for education,  networking and learning all you need to know about managing and maintaining  co-op and condo properties in the Greater New Yor…

Q I recently bought a co-op in Kew Gardens, and I am now living what is starting  to seem like it will be a nightmare. When it came to the closing, I was only  told of an assessment of an extra $60 each month, and, while this was a  compl…

Q I am an owner of a co-op in Forest Hills, Queens. We currently have a flip tax  of $2.00 per share. The sponsor is pushing to amend this to make it 3% of the  sales price. The sponsor is also the managing agent and they do whatever they…

Q I believe that owners have a fiduciary responsibility to the association, as  they are held in a public trust of that association just like board members.  The responsibilities and duties of owners in a homeowner association are  outlin…