As a neighborhood, the South Bronx has struggled for nearly three decades under the negative connotations of its name as a flash point for violent crime, drugs, and unchecked urban decay. For many of those who live there, life is bound…
On the infamous evening of September 11, 2001, Battery Park City resident Hank Wisner was unable to go home to his smoke- and ash-filled apartment across the street from the World Trade Center. As he watched the day’s events play over a…
Your roof terrace leaked and the neighbor below you sued for damages. The heating system in your apartment failed to work and the managing agent sent you the bill for its repair. You bought a dog for your child, and six months later th…
While not everyone who serves on his or her co-op or condo board needs to be an attorney or have an encyclopedic knowledge of the law, it never hurts to be aware of the important, often precedent-setting legal decisions being handed do…
It’s amazing how good building owners and managers are at increasing and garnering revenue from residential tenants while at the same time leaving themselves to the will and whim of laundry room operators who impose contracts lasting fo…
The realities of a depressed real estate market have finally settled upon New York City. We’ve seen a significant drop in sale prices over just the past few months. This has been coupled with a rapid increase in inventory levels as unit…
Mechanic’s liens are one of the topics I am most often consulted about. This is especially true at the present time with the state of the economy. It is not that the economy brings new kinds of issues, there are just a lot more of the …
You’ve been notified of a cardiac (or other) medical emergency in your co-op or condo building. Someone has called 911, someone else is administering cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and someone else is bringing the automatic extern…
Ever since “Romeo and Juliet” made them famous, balconies have been popular additions to our homes and living spaces. For co-op and condo communities, balconies can add an extra perk, a few more feet of living space that allow us to enj…
The mortgage crisis has been felt throughout the country, and markets and individuals alike have moved from denial and bargaining to acceptance of the recession and its attendant challenges. And while New York City’s co-op and condo mar…