Category: On The Board

You would think that trying to get to know the city's first female Speaker, Christine Quinn, would be difficult when you've only been granted ten minutes in the demanding politician's day. However, in such a short timeframe, Quinn has enoug…

Legislatures are in session, both in the city and in Albany, and, as always, housing is a hot issue. What bills should co-op and condo board members, managers and owners be looking at that may impact their residences? While there ar…

There I was, innocently removing empty cartons from my new condominium unit. I was approached by a woman on my floor asking why I'd left the cartons where I did. I politely, but firmly, informed her that I was following the superintendent's…

Before even beginning the hunt for that perfect co-op, the prospective buyer should be familiar with all the possible ways one's application might be rejected. That familiarity will enable one to focus on the appropriate buildings as well a…

Starting a major renovation can be tough when you're dealing with a single-family home, but doing the job on a condo or co-op involves many considerations that house dwellers never face. It's not just a question of what contractors and prof…

Every once in a while, one hears about a co-op or condo that has been neglected for some time and has some problems in its common areas. Dirt builds up on the lobby floor, the fluorescent lights on the ceiling flicker, paint is chipped from…

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for persons who perform labor on or furnish materials to the common elements of a condominium to assert that they have not been fully paid for the labor performed or materials supplied. The possible asserti…

We've all heard the phrase "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." The old saw applies to legislation as well. We've often seen laws passed with what seemed to be the best intentions, only to discover later that they have left a t…

Living in a co-op or condo might not seem like an exercise in democracy, but when election time rolls around for your building's board, being a shareholder/owner means being a voter as well. One person's vote might very well mean t…

Every year, the shareholders of co-op apartments gather together—in their building's community room, or even in the basement in the shadow of the laundry machines, on flimsy chairs that are only used once a year—to discuss their mutual inve…