Change is good, as the saying goes. And it’s even better when that change both saves money and helps the environment. Sometimes, though, change can be difficult. That’s especially true when it affects the places we live and possibly impa…

We all know that famous anatomical ditty: “The head bone’s connected to the neck bone”—and so on. ( I imagine that those indelible lyrics have pulled more than a few aspiring doctors through their biology exams). But when it comes to co-…

By now, we’ve all heard about rising oil prices—and are seeing their impact on our energy bills. Co-op and condo owners in New York have seen their energy bills climb to record highs and there’s no relief in sight, so buildings and their…

The energy crisis of the 1970s created long lines of cars, with drivers waiting to fuel up at gas stations. These days, increasing fuel demands and rising prices are forcing the cost of everything from groceries to construction materia…

New York City officially became a leader of “green” initiatives when Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced his “PlaNYC 2030” initiative in 2007, although many elements of this omnibus serious of measures were public policy in the city wel…

Q The president of our 75-unit co-op instructed the management company and the superintendent to knock on each shareholder's door and ask for their proxy. The president was up for re-election and wanted to secure his position. The co-op i…

Q Can we have a superintendent on the board of directors although he is not a shareholder? Is this a conflict of interest? What are the pros and cons of an employee being on the board? —Confused & Conflicted A “There is no pro…

Q I am on the board of a cooperative building in New York City. We have recently received two requests from shareholders looking to borrow additional funds by taking out a second loan, (in each case an equity line of credit arrangement) t…

Q We have a number of apartments in our condominium where owners have not paid maintenance for a few months. As our condo is in the process of legal action and collection against these owners, can we stop their access to the apartment unt…

Q Our board of managers want to replace the terraces in our condominium without the consent of the unit owners that have them. If you look at Real Property Law, Article 9-b of the Condominium Act, Section 339-i, Common Elements, u…