2006 Feb
2006 Feb Vol. 26, No. 2
Focus on...Communications&Technology
Taming Technology
Here we are, firmly in the 21st
century, and technology is everywhere. Who would have imagined half of the gadgets
and computer programs that we take for granted today 20 or 30 years ago? From
the Internet to hands-free cell phones to personal data assistants more powerful
than Captain Kirk’s tricorder, technology is quickly outpacing all our
previous visions of the future. These days, when it comes to futuristic gadgets
and tools, it seems the only thing missing is the jet-packs.
Read More
The Language of Cooperation
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg once said, “No city on earth can match New York’s rich ethnic diversity;
we’re truly the world’s second home.” Bloomberg’s comment
was right on the money, but not only is New York City a melting pot of ethnicities,
its millions of residents are just as culturally and economically diverse.
Read More
The Paperless Office
Are you one of those peoplewho have papers everywhere? You know, the bills and mail that you tell yourself
you are going to file away next week but just never seem to get to? Can you
imagine what those piles might look like if they weren't just your bills
and papers, but those of an entire co-op or condo building?
Read More
Caveat, Co-ops!
Question: When reviewing applications from prospective
purchasers, can a co-op board treat a married couple differently from an
unmarried one without running afoul of New York’s discrimination
laws? Answer: Possibly.
Read More
Wireless Internet Connectivity
In this ever-changing, technology-driven society, the
importance of Internet connectivity is on a par with the importance of
electricity in the early 20th century. Electricity’s endless
applications made it an essential household utility—and like
electricity, the importance of the Internet has been reinforced by the
innovations that make use of it.
Read More
Harlem on the Rise
What do Alexander Hamilton, Billie Holliday, Bill
Clinton, Langston Hughes, and WEB Dubois all have in common? They have all
had a presence in Harlem.
Read More
What Can Technology Do for You?
If you want to be a doctor, you go to medical school --
if you want to be a lawyer, you go to law school. But what if you want to
be a property manager? Do you go to property management school?
Read More
Computer-Savvy Residents
If you’re one of the millions of people who have
embraced this age of cell phones, BlackBerries, DSL and instant messaging,
it’s hard to imagine life any differently. Access to information is
instantaneous these days for most people — have a question about
anything in the world? Google it, or Ask Jeeves, or text-message your
friend on the other side of the country.
Read More
Tomorrow is Now
On-site health clubs as well equipped as any private
gym or spa. Playrooms for children, all-weather roof decks, and private
screening rooms. Remote-controlled fireplaces, climate-controlled wine
storage, 360-degree enclosed glass showers and disappearing kitchens. These
are just a few of the high-end residential building amenities mentioned in
the real estate section of any given edition of the Sunday Times, and they
illustrate the continuing trend past the merely convenient and into the
realm of the luxurious and futuristic.
Read More
How Does Your Board Measure Up?
Every co-op and condo building in the city is different, and every board is a unique blend of personalities. Two buildings located next door to each other may take very different approaches to identical daily challenges, and while certain legal aspects of the board’s activities are governed by the Business Corporation Law (BCL), there’s really no official handbook for boards to follow that covers the other stuff. The answers to questions like, “How personally engaged is your board with your shareholders?” for example, or “Does your board have a formal process for cultivating new board members?” are hard to quantify. Read More
Q&A: Terrace Terror
I live in a two-building co-op in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. Our board has undertaken the renovation of the terraces of both buildings, and the renovation requires any shareholders, who built enclosures around their terraces to dismantle them before the repairs can begin. Read More
Q&A: Filling a Board Vacancy
Subsequent to the election of directors at our co-op’s first board meeting, an electee resigned due to personal reasons. The management agency advised against appointing a replacement to the board for approximately four months, the reason given being that an unpopular ex-board member who received minimal votes in the election would be entitled to the spot. Is this reasoning correct? Read More
