2008 June
Focus on... Law & Legislation

Law & Legislation It's a Dog's Life
2008 June It's a Dog's Life

Daisy Okas works for the American Kennel Club and obviously loves dogs, so when she was looking for an apartment for herself and Olive, her six-year-old beagle, there was no negotiation—she had to live in a pet-friendly building. Wh…

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Law & Legislation Comparing Apples to Oranges?
2008 June Comparing Apples to Oranges?

Co-op apartment buildings were originally formed in New York City to allow building residents to buy into and have a say in how their building was administered, as well as who their neighbors were, and what those neighbors were allowed t…

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Law & Legislation What Happens When a Board Goes Too Far?
2008 June What Happens When a Board Goes Too Far?

Co-op and condo owners often complain that their board doesn’t do enough, or that the board members aren’t involved as much as they would like in the administration and maintenance of their building. While a disinterested or apathetic board…

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Law & Legislation Complying for Safety
2008 June Complying for Safety

In addition to their boards and managing agents, co-op and condo communities depend on the many workers who take care of building maintenance and residents’ needs. Building staff, maintenance workers, the super, and other employees are a…

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Law & Legislation From Albany to City Hall
2008 June From Albany to City Hall

The current sessions in both Albany and in the New York City Council are now well under way, and housing-related bills are very much a part of the mix. Some of the bills have been around for years in one form or another, but that doesn’t…

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Law & Legislation Protection from Lawsuits
2008 June Protection from Lawsuits

The best rule of thumb for boards is to act as ethically as possible. That way, shareholders will never have a problem with the decisions the board makes, right? Wrong. We live in an increasingly litigious society, where shareholder…

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Real Estate Trends Fractional Ownership
2008 June Fractional Ownership

Timeshares have been around for decades, and these partial property ownership arrangements are more familiar to many people in part because of their increasing popularity. It’s easy to see why they are so popular: A family wants a vacation …

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Law & Legislation Cable Choices for Co-ops and Condos
2008 June Cable Choices for Co-ops and Condos

Two months ago, Sam Levy felt like he was spending more time on the phone with Time Warner than with his girlfriend Nikki. Levy, who lives in western Brooklyn, a region served exclusively by Time Warner, was having trouble with his cable…

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Law & Legislation New York City's Fiscal Plan
2008 June New York City's Fiscal Plan

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg proposed a $59.1 billion budget plan for Fiscal Year 2009 and presented an updated four-year financial plan for New York City. The mayor’s budget plan maintains the city’s financial footing in the near term by …

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Organizations A Look at the Attorney General's Office
2008 June A Look at the Attorney General's Office

Most New Yorkers are familiar with New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, but how many people have heard the name Kenneth Demario before? If you’re someone concerned with co-ops, condos or any real estate issues in the city, Demar…

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Design Conserving Energy
2008 June Conserving Energy

While increasing energy costs are financially painful, they do help motivate all of us to think a little bit more about resources and conservation. The combination of increasing energy costs and a general increased consciousness of …

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Law & Legislation What Happens When an Owner Dies
2008 June What Happens When an Owner Dies

In this world, nothing is a certainty but death and taxes. So how does a co-op or condo owner prepare for the certainty of death, as it relates to ownership interest and protect the asset for inheritance and possession purposes? Likewise, h…

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Buying & Selling The Buyer's Guide
2008 June The Buyer's Guide

If you’re contemplating buying a new home, there are a few vital questions that should be asked, even before you start attending open houses and getting your heart set on one property or another. Among those questions might be, “How do I…

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Energy Conservation Tracking Building Energy Usage
2008 June Tracking Building Energy Usage

Recent studies of energy usage in multifamily buildings have revealed that the least efficient buildings use up to seven times the energy of the most efficient—even when those buildings are otherwise similar. It should surprise few …

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Law & Legislation Questions Boards Should Ask
2008 June Questions Boards Should Ask

Most people living in a co-op or condominium building don’t have much experience with managing major construction projects. They may have skills that can be very helpful to their board—such as financial acumen, to name just one—but not c…

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Q&A Q&A: One Man, One Vote?
2008 June Q&A: One Man, One Vote?

Q I am a rent-stabilized tenant in a non-eviction plan Queens co-op. (It was converted in 1986.) A shareholder gave me a ballot proxy so that I could attend the annual meeting of the co-op. Am I allowed to ask questions at this meeting…

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