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…
On Manhattan's Upper East Side, embracing world-class museums, exclusive private schools foreign embassies and just steps from Central Park, lies one of New York City's premier "status" neighborhoods. Commercial truck clamor is rarely …
Asian-inspired design elements have been quietly infiltrating some of the swankiest New York dwellings - and with good reason. Actually two good reasons: form and function. The draw of the popular Asian aesthetic is that it cherishes bo…
The downtown Manhattan real estate market has gone though a series of ups and downs in past years, but clearly, nothing in recent memory has affected it as drastically as the September 11 terrorist attacks. The aftereffects of the attac…
In a widely publicized 2000 case, the New York Supreme Court (First Department) issued a judgment annulling New York City's then-newly enacted lead-based paint law, commonly referred to as Local Law 38. The case was immediately appealed,…