The sitting president of a Connecticut condo board recently approached the property manager with a proposition: If he saw to it that her contractor boyfriend was awarded certain jobs in the building, the property manager would receive …
Talk about tense situations. There’s the sweaty-palm inducing job interview or the anxiety-riddled prospect of getting down on one knee to propose. And who can forget those tense moments scratching out an answer on the SAT test, knowing …
Admission requirements for co-op buildings in New York City are typically pretty stringent. A board has the authority to require prospective purchasers to provide extensive financial documentation along with social and personal reference le…
People like to think that they can do anything they darn well please within their own walls so long as no laws are being broken. Want to paint your walls purple and your ceilings green? Who’s gonna stop you? In the mood for loud music an…
Q. Today shareholders at our Mitchell-Lama co-op in Queens were informed with less than 24-hours notice that there will be a film shoot taking place tomorrow on the property from 6:00am Thursday and completed 12:00pm on Friday. Notice sta…
Q. Hello, I am a shareholder of a two bedroom co-op. There are two occupants of the co-op unit under me. One goes to work, while the other individual is a malingerer. Neither is of the mindset “live and let live.” Neither has a problem wi…
Q. Hello, I am a shareholder of a two bedroom co-op. There are two occupants of the co-op unit under me. One goes to work, while the other individual is a malingerer. Neither is of the mindset “live and let live.” Neither has a problem …
New York's tabloids have gotten hold of a lawsuit filed by Madonna against her Manhattan co-op board for refusing to allow her children to stay in her unit when she is not occupying the unit herself. For those not familiar with the unique w…
The U.S. Treasury Department announced in January that it will begin to track illicit cash purchases of luxury condos in New York and Miami. In New York, the new regulations will apply to cash transactions of $3 million or more. The federal…
Q. I own a small co-op in Queens. For several years I had to sublet my apartment because I moved to Europe. I need to ask some questions to the co-op board but I am not getting any help from management. I basically wanted to know who the …
The amount of time and energy invested by board members in the many decisions and projects surrounding the successful functioning of a building community can demand the kind of commitment and dedication required by a demanding part-time job…
Q. We have an apartment/shares in a Brooklyn co-op. In 2016 we experienced two leaks in our shower room (which is in the bathroom, but separate from the bathtub). With the first leak, the building plumber broke part of our shower wall, re…
Whether you serve on the board of a co-op, condo or HOA, chances are you and your fellow community administrators are volunteers. Perhaps you're fortunate enough that you or one of your colleagues has professional legal expertise to bring t…
The motivation for volunteering to be an uncompensated (and sometimes underappreciated) co-op or condo board member is usually a sense of civic duty combined with the desire to protect one’s own investment and quality of life. This means th…
There's a certain allure to being the very first owner of a condo in a brand new building. To be able to wake up every day in a space that's totally your own, free from the dents, dings, and spackel of previous owners' experiences in the pl…
State legislation and city ordinances can provide a condo, co-op, or HOA board with guidance on how to effectively deal with a disruptive or unruly shareholder—someone whose abusive, harassing, inappropriate or chronically litigious behavio…
There are few people as passionate as pet owners, and for evidence look no further than condo and co-op communities. The many health and aesthetic concerns that go with pets compel many boards to favor a ban on pets altogether. However, if …
On August 17, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that all gyms and fitness centers in New York State may reopen for operation on Wednesday, September 2, 2020. (Indoor group fitness classes may be delayed beyond that date.) Upon reopening…
On August 17, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that all gyms and fitness centers in New York State may reopen for operation on Wednesday, September 2, 2020. (Indoor group fitness classes may be delayed beyond that date.) Upon reopening…
In recent years, “home-sharing” or “short-term” rental sites have been experiencing increasing popularity as well as political and media attention in many so-called destination cities. At the time of this article, the most popular of these …