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…
Steam heating using both single- and two-pipe steam radiators will continue to dominate the heating of a majority of buildings in New York City well into the present century. But how do we determine if an apartment building is energy e…
Building owners spend billions of dollars a year to construct and refurbish their properties, yet many are unaware of the hidden costs some contractors charge improperly. Building owners are often vulnerable to this kind of corruption …