Q I live in a co-op where some fellow owners and their children are very disruptive in the common areas and are damaging the building and my personal belongings. What are our rights? Some owners think that because we are all connected th…

Q I am on the board of a cooperative that is over forty-years-old. We wish to replace steps in the lobby with ramps to accommodate wheelchairs. We want to know if we can receive any public financing since we are helping the disabled. …

Q Do you have any information on what to do about a neighbor who admittedly has roaches and occasionally mice? Doesn’t management have the right to go into an apartment for sanitary reasons? What about the health and cleanliness of the…

Q I am a rent-stabilized tenant in a non-eviction plan Queens co-op. (It was converted in 1986.) A shareholder gave me a ballot proxy so that I could attend the annual meeting of the co-op. Am I allowed to ask questions at this meeting…

Most people living in a co-op or condominium building don’t have much experience with managing major construction projects. They may have skills that can be very helpful to their board—such as financial acumen, to name just one—but not c…

Recent studies of energy usage in multifamily buildings have revealed that the least efficient buildings use up to seven times the energy of the most efficient—even when those buildings are otherwise similar. It should surprise few …

If you’re contemplating buying a new home, there are a few vital questions that should be asked, even before you start attending open houses and getting your heart set on one property or another. Among those questions might be, “How do I…

In this world, nothing is a certainty but death and taxes. So how does a co-op or condo owner prepare for the certainty of death, as it relates to ownership interest and protect the asset for inheritance and possession purposes? Likewise, h…

On March 31st, 2008, the Supreme Court of New York County rendered a decision illustrating the importance for cooperatives and condominiums of documenting board and owner action properly. As cooperatives and condominiums age, the proper …

While increasing energy costs are financially painful, they do help motivate all of us to think a little bit more about resources and conservation. The combination of increasing energy costs and a general increased consciousness of …