Condominiums can provide all of the advantages of traditional homes, as well as affording other benefits such as recreational facilities, group activities and close proximity to shopping and other destination points. But the quasi-municipal…

Back in 1900, a little village sprouted up on Long Island called "Comac" along the Huntington/Smithtown town line. Located in the little hollow created by the gently rolling hills that surrounded the intersection of Jericho Turnpike and the…

Condo and co-op boards are always looking for ways to save money and one area where some cost-cutting opportunities might be found is in your legal bills. Your building's attorney likely performs many different types of services, works d…

Everybody knows that New York City's apartment buildings generate a whole lot of trash. In fact, according to the New York Department of Sanitation (DSNY), the average New York City resident discards nearly four and a half pounds of wast…

Few things inspire more disgust in an apartment owner than an infestation, be it bugs, rodents, or other vermin. Unfortunately, pests are often part-and-parcel of life in a sprawling metropolitan area. Roaches, mice, rats, ants, bedbugs …

Although many co-ops and condos in New York City might not like it, shareholders and unit owners often rent out their apartments to subletters. Board control over subletting can vary—from stringent in most co-ops, to giving the board the fi…

Monthly charges, including common charges, emergency repairs, lawsuits, assessments, maintenance fees, dues and so forth, are a big part of owning a co-op or condo in New York City. When an owner is late, or misses monthly payments entirely…

Fifty years ago, residents new to a neighborhood might be greeted by a Welcome Wagon hostess in an A-line skirt and perfect matte lipstick bearing a basket full of goodies from local merchants. She'd give the homeowners the lowdown on wh…

Whether it's demanding residents or unreasonable board members, maintenance headaches or a barely-under-control work schedule, a property manager is in a unique—and uniquely stressful—position. No one knows this better than the property …

Lady Bird Johnson once said, "While the spirit of neighborliness was important on the frontier because neighbors were so few, it is even more important now because our neighbors are so many." The first lady of the United States (196…