Category: Q&A

Q I live in a high-rise co-op on the Upper East Side and have a situation where my neighbor two floors down built a terrace and installed six string up-lights, for "landscape" lighting, which shine up into my windows. They leave the…

Q “If a unit owner is deceased, what are the inheritance rights of a relative, for example, let's say, siblings, to moving in and taking possession of an apartment?” —Legal Legacy A “There are several iss…

Q Is there a law allowing us to conduct a meeting without a quorum reached? We need more than 50 percent of the vote and certain shareholders refuse to attend the meetings. We don’t have a co-op board and can not elect one. The old b…

Water Damages in Co-op Unit Q “I reside in a co-op apartment in the Bronx. For a whole year, I have incurred damages to my bathroom and kitchen ceilings from a washing machine in the apartment directly above mine, which is occup…

Noisy Neighbors Q “I have been a shareholder and board member in my building for the past 20 years. A year ago a new shareholder with two small children moved in above me, and since then noise has been a constant, serious proble…

Q “When I purchased my apartment in Brooklyn, noise was a concern of mine. I was told by the sales team and the builders that noise was not a problem. But now with people moving in, I hear closet and kitchen doors closing, people wal…

Q Last year, I bought a brand new condo from a builder in Brooklyn. The disaster started from the first day I moved in. After I remodeled and thought that I could enjoy it, I found that there isn’t any insulation between the walls, f…

Q I own a co-op unit in Jackson Heights, and recently I asked to get a copy of my building’s insurance policy. The board’s management told me that they only give this information out when an owner is buying, selling or refinancing—no…

Q Our co-op has a question about our various insurance policies. Our insurance agent has recommended to the board that we keep our D&O coverage separate from our general liability coverage. I understand that some commercial general l…

Q I am three months behind in my homeowner’s association payments. Can the condominium foreclose on my unit? My mortgage payments are up to date, and I called my lender who said, ‘no, they cannot foreclose.’ What do you say? I wrote a…