Category: Building Operations

Everyone’s always trying to build a better mouse trap, to find a better way of disposing of pests without poisoning non-pest critters (or people) or adding unnecessary chemicals to the environment. For example, New York City has been using …

Approximately one year ago in response to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at five buildings in the Bronx, New York City passed the most comprehensive and toughest law in the country for the monitoring of cooling towers and their mandat…

Alyssa and her fiancé are on the hunt for a condo in Brooklyn. They came into the process with their wish list (in-unit washer and dryer, hardwood floors, lots of light) and their must-have list (two bedrooms, one bath and something more th…

In New York, they are called superintendents. In Florida, they are called maintenance supervisors. Other places call them supers or building engineers. No matter which title they answer to, these are the employees who are responsible for th…

Whether interior or exterior, well-built, properly-maintained woodwork can last for centuries but if wood-boring pests like beetles, termites, and carpenter ants find their way into the wood, they can wreak all kinds of havoc. Wood-destroyi…

Plumbing. It’s one of those things for which we all should be grateful, but about which we rarely ever give a thought – at least not until we see water seeping out from under the bathroom door. Fortunately, if and when things go wrong, ther…

There are a lot of moving parts that contribute toward the functionality of a residential complex, whether said property is a condominium, cooperative, or a homeowner’s association. And these parts vary in complexity, to the extent that no …

Hector and Hedy Johnson bought a new condominium in Queens in 1995 and lived there for 19 years. In 2014 they sold the apartment to Leonard and Lena Smith. A year later, the condominium association’s board of directors voted to replace the …

Every month you break out the checkbook to pay your maintenance fees for your co-op. Naturally you expect that those fees go toward maintaining the upkeep of your residence. But for whatever reason, something goes wrong. It can be an infe…

An accident that involves a worker who injures him or herself while on the job at a building can spell legal and financial trouble for building owners and managing agents under New York's Labor Law. Three important sections from the law to …