It's hard enough balancing our own personal budgets without having to worry about an entire city's bottom line. But that's exactly what New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg asked property owners to do last year when he sought a tax hike o…

With increasing costs for heating fuel, insurance, real estate taxes and the like taking a bite out of the operating budget of most every co-op and condo in the city, some cost saving measures can help stem the tide of rising costs. Payrol…

New York is an expensive town - on that point there can be little debate. Regardless of your means, the holiday season compounds the issue: there are gifts to be bought, travel accommodations to be booked, parties to attend, inclement weat…

In the unfortunate and troubling event that you suspect incompetent - or even criminal - behavior regarding your building finances, an accountant or a certified fraud examiner can forensically investigate the issue to determine whether or …

The area of Brooklyn known as DUMBO, short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, has been named renamed and named again throughout its history. As early as 1642 as the Dutch settlers moved into Long Island and began establishing fa…

It pays to have a competent, active board at the helm of a building community - a strong, stable board translates to better value for shareholders. But just how hands-on should a board be? Sometimes the daily management of a co-op or condo…

Tax certiorari. Even the name remains obscure in Latin, perhaps in an effort to make the entire process seem difficult and hard to manage for the average real estate owner. For co-op and condo boards, however, the tax certiorari proceeding…

When a client hires a general contractor to build or renovate property, that company is legally responsible for completing all of that work. The contractor may go out and hire different companies or subcontractors to help execute that work…

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) offers homeowners these top ten warning signs that a home improvement contractor may not be reputable: 1. You can't verify the name, address, telephone number or credent…

During a large scale remodeling project, there are many questions that a homeowner may forget to ask, says the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). You would think that launching an entire remodeling project would s…