While for many laypeople cooperatives and condominiums are essentially interchangeable, from the legal point of view they are radically different institutions. Much of this difference can be attributed to history. Co-ops have …
By and large, a board and management company can expect payment from residents for monthly fees to be received on time and in full. These all-important funds keep day-to-day operations moving forward without delay. There are situations,…
In an online forum, Sharon complains about her upstairs neighbor and begs for advice. Her neighbor had installed a washing machine in her unit, even though there was one already downstairs for the residents of her six-unit building to …
In a city as crowded and fast-paced as New York, parking is a big deal—it’s hard to find it when you need it, and when you do find it, it’s usually very expensive. Since parking spaces in the city are such a hot commodity, it’s not surpr…
You’ve got the perfect couple looking into buying a condo in your building. And they love everything about the unit. But here’s the catch—they also love everything about another building’s unit. They can’t decide which to buy. …
Say your building has some extra, unused space—perhaps in the basement, or on the ground floor near the doorman’s station. What to do with it? Two words: Storage. Lockers. If you already have storage lockers, install mor…
In 1906, the dashing and amply-mustachioed Stanford White was shot dead by one Harry Kendall Thaw during a show at the Madison Square Roof Garden. Thaw was the jealous husband of one of White’s old flames, and the press dubbed the resul…
Last November marked the completion of a two-year, $20 million renovation of the lobby of the Empire State Building—a pretty hefty sum just to retrofit such a particular space. While the cost was certainly of large proportions, it is no…
The Cooperator's Co-op & Condo Expo celebrated its 25th anniversary show in fine style with hundreds of exhibitors and educational opportunities for co-op and condo boards and residents throughout the tri-state area. Since 1987, the Exp…
Q I own a cooperative apartment in Brooklyn and I’m hoping you could offer an opinion on a plumbing issue. In my bathroom I have two water valves protruding from the wall that control the hot and cold water flow to the sink and the tub.…