2003 Jun
Focus on... Law and Legislation

When most people think of fat, they think of unsightly rolls on out-of-shape bodies, but the truth is, buildings can be over-padded, too. Given the stagnant economy, boards can't afford to let their buildings just wallow in fiscal waste. I…

Housing in New York City has always been influenced by a changing urban landscape, population and demographic shifts, and a class-conscious economic and social strata that determined how people lived and in what neighborhoods they chose to …

Tell someone your address is on Park Avenue in New York City, and immediately you've conjured images of luxury, affluence, and status. Over the last two centuries, Park Avenue has become synonymous with the good life - the home of milliona…

In a decision with profound repercussions throughout the co-op community, the New York Court of Appeals decided last month to allow the application of the business judgment rule in situations involving so-called "objectionable tenants." …

With all the recent concern over environmental hazards in residential buildings - mold, funguses, and various allergens - it makes good sense to discuss one of the most dangerous of the invisible problems that can plague a home or building…

New York City's eight million hardy souls are used to a lifestyle in which the best of everything is at their disposal. But now residents may have to do more with less as the city struggles to find its way out of a deepening fiscal crisis.…

Of all the goings-on in the thousands of co-op and condo buildings in New York City, perhaps none inspires more questions and confusion than board and shareholders' meetings. How often must meetings be held? What gets decided at meetings? …

Whether it's a house, co-op or condo, renovations are fraught with potential problems. Such quagmires as multiple change orders, delayed supplies or contractor errors can add substantial costs to a budget. One way to bypass problems and wo…

Nobody likes that unsettling feeling when you turn on your kitchen tap only to get a stream of cloudy, fizzy water. It's something that's happened to nearly everyone, no matter where you live, and it can't help but make you wonder if your …

In a city where living and business space alike are hard to come by, wildly expensive, and constantly needing to be revamped, the question of where tenants should store their belongings begs to be asked. No one wants to give up livable spa…

Driving around Manhattan can be a hazardous sport. Cabbies signal lane changes by changing lanes. Brazen bike messengers yield for few things, and stop for fewer. Congested pedestrian groups form walls as they cross the street, stymieing c…

The old axiom about New York City government is that it's a bureaucratic hell, an exasperating nightmare in which John Q. Public gets passed from department to department whenever a problem crops up and immediate assistance is needed. …

Buying a new home is a very big decision that can be filled with excitement and fear, even if you're just moving across town. When you're coming to New York from another city, state, or even country, however, the task becomes much more cha…

Bad things happen to good buildings; it's a fact of life. From tyrannical sponsors to maintenance mishaps, there's plenty to go wrong - and when it does, your life can be made miserable. But sometimes a truly inspired manager can pull a ha…

Construction projects can certainly be traumatic but the difficulties inherent in residential renovation projects could be substantially minimized with professional oversight from a construction management firm. Using a CM in Your Reno…