New Yorkers certainly wouldn't want to spend their summer being stuck in a crowded elevator or a hot, steamy subway car with no lights or air conditioning, especially when the temperature climbs to around 100 degrees. That is not a plea…

Just about every working person, from the busboy at your favorite diner to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, works under a job description that outlines their duties and establishes responsibilities and boundaries of authority. Your bui…

Everyone thinks their home looks like two million bucks, but in the world of banks and real estate agents, it takes a professional appraiser to prove it. Especially in the unique and ultra-competitive world of New York co-op and condo r…

New York City has always been a sometimes hectic, stressful place to live and work, and now - perhaps more than ever - New Yorkers can use all the tranquility they can get. Short-term fixes like day spas and weekends at the shore can hel…

On June 11, 2002, in one of the most significant court decisions affecting co-op and condo owners in recent years, the New York State Court of Appeals issued a ruling in the well-publicized case of 511 West 232 Street Owners Corp. v. Je…

When "A Six Step Program for Boards - Plan Ahead for a Healthy Financial Future" was published in The Cooperator back in 1996, very few boards were running their buildings like businesses, and even fewer had a long-range plan. While som…

Board members have a number of responsibilities and face many different challenges - and managing the building's finances is chief among them. But since most board members aren't trained financial professionals, what is the best way to m…

Most borrowers opt for fixed rate loans in today's low-interest market, but for those willing to embrace change and play the field a bit, still-cheaper rates are available. There are state-sponsored loans for making your building more e…

To Federation of New York Housing Cooperatives and Condominiums (FNYHC) executive director Gregory Carlson, there's a big difference between a co-op or condominium board and an informed co-op or condominium board. Carlson's unwritten job…

On May 8, 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a comprehensive plan to ensure that apartments surrounding Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan are properly cleaned. The plan - which calls for government funded cleaning and…