Q. One of our condo units that the owner was renting out to a tenant is now in foreclosure. But before the unit went into foreclosure, the owner (who has been missing in action) was behind on the common charges and the condo board was tak…
If the commercial storefronts in your building have steps, or are not otherwise handicap accessible, be warned: your building may be exposed to liability under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Disabled individuals h…
Author Diane Drey knows that A Step by Step Guide to Navigating the Facade Inspection Safety Program: New York Edition, her newest work about facade inspections and maintenance probably isn’t going to be a blockbuster - but for building…
Q . Our condo board recently proposed a large loan for a capital expense. The bylaws stipulate monthly maintenance assessment based on size of the unit. This assessment includes maintaining a cash reserve for smaller projects. There is no …
Q. One of our condo units that the owner was renting out to a tenant is now in foreclosure. But before the unit went into foreclosure, the owner (who has been missing in action) was behind on the common charges and the condo board was tak…
The long-awaited rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations has begun at last, but has gotten off to a decidedly bumpy start. Getting shots to nearly 20 million New Yorkers - twice - has hit snags around everything from the supply chain to equitable …
On September 20, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced that NYC’s workplace COVID vaccination requirement for private-sector employees will be lifted as of November 1, 2022. The vaccination requirement was initially put in place by former Mayor…
Multifamily communities are governed by laws that range from local ordinances to federal housing statutes. Not only is there a long list of codes, deadlines, inspections, filings, and regulations to follow, but these important items and dat…
A recent article on a real estate website posed a common question: What’s the best way for a condo board to collect unpaid common charges? The author of the article - presumably an attorney - gave some pretty good advice…and some not so g…
Q. I live in a co-op and my neighbor downstairs from me is constantly smoking. I brought it to the attention of the management and nothing has been done. What are my options as a shareholder? Do I bring legal action against management,…
Law firm Seyfarth Shaw issued a release this month reminding New York cooperatives and condominiums that they are subject to the New York Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act that was signed into law on May 5, 2021. The new Department of …
Q. What should you do as an owner if you know of a small subset of owners in your condo that keep bringing coordinated and meritless legal actions, and even make public postings about your building that could harm your own valuation? Are …
Q. Our Association is self-managed with 12 units. An owner installed a dishwasher without any written request or approval from the board. The board told her that we believed this was a violation, since all 12 units share one water tank an…
Q. How much influence does a co-op board have over which tenants a holder of unsold shares (HUS) can rent their units to? Can a board enact a bylaw requiring board review and approval of tenants, or set specific financial requirements the…
A recent decision in New York State Appellate Court may bring relief to condominium owners involved in lawsuits with developers over construction defects. It also may bring increased transparency to the often-opaque world of real estate in…
Back in the ‘Gilded Age’ of the 1980s and 90s, Robin Leach hosted a popular TV show called Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. His show, along with soapy series melodramas like Dynasty and Dallas gave the rest of us a front-row s…
NBC News recently reported on a 2019 class-action lawsuit filed by shareholder-tenants of several New York City co-ops that the city took over under the aegis of a controversial program called Third Party Transfer (TPT). The program wa…
Noise is an acknowledged part of urban life - particularly apartment living. Some of it - traffic, garbage collection, people shouting on the street - is external, and is controlled (theoretically, anyway) by zoning laws and noise ordinanc…
Within any community, there will be disagreements. In shared interest communities, unfortunately those disagreements can sometimes lead to litigation. That litigation can take many forms: shareholder or owner vs. co-op or condominium, or v…
The stability and value of a shared interest community hinges on a lot of things; financial solvency, good governance, and proactive physical maintenance, to name a few. But another key component, and one that may be less obvious to the eye…