Since September 11, 2001, most buildings in New York City have taken security and safety measures much more seriously. Although the effects of the terrorist attacks two years ago forced co-op and condo managers and owners to reevaluate saf…

Following up on the success of the informal roundtable discussion jointly hosted by The Cooperator and the Federation of New York Housing Cooperatives and Condominiums (FNYHC) this past February, a group of area co-op and condo board presi…

"I'm on the board of my co-op in Queens, and there's a problem with our current president; without consulting the other board members, he has cancelled our upcoming meeting, saying there's "˜nothing on the agenda,' and he signs service and …

If an electrical fire destroys your newly renovated kitchen, will your co-op pay to replace your space-age stove and slate countertops? If a pipe bursts in your condo and your $10,000 wallpaper is ruined, who pays to fix it? The answers to…

After the terror attacks of 2001, many co-op and condo buildings in the New York area got another nasty shock: insurance premiums suddenly spiraled upward as much as 50 percent or more in the space of one or two billing periods. Some build…

You live in a doorman building on the Upper East Side - your building has a health club, a concierge, and an attentive board/management team that keeps everything running smoothly, 24/7. With what you're paying in monthly maintenance, you …

The ads fill the television airwaves each day. Dozens of lawyers encouraging injured parties to sue and collect their claims. It's there on the street, too; every time someone slips or falls in front of a building, there's that look of pan…

In order to keep your air conditioning unit running efficiently, here are some tips to keep its maintenance in tip-top shape. "¢ Do clean your AC unit often. "¢ Do keep the unit slightly pitched to the outside of your window or b…

I'm often asked what a person can do to keep their air conditioning unit working properly. AC units are complicated pieces of machinery, but there are many things a homeowner can do to keep their unit running and avoid making expensive ser…

In today's low interest rate environment, refinancing is the top agenda item for many cooperatives. However, while the current interest rates would seem to guarantee a "win-win" situation, a savvy board must take into account more than ju…