Search Results: adam leitman bailey (129)

One of the biggest political buzzwords of the past 10 years or so is “transparency.” Observers demand transparency in meetings of elected bodies in local and state governments, transparency in the proceedings of public agencies, and at time…

I teach real estate licensing and continuing education courses at New York University and Long Island University. My question is with regard to Form 86, co-op sublets. It is my understanding that New York State law allows a tenant named on …

Buying an apartment in New York can be a real odyssey—finding a place that fits your budget and other requirements, securing a mortgage, gathering reams of paperwork for the closing...all very stressful and tedious. But for those buying int…

Q In our parking garage we have access to a bike storage room and an outside bike rack that is next to a resident's handicapped parking spot. Right now the only way to get to the bikes is to "trespass" over the parking spot. Our concern…

Q I am the owner of a one-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I have a legal subtenant who filled out all forms and paid all the fees as described on the required two-year lease provided by the board, including that o…

Q I am a non-resident owner in a 10-unit co-op in Manhattan. I have been renting out my unit for the past 7 years. Recently, while I was away from the country on work, my son inadvertently rented my apartment to a tenant without firs…

 Budgeting is never easy, not for a family of four and certainly not for a co-op  or condo community of hundreds or thousands of residents. That fact is made all  the more difficult by the lingering effects of the recession, which continue…

Of all the stages of co-op life, the initial application and approval process, especially the interview, is certainly the most harrowing. Many people are in fear that just one wrong word will mean the difference between acceptance and reje…

The media and political buzz surrounding so-called 'homeshare' or 'short-term rental' websites (primarily Airbnb, but also other similar services like Homeaway.com and VRBO.com, just to name two) has been on the upswing over the last year …

 Abraham Lincoln once said, “Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can.  As a peacemaker, the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There  will still be business enough.”    Certain…

In today’s difficult economic times, more and more co-op and condo owners and boards are constantly on the lookout for new ways to improve their bottom line. It’s one of the many reasons that more and more renters are moving into co-op a…

Many people believe in the ethos of 'reduce, reuse, and recycle'—they buy vintage clothing, pre-owned cars, or refurbished electronic equipment. But most of us also like brand new things, including homes. And with markets across the countr…

Q I have an accepted offer on a condo in Manhattan, and I have a letter of commitment from my lender. Before proceeding to submit my application to the board, I was instructed by the managing agency that submission of tax returns, payr…

Living in a condo means putting up with certain occasional inconveniences: that curious odor emanating from the neighbor’s unit, the downstairs saxophone player who practices every Tuesday afternoon, or that one resident that insists at ev…

 It is one of life’s eternal questions: is it possible to have too much of a good thing? That  question certainly can apply to the matter of long-serving board members: those  individuals who get elected and re-elected term after term and …

Every co-op and condo association has its own house rules—rules and regulations (hopefully) based on common sense and aimed at protecting residents' safety and quality of life without undue disruption or inconvenience. Most un…

Co-op apartment buildings were originally formed in New York City to allow building residents to buy into and have a say in how their building was administered, as well as who their neighbors were, and what those neighbors were allowed t…

 As the old adage goes, one bad apple can upset the apple cart. The same theory  holds true for residents who choose to ignore bylaws or house rules, even if  they are well-intended and in place to serve the greater good of the community. …

Freelance photographer Jocelyn A. lives in a charming, post-war brick townhouse community of over 1,600 units and a $3 million annual budget. She receives a monthly newsletter with over 20 pages of everything to keep residents informed,…

 In the typical suburban condo development, one must go to another location to  shop— maybe to the mini-mall, or the big box store down the road. But in New York  City co-ops and condos, stores are often found on the ground floor—supermark…