Mention “problem residents” in the context of a co-op or condo building, and chances are most people will think about the noisy kids upstairs, the perpetually grumpy /litigious guy on the third floor, or the lady down the hall with 12 c…
Twice a week whether it is on Tuesday and Thursday or Monday and Friday, in every neighborhood throughout the city, you can hear it. Usually before first light you are roused from a sound sleep by the rumbling, beeping and crushing sou…
The signs “Post No Bills,” “Active Driveway” and “Alternate Side Parking” are all fairly common and relatively self-explanatory in urban settings. Other equally common signs we see in suburban communities throughout the U.S. related to p…
Time was, if you said that a co-op or condo building was 'going to the dogs,' it was a bad thing. These days however, that's not always the case. According to the American Pet Products Association, 39 percent of all U.S. households own …
With multifamily buildings, who is in charge of the property and how well those people are trained are critically important factors in the successful operation of the community. Board members are a part of this management class, which i…
Physically, there’s really no difference between co-ops and condos. The savviest property manager in the five boroughs could not walk into a lobby and say for certain if it’s one or the other. When co-ops are converted to condos, or vice…
How can you tell whether the on-site property manager at a cooperative, condominium or homeowners association community is doing a good job? And what is a 'good job' anyway? Whether a manager is well-liked and whether he or she manages…
Everybody sometimes disagrees with the decisions of their co-op, condo or homeowners association board. Maybe the choice to rearrange the garbage receptacles out front seems ridiculous, or the ongoing clattering of machinery on the roo…
Convenience and saving money are just a couple reasons why a co-op board or homeowners association would choose to self-manage a property. Though, outside managing firms and property managers are hired and employed for good reason. The…
When Superstorm Sandy slammed into the East Coast at the end of October, hurling a record breaking 13 plus-foot water surge at New York City, knocking out power to millions of residents and devastating parts of Queens and Staten Island,…