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…
Whether you're talking about an individual unit owner's renovation project or a major capital improvement that affects the whole building, chances are that there will be an architect involved at some point, to a greater or lesser degre…
Gone are the days when living green meant dwelling in a geodesic dome-house in the woods somewhere with a sofa and love seat made out of tree stumps. Today, living green doesn’t look much different than traditional interior design—even …
Like any major project in a co-op or condominium, installing a gym is made up of two separate yet equally important parts: The brass tacks of planning and executing the project, and the politics of running it through the board and resi…
These days, the urge to save a few dollars here and there may be inspiring the creatively inclined to try their hand at home renovation. Before picking up the paint brush or tearing up that carpeting however, it may be worth it to consu…
A residential building’s roof is its first line of defense against whatever the skies throw at it. Left untreated, roof problems can proliferate and cause thousands of dollars in damages to residents’ property, as well as the building i…
Of all the modern conveniences we take for granted, perhaps none is as essential as indoor plumbing. By carrying fresh water into our homes and taking waste water away, the pipes in our buildings are a little-noticed and well-engineered…
Co-op, condo owners and board members understand certain truths; one is that whether aesthetic, mechanical or otherwise, every building will require repair, upgrades and improvements. Determining what is a capital project versus what is…
Q Recently shareholders have asked to have family names added to proprietary stock certificates (I was told to avoid estate “problems” in the future.) I balked (I'm on the board) stating the legal rights of ownership, and liabilities, t…
Q “My husband and I are moving into a community that doesn't allow dogs. However there are people who do have dogs because they said that the law passed 12 years ago and people who had dogs then could keep their dogs and if their dog d…
Q Our building is being run by family-based board members. The building is falling apart and there are apartments that have been sitting empty for more than 10 years. We have never seen a financial report. What can we do to change this? …