One of the most important pieces of insurance coverage a co-op or condo building carries is its directors and officers (D & O) policy. This coverage protects the personal assets of board members from exposure in the event a lawsuit is fil…
At the Real Estate Board of New York's first residential convention last month, there was a sense of elation in the air. Not only was REBNY celebrating its 100th anniversary and the success of its new trade show, but there was a new sense…
Everyone agrees that a building's exterior and lobby make a lasting first impression. But have you ever noticed how many signs you pass between the curb and the apartment you are visiting? As we breeze through on our way upstairs, we barely…
This is the time of year when many boards are engaged in the budget and planning process. Unfortunately, this process sometimes results in the unhappy realization that the cooperative does not have enough sources to cover all of its proj…
It's Friday night and you've just arrived home from a long week at work. Picking up your mail, you head upstairs in anticipation of a cold drink and a hot bath. But when you enter the bathroom, you find a quarter inch of water covering the …
Members of the insurance industry do not agree on much, but if they agree on one thing it's that insurance can seem like a very complex subject. For board members, there is one clear objective regarding insurance: to secure the lowest pos…
In the first cold day of the season, a group of res- idents and politicians stood in front of the Griffin, a 199-unit co-op in Brooklyn, trying to stay warm. You're not cold are you? exclaimed Jeannette Gadson, deputy borough president of…
As issues such as global warming, shrinking rain forests and overflowing landfills move to the top of our national agenda, environmental considerations have taken a higher priority among interior designers as well. These days, a kitchen ren…
One of the most difficult decisions boards of co-ops and condos have to make is who should manage their buildings. While boards are obviously looking for management that has both the qualifications and experience to handle a building such…
A co-op or condo that embarks upon the road to self-management is committed to undertaking the supervision and administration of the building without the assistance of an outside full-service property management firm. There are, however, va…