Q I live on the top floor of a co-op. Over the past three years water seeping through our parapet wall did considerable damage to one room in my apartment. Repairs were finally made. The walls and ceiling took two days to plaster and…

Serving on the board of directors for your building brings on a range of emotions: pride that you were selected to represent the best interests of your fellow shareholders; unease at the thought of the additional time commitment of meetings…

Getting elected to a building's board can be a big job in and of itself—but the truth is that winning a seat is only the beginning. After making the decision to campaign for a seat, and then winning it, new board members can find themselves…

Board members come in all shapes and sizes—literally and figuratively. In some buildings, no one wants the hassle of working a thankless job for no compensation, and the same four people are guilted into the job every year by default. In ot…

As any co-op or condo board member knows, serving on the board carries with it a responsibility to fellow residents and shareholders to make decisions in the best interest of the building. They don't leave their role as board members at the…

Co-op buildings routinely require contractors to provide a Certificate of Insurance before any work is started either in a building or for individual shareholders. The managing agent or the shareholder will usually provide a list to the con…

The property and casualty insurance market can provide a slippery slope for co-ops and condos in the New York metropolitan area. Insurance companies can be your best friend or worst enemy. Fortunately, co-ops and condos have a great deal of…

They torched cars and set fires throughout the park and around our building in 50 mile-per-hour winds. And, yes, the fire spread to unprotected areas. It may sound like a scene from a war zone, but that's actually a local resident's…

Sometimes bad things happen to good buildings. It's just a fact of life. And sometimes, bad things happen to good buildings with an unforeseeable and unavoidable frequency. That is also a fact of life. Usually, when those bad things happen,…

Insurance can be a hassle to deal with when it comes to your property, but failing to pay attention to the details of your policy could cost you money now and in the future. Knowing the specifics of your building's insurance policy, and als…