It creeps in silently and is everywhere at once. It is totally invisible to the naked eye, but often carries potentially dangerous materials. It can cause sickness and discomfort without ever being detected. What on earth could it be? …
In any business—whether it's a flower shop or a gas station—there are those who have more dollars to work with, and those who have fewer. It's the same for co-ops and condos. New York is home to a seemingly endless variety of residential…
No matter how conscientious your residents, no matter how dedicated your super and support staff, it’s inevitable: your building’s common areas are going to take a beating. Foot traffic can damage flooring, and everything from luggage to…
No matter how conscientious your residents, no matter how dedicated your super and support staff, it’s inevitable: your building’s common areas are going to take a beating. Foot traffic can damage flooring, and everything from luggage to pe…
Whether you’re part of a giant co-op the size of Co-op City, a 21-story building with over 15,000 residential units, or a small 25-unit condo in Staten Island, whether your building is self-managed or uses a management company, your b…
Whether you’re part of a giant co-op the size of Co-op City, a 21-story building with over 15,000 residential units, or a small 25-unit condo in Staten Island, whether your building is self-managed or uses a management company, your boar…
Any number of things can set off an insurance claim in a co-op or condo building. Someone can slip and fall in the lobby; there can be aesthetic damage from a construction project, or a leaky roof can cause major water damage— sometime…
From flood waters and property damage to power loss and spoiled food, coping with the aftermath of a powerful storm can be very troublesome for co-op and condo community board members, owners, and tenants. Therefore, during the Atlantic Hur…
From flood waters and property damage to power loss and spoiled food, coping with the aftermath of a powerful storm can be very troublesome for co-op and condo community board members, owners, and tenants. Therefore, during the Atlantic Hur…
Like the skin of the human body, a building’s façade is its largest organ (so to speak), offering structure and protection, as well as a first aesthetic impression. It also takes the brunt of extremely harsh conditions: weather, wind, water…
On Thursday, October 11th, thousands of board members, managers, building owners and co-op, condo, and HOA residents will gather at the Jacob K. Javits Center at 655 West 34th Street in Manhattan, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for the second…
As temperatures around the globe reach dangerous highs, many places are hitting the highest temperatures they’ve ever recorded—yet large-scale federal action on climate legislation is stymied. War rages on in Ukraine; inflation dogs economi…
While many of the co-ops, condos, and HOAs that struggled to stay solvent during the Great Recession of the mid-aughts have largely recovered, the truth is that regardless of the overall economic climate, there will always be buildings and …
Whether a building is six stories or sixty, ensuring that its façade is architecturally sound is a paramount concern shared by New York City regulators, boards and managers alike. Why? Loose bricks and crumbling debris could cause property …
Running a community association can be – and often is – stressful enough without the added issue of people in a position of power in the community using that position for personal gain in the form of kickbacks. Whether the offender is a sup…
As autumn sets in and we savor the crisp air and vibrant foliage, it’s time for, it is time for co-ops, condos, and HOAs to focus on the essential maintenance tasks that can help protect their properties during the winter months. Winter, es…
In the last couple of months, The Cooperator has been covering the recent issues surrounding Housing Development Fund Corporation (HDFC) cooperatives. Among those areas of concern include co-op buildings that were threatened with forecl…
From the venerable Dakota on the Upper West Side to the small-but-fashionable antique brownstones in the Village, to the formidable New York Public Library, hundreds of buildings in Manhattan and the outer boroughs have been designated his…
While the vast majority of one-time projects and long-term service contracts involving vendors and service providers and their co-op, condominium or HOA clients go smoothly and either conclude or continue without incident, a small perc…
Concrete is the most prevalent building material in existence today, though most people probably don’t notice how widely used the material is until it begins to break up in front of their homes, or falls off of their buildings, roads an…