Even cavemen knew that fire was dangerous—and they lived in flame-proof caves. But here in the 21st century, people blithely build roaring fires right in the middle of their furnished, wood-filled, carpeted, upholstered and bookcase-jam…
Edgar Dworsky is the treasurer of a small condo complex in Somerville, Massachusetts that was built back in 1987. He loves where he lives except for one rather large problem. Water leaks have plagued the complex since it was built. Dur…
Not for nothing is New York City often called “the concrete jungle.” Thousands of square miles of pavement of all descriptions cover the city, from newly-poured (and quickly graffiti'ed) cement sidewalks to cobblestones left over from t…
It’s hard—if not impossible—to plan a budget for your building and stick to it if maintenance problems and structural crises are constantly taking you by surprise and depleting your community’s bank account. Capital budgets are the long…
As residential buildings and the business of managing them have become more sophisticated, the term “super”—as in superintendent—has come to mean “super-qualified.” The days of the building handyman armed with little other than a ring of…
Eventually, most co-op owners will get bored with their surroundings and want to spruce up their apartment. Sometimes this will involve a full remodeling or redesign of the unit, while other times it simply means adding a new coat of p…
“...We gather here today at the human resources department of Acme Property Management Company to bring together John Smith, property manager, with the building and board located at 123 Anywhere Street. If nobody objects to this arrang…
You may have a roof over your head—but if that roof isn’t doing its job, you may as well be living on the cold, wet streets of New York City. Roofs serve as the first line of defense against whatever the skies throw at your bu…
Last summer’s heat wave is just a fading memory, and it's that time again: time to get your building’s boiler operating and ready for the colder months. Before the first snow falls however, some maintenance and housekeeping to your buil…
There have long been organizations that strive to strengthen and clarify the roles of owners, residents, and managers within the cooperative housing environment. But one essential player in the game—the superintendent—was the last to fi…
Occupying the southernmost tip of Manhattan, New York City’s Financial District is the center of wealth and power for both the city and the nation, but until just a few years ago, the area was a ghost town after office hours. That began…
The big secret regarding energy efficiency in co-ops and condos is window glass, which compared to insulated walls and ceilings, can be a source of serious energy waste. While we expect that energy-conserving walls and ceilings will dr…
Q We are having a debate among shareholders about whether a radiator within the apartment is classified as “standard building equipment.” We understand that we need to pay to replace a valve that leaks. But if that leaky valve causes…
Q I live in a co-op complex of a few hundred apartments. After 60 years without apartment insurance the present board suddenly decided that all shareholders must carry insurance. This translates into an additional expense of approxim…
Q I own a co-op apartment in the West Village and my girlfriend owns a house in Bucks County, PA, but works in New York City. We both want to enter into a mutual "living estate" will where either of us will have the right to live in …
Q I am vice president of our board and we have 102 shareholders. One shareholder in particular seemingly has a vengeful axe to grind with the board and distributes critical letters to all shareholders condemning every action or boar…