There are some eight million people living in the five boroughs of New York. A sample size that big is bound to yield some bad apples. Most every New Yorker knows how to avoid the garden-variety, shady-looking miscreant on the street—th…
If they have a mind to, an unscrupulous person in possession of someone's personal information can cause a lot of damage. Their mischief can range from opening charge cards and other lines of credit, running up huge charges in the vict…
The last couple of years have been tempestuous for everyone involved in the real estate industry, and the New York market is certainly no exception. But the city’s residential real estate is extraordinary in that during the current rece…
The 24th annual New York Cooperator’s Co-op & Condo Expo is coming—the 2011 event will showcase some 300 exhibitors from across the tri-state area when the day-long trade show returns to the Hilton New York in Manhattan on Tuesday, Apri…
Q I am vice president of our board and we have 102 shareholders. One shareholder in particular seemingly has a vengeful axe to grind with the board and distributes critical letters to all shareholders condemning every action or boar…
Q I own a co-op apartment in the West Village and my girlfriend owns a house in Bucks County, PA, but works in New York City. We both want to enter into a mutual "living estate" will where either of us will have the right to live in …
Q I live in a co-op complex of a few hundred apartments. After 60 years without apartment insurance the present board suddenly decided that all shareholders must carry insurance. This translates into an additional expense of approxim…
Q We are having a debate among shareholders about whether a radiator within the apartment is classified as “standard building equipment.” We understand that we need to pay to replace a valve that leaks. But if that leaky valve causes…
The big secret regarding energy efficiency in co-ops and condos is window glass, which compared to insulated walls and ceilings, can be a source of serious energy waste. While we expect that energy-conserving walls and ceilings will dr…
Occupying the southernmost tip of Manhattan, New York City’s Financial District is the center of wealth and power for both the city and the nation, but until just a few years ago, the area was a ghost town after office hours. That began…