Walking down the streets of New York City, the zig-zag iron work of fire escapes immediately evoke romantic images of a simpler time, having been immortalized in books, songs and plays from West Side Story to Rent. With some fire escape…
In New York City, urban high-rises with sidewalk frontage and outer-borough HOAs with walking paths, parking lots, and service roads are reliant on their paved surfaces and therefore need to regularly inspect and maintain their concrete…
As recently as the 1930’s, only 68 percent of American homes had electricity. By the middle of the last century however, most Americans enjoyed well-lit homes, and the light had started to spread outdoors as well. Initially, yards and g…
The roof is the uppermost part of any residential building, serving as the first line of defense against whatever the skies throw at its inhabitants. In many New York co-op and condo buildings, the roof is also a social space, complete …
More often than not, when boards or associations broach the issue of their buildings “going green,” images of bamboo flooring, hemp drapes, or solar panels on the roof suddenly spring to mind. The impression seems to be that in a condo,…
As a co-op or condominium board member, you rely on a long list of service professionals for work ranging from HVAC maintenance to parking lot sealing. Finding the right person for the right job, though, can be a challenge. In…
Q I am an owner in a building that went condo 10 years ago. In 2008, our taxes were reduced by a firm that does this procedure for the building. However, my individual real estate taxes are way out of line compared to other apartmen…
Q We have had one tenant/shareholder who has cost the co-op over $100,000 in legal fees since 2000. We continue to be at odds with this tenant because of her objectionable behavior. She continually makes unfounded calls to the police d…
Nowadays, almost every co-op and condo board member and every board manager knows about Local Law 11 inspections. The law and its predecessor, Local Law 10, were originally enacted to make building facades safe and to protect pedestria…
When most of us think of New York City architecture, skyscrapers and brownstones are probably what spring to mind most readily—but there's a lot more to New York City's beautiful buildings than just plate-glass and bricks. The city is h…