Everybody sometimes disagrees with the decisions of their co-op, condo or homeowners association board. Maybe the choice to rearrange the garbage receptacles out front seems ridiculous, or the ongoing clattering of machinery on the roo…
Convenience and saving money are just a couple reasons why a co-op board or homeowners association would choose to self-manage a property. Though, outside managing firms and property managers are hired and employed for good reason. The…
Q My car was vandalized four times on the co-op’s property. We pay to park there each month. I have paid three times now for the repairs and I think the co-op should pay. There are no signs in the lot saying they are not responsible. …
Valerie Smaldone lives in a lovely, well-kept, prewar building in the Midtown East area, known as the Beekman area. Her building was built in the late 1920's and, among other amenities, has an extraordinary rooftop garden where she occ…
The worst of the recession—big-time failures of investment banks and mortgage companies, huge banks in trouble, companies laying people off in the thousands—may be over. There are some signs of hope, and residential buildings that were …
When Superstorm Sandy slammed into the East Coast at the end of October, hurling a record breaking 13 plus-foot water surge at New York City, knocking out power to millions of residents and devastating parts of Queens and Staten Island,…
Unless you have a degree in accounting, your first board meeting could come as a bit of a shock. You probably knew board members oversee the finances of the corporation, but who knew there were so many records to produce and filing dea…
The issue of intellectual property and an individual’s right to privacy has become a greater concern since more and more people conduct their lives online—whether for banking, social media or dating. While the aforementioned generally h…
For most people, nothing is more important than knowing that they and their families are safe and secure in the place they call home. Boards, management and security firms all must work together seamlessly and cohesively to create that…
The discovery of fire is considered a major turning point in man's evolution from cave dweller to outer space explorer. Control of fire allowed early man warmth for his habitat, a way to cook his meals, and light for his surroundings. …