Category: Q&A

Q I live in a co-op in Manhattan and am planning to renovate my bathroom. My managing agent has informed me that I must pay a $500 fee to file my application for the renovation, which seems unusual. The renovation is simple—to replace t…

Q Is a condominium required to produce an annual financial report? If they don’t, what is the recourse? If the management company doesn’t allow me, an owner, to review the finances under the New York State Real Property Law, what is my …

Q Currently, I am on a board that is involved in litigation brought about because of a resale denial. I was recently told by a lawyer that if a co-op board is sued “personally and as board members” the following is true: The insu…

Q A couple of our co-op tenants are complaining of noisy neighbors. There is an issue of some residents not adhering to the 80 percent carpeting rule. As a result, the board voted that any new occupants be required to get wall-to-wall …

Q I live in a 100 percent owner-occupied condominium. Our bylaws and house rules very clearly state that unit owners may have no more than two pets, only one of which may be a dog. One of the unit owners (who is also a board member) kee…

Q I’m the president of our building’s board. One of our directors has recently become a licensed real estate broker, and has recused himself from interviewing any potential buyers. At first, that seemed to ward off the semblance of any …

Q My co-op has not had elections in many years, as the number of candidates always equals the number of seats on the board. This year, however, there will be more candidates than seats. Someone mentioned that we are supposed to have cumu…

Q I have a young toddler at home and my wife is a breast cancer survivor. For several years, our next-door neighbor’s chain-smoking home health nurse has filled up the hallway outside our apartment with smoke. The smell is so strong …

Q In our Queens co-op (containing 68 apartments) we do not allow laundry washing  machines. A few owners have had them from years back, others have recently  renovated and installed washing machines in their apartments.    This cau…

Q Our building is 75 percent shareholders, 25 percent sponsor units (renters). The  sponsor units fall under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA) of 1974. My  question is, doesn’t everyone in the building, shareholders and sponsor u…