The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) has enacted a new rule relating to façade maintenance and safety - this one directed at parapet walls. The parapet is a low protective wall along the edge of a roof, bridge, or balcony. The ne…
Almost as if by coincidence, given last week’s historic rains and flooding, New York State has recently passed two laws that provide some answers for homeowners and renters affected by the intense weather event. The first, Section 231-B of …
Q. Is it illegal for a cooperative board to decide not to hold an annual shareholder meeting? If a cooperative board does not meet, what rights is a shareholder entitled to? —Shareholder Waiting for the Meeting A. Margery N. Weinst…
It takes a small army of professionals—everyone from on-site handymen to licensed professional tradespeople and engineers—to maintain multifamily buildings, both large and small. The question is, who does what, and when? Everyone likes to s…
Living in close quarters can—and often does—lead to conflict. In co-op, condo, and HOA communities, conflict can occur between residents, or between a resident and the board. And to complicate matters, a seemingly isolated conflict between …
Multifamily communities are governed by laws that range from local ordinances to federal housing statutes. Not only is there a long list of codes, deadlines, inspections, filings, and regulations to follow, but these important items and dat…
When buying into a co-op, condo, or HOA, you’re not merely buying a home—you’re buying into a community. These communities are governed by policies and procedures that typically include prospective member requisites, as well as the methods …
As we head into the final quarter of 2023, what factors are contributing and controlling the co-op and condo market? To a great extent, the same factors that have controlled it for the past few years: stubbornly high interest rates, the lin…
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance recently took the position that a revocable license granted for a parking and storage spaces in a condominium building constituted a conveyance of real property under Article 31 of the s…
The doubling of interest rates in the past 18 months has certainly had a chilling effect on sales of all types of private homes, whether they be condos high in the sky, co-ops in quaint, pre-war walk-ups, or detached single family homes in …