Attorneys and community association managers can be a godsend for the board of a co-op, condominium or HOA. Most boards consist of volunteers who usually have quite busy external lives themselves, so having an experienced professional on th…
If you live in a condominium, cooperative or HOA, you’re effectively acting as part of a participatory democracy run by an elected group of volunteers. And as with any democracy, those affected by the board’s decisions are encouraged to get…
The board of a condominium, cooperative or homeowners’ association has a fiduciary duty to make decisions in the best interest of the community as a whole. But individual board members may have different ideas as to what those decisions mig…
Most co-op, condo, and HOA board members are not legal professionals - they're volunteers who participate in the governance of their community out of a sense of duty and the desire to have a say in maintaining the value of their and their n…
Late last year, a conflict developed between a board and some residents at the Windsor Oak co-op in Queens over shelters protecting a colony of feral cats that lived behind the property. As the New York Post reported, a contingent o…
Changing management companies can be a very good thing - but it can be needlessly complicated if the incoming firm doesn't have all the information, documents, and records it needs in order to hit the ground running. Making sure the outgoin…
If you're fortunate enough to serve on a cohesive, friendly board in a building or association with a strong sense of community and few issues, it can be very tempting to 'go with the flow' and handle board business in an informal, case-by-…
Twice a year, The Cooperator Expo New York brings together not only more than 300 vendors and service providers, but also an impressive array of professionals to share their expertise in a well-curated roster of educational seminars…
Every co-op, condo, and HOA has rules and regulations that residents and their guests must abide by. For the most part, they’re usually pretty straightforward: no smoking in common areas, limits on pets, no hockey-playing in the hallways. T…
Whether you live in a condo, co-op, or HOA, board elections are a complicated process, especially when it comes to voting and counting ballots. Yet electing (or re-electing) a board is probably one of the most important exercises the reside…