2008 Jan
Focus on... Board/Management Relations

If your planner or BlackBerry is full of to-do lists and scheduling conflicts, if you're often running up against deadlines and your cell phone rings constantly, you've got a lot in common with a New York property manager. Property …

In a number of states throughout the U.S., including Florida, Nevada and the District of Columbia, property managers are required by law to be licensed. This is not the case in New York, although a debate over the necessity of licensing …

Whenever a problem arises, board members often have a knee-jerk reaction to call their managing agent immediately. In many cases, this is appropriate. But although it might be part of their job to communicate with the board, managing age…

A good property manager is like a hip dad. He or she may not say things like, "Hey pal, whatcha say we go toss around the ol' pigskin?" but like a hip dad, a property manager needs to have a certain set of specific traits and other, harder-…

Lawsuits are an unfortunate, often expensive fact of life these days, and co-op and condo communities are not immune from seeing the inside of a courtroom, or at least a lawyer's office suite. An issue that arises between a resident and …

It's been said before, but bears repeating: while there are certain similarities, every co-op and condo building in New York City is different, and every building community has different needs, expectations, and amenities. Those expectat…

For almost a year now, we have been hearing more and more about the subprime mortgage crisis. Subprime mortgages are mortgages that banks sell to borrowers whose problematic credit ratings do not allow them to get mortgages at better rat…

New York City's condos and co-ops are more than just apartment buildings—they're part of one the most famous architectural landscapes in the world. Next time you walk around the city, slow down and notice the beautifully designed structu…

For most New Yorkers, the search for housing is the least favorite part of the New York experience. If the size is right, the price is wrong; if the price is right, the neighborhood's wrong. And then there's that hideous bathtub in the k…

The idea of cooperative living was hatched in the early 1900s in New York City as a way for people to either have a say in who they had as neighbors, or as a way for building tenants to band together and exert some control over their qua…

The deep freeze of winter will fall on New York from January through March, and though the city hasn't had the most severe winters in recent years, weather has a way of tricking us into complacency and hitting hard when we let our guards…

In 1939, when the WPA Guide to New York Citywas first published, South Queens, and particularly the area around what would become Rochdale Village, had little to recommend the visitor. "Springfield, Laurelton and Rosedale, at the so…

As one year ends and a new one begins, talk turns to New Years' resolutions—everybody has a wish or a plan for how they'd most like 2008 to unfold. For some, a happy New Year includes the fortitude to stick to a sensible diet (finally!).…

It is easy to focus attention on the governance and business aspects of operating associations because of their immediacy. However, clear lines of communication and a strong sense of community among residents focuses everyone's attention…

Some shareholders of our cooperative wish to record board meetings as the  minutes do not always accurately reflect what was said during open sessions of  board meetings. One of 12 board members objected to the taping of a recent  session a…

I manage a small Mitchell-Lama co-op. Our local grocery store, which has served  as an important resource for our senior residents who can’t go too far, is closing down. We were wondering what we would have to do to set  up a little store i…

We are an 11-unit condo. association. In May 2006 two board members decided to  remove our 19-year-old mature beautiful shrubs (azaleas & rhododendrons) from in front of our units. They promised to replace them by September 2006. It has not…

What is a conservation easement? What are the tax advantages to a conservation  easement? Can a condo or co-op vote to place a conservation easement?     —Curious in New York  “An easement is a transfer of usage rights. Simply…

Who is responsible for chimney maintenance in a New York City co-op? (Not all the apartments have fireplaces.) Also, who is responsible for  repairing/replacing windows? My apartment is a loft with unique windows that are not easily repaire…