A new bill is under consideration that will potentially change the way access agreements are struck between neighboring property owners for the purpose of completing required Local Law work. State Senate Bill S1305/Assembly Bill A1321 passe…
The recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), Signature Bank, and First Republic have shaken public faith in the US banking industry, again. While not the disastrous level of bank failures that led to the Great Recession in 2008, recent…
No. 4 heating oil must be phased out of all New York City buildings sooner than expected, and property owners who fail to comply with the new regulations could face hefty fines. A City Council vote last month approved a bill mandating …
According to a new report by construction industry advisory firm Construction Coverage, after stiff competition and fast-rising prices—approximately 40% in a two-year span—the residential housing market began cooling in the second half …
Q. Hello, I am a shareholder of a two bedroom co-op. There are two occupants of the co-op unit under me. One goes to work, while the other individual is a malingerer. Neither is of the mindset “live and let live.” Neither has a problem wi…
Q. My mother passed away three years ago. I am handling the sale of her co-op in Queens. We emptied and painted the unit completely soon after she passed. I’ve been paying $850 a month maintenance fee for the empty unit while I was not al…
Color affects human behavior—for better, or worse. Research indicates that practical and aesthetic applications of color in both public and private spaces can manipulate the mood and perception of the people using those spaces. A board plan…
Co-op and condo living is subject to lots of rules—some of which come directly from state laws, some from the building or association’s own bylaws, and some from its house rules. Every state has statutes that govern the operation of residen…
There was a time not so long ago when having ground floor commercial space—or any rentable non-residential space, really—was a huge asset for a condominium or co-op building. The income stream from the space to the community helped offset o…
According to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised in Brief (2005), “The holding of assemblies of the elders, fighting men, or people of a tribe, community, or city to make decisions or render opinion on important matters is doubtless a cus…