A residential building’s roof is its first line of defense against whatever the skies throw at it. Left untreated, roof problems can proliferate and cause thousands of dollars in damages to residents’ property, as well as the building i…
These days, the urge to save a few dollars here and there may be inspiring the creatively inclined to try their hand at home renovation. Before picking up the paint brush or tearing up that carpeting however, it may be worth it to consu…
Like any major project in a co-op or condominium, installing a gym is made up of two separate yet equally important parts: The brass tacks of planning and executing the project, and the politics of running it through the board and resi…
Gone are the days when living green meant dwelling in a geodesic dome-house in the woods somewhere with a sofa and love seat made out of tree stumps. Today, living green doesn’t look much different than traditional interior design—even …
Whether you're talking about an individual unit owner's renovation project or a major capital improvement that affects the whole building, chances are that there will be an architect involved at some point, to a greater or lesser degre…
Since its launch in 1987, The Cooperator's annual Co-op & Condo Expo has become a fixture on the business calendar of vendors, service providers, board members, building staff members and residents all over the tri-state area. Each year…
Q Our cooperative building, for many years, carried a high mortgage. During those years, I did serve on the board. The interest on the mortgage was included in our monthly maintenance fee and was noted yearly for our share for IRS …
Q I’m a co-op owner in Nassau County, where my elderly mother lives. I have written repeatedly to the management company regarding water leakage issues we have been having, but while the management company had a remediation expert e…
Q My ex-[husband] owns his co-op but has become diagnosed as mentally incompetent after a stroke. He is in arrears on maintenance and the co-op is seeking to evict him. He will be homeless. Also if the co-op takes his apartment, wil…
A fact that is often overlooked is that the corporate operations of most co-ops are governed by the Business Corporation Law (BCL). The Business Corporation Law is the main New York State law which governs how co-op corporatio…