Category: Q&A

Q. Why are co-op board minutes so sparse that others who read them—shareholders, lawyers, brokers—have no real idea what goes on at meetings? This is because minutes are routinely ‘sanitized’ to leave out any troublesome issues, any comme…

Q. I live in a condominium that consists of seven individual buildings, all three- to four-family, that is co-joined by another condominium on the same block. We are sharing a private sewer line with one connection out to the city sewer; …

Q. In addition to our monthly $942 common charges, the board of our condominium complex has been collecting an additional $257 assessment each month since August 2018 in anticipation of future repair work, and to replenish our underfunded…

Q. I signed a contract at the end of November 2021. There was an increase in the maintenance in February 2022, so it’s likely they got notice of this in December. Unfortunately I wasn’t given notice of this $55 increase per month until th…

Q. I’m a member of my building’s board. At a recent board meeting, the owner of our management company told the board that I fired the plumbing company. The owner of the plumbing company then asked for my name and phone number, and the ma…

Q. I currently live in a Mitchell-Lama co-op I purchased for $15,000 27 years ago. The building is going private. My question is: will I have to pay more money for my apartment to own it outright?                   —Worried About What’s …

Q. One of our condo units that the owner was renting out to a tenant is now in foreclosure. But before the unit went into foreclosure, the owner (who has been missing in action) was behind on the common charges and the condo board was tak…

Q. My co-op board just voted to require all shareholders to buy homeowners insurance. I’d like to find out if that’s a common thing, but I don’t know who to ask. Thanks!                                             —Is This Right? A. “…

Q. Can a unit owner demand to see a copy of the monthly list of unit owners’ payments of the monthly HOA?         —Owner Seeking Access to Docs A. “Yes,” says attorney Aaron Shmulewitz of the New York City firm of Belkin Burden Goldma…

Q. I need to know if the president of the board (co-op) is allowed to collect proxies from other residents? The president stands in the parking lot and asks everyone if she can have their proxy. Then the night of the meeting to vote for b…