2010 May
Focus on... Design

Since its launch in 1987, The Cooperator's annual Co-op & Condo Expo has become a fixture on the business calendar of vendors, service providers, board members, building staff members and residents all over the tri-state area. Each year…

 For many of us, there comes a point when our buildings become so familiar we  hardly even notice them anymore. We rarely look up to admire the cornices or  contemplate the brickwork around a doorway. The tile floor in the entry hall  goes…

Architecture that liberates the space, light and air” … “Natural beauty in Fort Greene” … “Sophisticated style, fabulous kitchens, fabulous bathrooms” … “The convergence of fine living and fine lifestyle.” These phrases are all …

Newsflash: many New York and New Jersey interior designers and decorators are busy with projects and clients; remodeling jobs are moving forward and boards and homeowners are spending money again. This might sound crazy, considering th…

 For the residents of a co-op or condo building, the building's lobby and common  areas function much as a front porch or entry hall might in a single-family  home; they're a spot to meet guests, get mail and packages, or to stop and chat …

 Being on a committee is not always an easy task. In fact, sometimes it can be  downright frustrating. A three-month commitment can stretch into six months;  meetings can go on forever; committee members may drift off topic; and  precious,…

 When people think of the Bronx, most probably picture an urban landscape of  tenements and commercial buildings surrounded by acres of concrete and asphalt—the image of a leafy suburban enclave is perhaps not the first thing that comes  t…

 Trade groups and professional organizations are an excellent illustration of the  old adage that “It’s not what you know, but who you know that makes the difference.” By joining trade organizations, professionals in any industry are affor…

 On April 22, 2010 the federal Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) new “Renovation, Repair, & Painting Rule” for lead based paint will take effect. The new rule requires owners to follow  lead-safe work practices when disturbing a pa…

 Like all property owners in New York City, cooperative and condominium boards  and their managing agents are sometimes presented with a problem which, while  not unique, is perhaps more pressing here than elsewhere: with land so  develope…

Q “I am a board member of a condo in Rego Park, Queens. Our superintendent is leaving and we are looking for a new one. This position is non-union. I know that by law, supers who belong to Local 32BJ must live in the building. But wha…

Q “I live in a co-op in and had a question about proxy voting. In a recent vote, some proxies were left unassigned although everything else was filled out correctly. Does this make them automatically void because they were incomplete?…

Q “My building has recently turned co-op and we are trying to create a contract for a new super. I would like to know if there is some type of guideline that I can follow to specify what the super's duties will be. We would feel more…

Q “I am the superintendent of a Manhattan cooperative. One shareholder's apartment has bed bugs and the board had done the right thing by paying the exterminator bills as this is no time to be having an argument as to who is responsible…

Evicted For Having a Pet? Q I live in a co-op where pets are specifically not allowed. This is made very clear in writing to residents before they move into the co-op. If a resident comes in, buys a pet, and refuses to get ri…