When it comes to the things that people value most, personal safety and security rank right at the top of the list. That's especially true in a day and age filled with ongoing anxiety over everything from identity theft to car jackings t…
In 2004, a NewsChannel 4 helicopter corkscrewed and slammed onto the roof of a Brooklyn apartment building, shattering into pieces. In July 2006, Dr. Nicholas Bartha blew up his Upper East Side townhouse that he was about to lose in a divor…
It's a nightmare scenario. From the 1970s-era disaster movie The Towering Infernoto the very real nightmare of 9/11, the idea of being trapped by a raging fire hundreds of feet in the air is nothing anybody wants to contemplate. High-r…
As we sit in our buildings all over the city, we'd like to think that we're protected from emergencies by our sprinkler systems, electronic alarm systems and staff. However much we don't want to think about it, an emergency situation can ha…
Q I am a shareholder at a 49-unit co-op in Manhattan. For the past five years we’ve had a vacant unit on the third floor as a result of excessive noise emanating from the apartment above. The past and present boards have not initiated an…
Q I have a question about raising the maintenance fees on a condo. Is there any set limit or percentage? Case in point—our maintenance fee has been the same for 17 years. Now the board of managers has raised it 40 percent. I was payi…
Q Our condo has prohibited the use of doormats. They say they are a hazard. Is this legal? How can we fight this nit-picking rule? —Annoyed in Brooklyn A “As with so many issues that arise between unit owners an…
Q I’m a past president and current shareholder of a co-op. The current board is saying—that two years ago when I was president—I am responsible for decisions that the majority board decided back then. My apartment is for sale and the…
Q I live on the fourth floor of a condominium project, and management has advised that they will shut down the elevators for two months. They claim they will arrange to have staff assist people with carrying up groceries, etc. Howeve…
Q We have a shareholder who has posted notices around our co-op that condemn the co-op and the board. They are in plain view of potential buyers. When the buyers read these notices, they refuse to even look at the available unit that…