2003 Aug
2003 Aug Vol. 23, No. 8
Focus on...Insurance
Bohemian Rhapsody
Williamsburg, Billburg, Billyburg" call it what you like. But whatever you do, don't call it over. The Utne Reader called it "the third hippest neighborhood in America" a few years back. Like any place that gets hyped this much, Williamsburg - located in Brooklyn just across the river from Midtown Manhattan - has its share of detractors whining that it's getting overpriced, that it's being gentrified, that it's not all that. But Williamsburg is still a world-class cultural incubator, a diverse and thriving community, and an all-around nice place to live. Read More
Let's Hear it for the Board
Since September 11th, 2001, Manhattan's Community Board No. 1 - one of 59 such boards in Manhattan - has been called above and beyond its usual duties to tend to the needs of residents living in TriBeCa, Battery Park City, the Financial District, the Seaport, and the Civic Center. Community Board 1, or CB1 as it's often called, is an advisory body. The city charter designates its role in such matters as land use, determining local budget priorities, and monitoring city services delivery. Read More
A Question of Security
Since September 11, 2001, most buildings in New York City have taken security and safety measures much more seriously. Although the effects of the terrorist attacks two years ago forced co-op and condo managers and owners to reevaluate safety plans on all properties, building security should not just be limited to protecting the property and tenants from the alarming - if remote - threat of terrorism. "Security" more often means preventing day-to-day crime scenarios, such as unwanted intruders, vandalism and theft. Read More
Roundtable II: The Sequel
Following up on the success of the informal roundtable discussion jointly hosted by The Cooperator and the Federation of New York Housing Cooperatives and Condominiums (FNYHC) this past February, a group of area co-op and condo board presidents and representatives of the FNYHC reconvened over fresh bagels and coffee for a second roundtable discussion June 24th. Read More
Vive La Difference
If an electrical fire destroys your newly renovated kitchen, will your co-op pay to replace your space-age stove and slate countertops? If a pipe bursts in your condo and your $10,000 wallpaper is ruined, who pays to fix it? The answers to questions like these may lie in your building's underlying documents and should be considered when buildings and individual unit owners are purchasing insurance. Read More
The Issue of Coverage
After the terror attacks of 2001, many co-op and condo buildings in the New York area got another nasty shock: insurance premiums suddenly spiraled upward as much as 50 percent or more in the space of one or two billing periods. Some buildings were simply dumped by their insurers with little explanation or opportunity for recourse. Read More
Guarding Home and Hearth
You live in a doorman building on the Upper East Side - your building has a health club, a concierge, and an attentive board/management team that keeps everything running smoothly, 24/7. With what you're paying in monthly maintenance, you figure all the new fixtures and valuable possessions in your apartment are covered by the building's insurance policy, right? If a pipe breaks in your bathroom and floods the apartment downstairs, it's the co-op's responsibility to repair the damage, right? Your board would tell you if you needed extra coverage, right? Read More
Keeping It Covered
The ads fill the television airwaves each day. Dozens of lawyers encouraging injured parties to sue and collect their claims. It's there on the street, too; every time someone slips or falls in front of a building, there's that look of panic on a property owner's face. When a pipe bursts or wiring goes bad, the first instinct may no longer be to fix the problem, but rather to wonder whose policy will cover the repairs. Read More
