Tag: new this week

Kickback schemes, bid mishandling, and the like are not always easy to identify—or to prove – because like any illicit activity, this type of fraud is perpetrated in secret. That's why it's imperative to build a few basic safeguards into…

Last summer, Governor Cuomo signed into law the Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security (SHIELD) Act, which requires all businesses and organizations in possession of electronic personal information about any resident of New York St…

While many NYC building owners and managers have committed to reduce energy waste in their properties, promote efficiency, and strive for a greener city and planet, the sweeping nine-bill Climate Mobilization Act passed in May of 2019 and t…

If you live in a high-rise building (or even a tall walk-up), you know how crucial it is to have safe, reliable, functional elevators. Replacing even one elevator can be very expensive, and the hassle and inconvenience to residents can be e…

Though 'winter' in these days of shifting, warming climate tends to involve more chilly rain and slush than the snowdrifts and icecicles of decades past, multifamily buildings are still on the hook for some seasonal maintenace when the cale…

The most popular amenity by far in apartment communities—whether co-op, condo, or rental—is a gym. Even in small buildings, where space for extras is at a premium, boards look for ways to add a fitness room somewhere, anywhere, they can wed…

Following on Benjamin Franklin's assertion that “nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” in New York City, homeowners are feeling a level of un certainty, at least as to the tax part. The city government has proposed …

In a recent Real Estate piece, the New York Times explored why and how newer shareholders can successfully integrate themselves into the governance of their co-ops. Five under-45 shareholders who recently joined their co-ops’ b…

One of the unique aspects of life in a co-op or condo is that a building or HOA is in many ways a microcosm of the larger world outside. It can suffer from the same factionalism and partisan bickering as any political entity, only on a much…