2007 Mar
2007 Mar Vol. 27, No. 3
Focus on...Exterior Maintenance
Good Light and No Sounds
Few things matter more to a co-op or condo owner than living in a place with good light and a good view. That's why windows serve as one of the biggest selling points and most important physical aspects of a building. The right windows can give a building panache and style and, most of all, the light and look that today's homeowners crave. Read More
Swinging Off of Skyscrapers
Every time a co-op or condo building needs exterior work—an occurrence more regular now than a quarter century ago—a group of highly-trained, highly-specialized, and extremely brave professionals arrive to carry out the project. They set up scaffolding, lower swinging platforms, use heavy, often dangerous, equipment and supplies with the goal of providing a façade facelift or complete overhaul. Read More
Surface 101
The facades of New York City's residential buildings are part of what gives the city its character. From historic brownstones to modern high-rises with glass-curtain walls, New York City's buildings are recognizable to people around the world and give a face to each of the five boroughs. But in addition to providing a distinct look to New York's buildings, every façade must be able to hold up to the elements and withstand damage and leaks. An understanding of the materials used and city laws is crucial to ensuring your building's facade receives proper maintenance and routine care. Read More
Your Roof-Lounge or My Library?
If you flip through the advertisements for new condo buildings in the real estate section of New York magazine or Time Out NY, you've probably noticed that more and more developers are including well-appointed libraries, residents-only social clubs, roof decks, and other social spaces in their building plans. They're calling them "resident lounges," "observatories," or "sun decks," and these spaces are intended to get the new unit owners out of their units and networking, socializing, and generally hanging out with each other—as well as fostering a feeling of exclusivity and privilege among prospective buyers. Read More
Keeping Your Curb Appeal
Curb appeal plays a large role in determining a property's value and it is the first thing anyone notices about your co-op or condo building. But beyond aesthetics, proper maintenance is necessary to protect residences, grounds and common areas from the elements. Consistent care also will prevent major problems from surfacing in the future. And a solid maintenance plan will help your community's bottom line, as you'll avoid costly problems altogether. Read More
The Cooperator's Co-op & Condo Expo
As the trees start greening and the last dregs of winter ice and slush melt away, it's once more time to turn our collective attention to The Cooperator's annual Co-op & Condo Expo—to be held this year on Wednesday, April 25th on three floors of the Hilton New York. Read More
Staging for Success
No matter what real estate market we find ourselves in, we all know that it's never easy to sell a home. In the last several years, a new trend has emerged in the real estate arena that is said to help homeowners sell their houses or apartments faster and for more money. This practice—known as "home staging"—is widely recommended by real estate agents all over the nation. Read More
Preserving the New York City Skyline
New York City's skyline is like none other and has a blend of classic and modern architecture that defines itself as one of the world's greatest cities. Read More
Leak Lessons: A True Story
Leaks happen all the time. American Leak Detection, a nationwide company (unrelated to the Scooter Libby trial), claims to have discovered 1.4 million leaks last year alone—and that's just one company! Common as they are, leaks can cause quite a bit of damage. The drip-drip of a leaky bathtub is literally the sound of money going down the drain—and if the leak is hidden deep in a wall somewhere, the damage can worsen and spread for months before you even know there's a problem. Read More
Rock of Ages
In an age of tinted-glass curtain walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, and ubiquitous vinyl siding, it may be comforting to know that the granddaddy of all building materials—natural stone, quarried from the earth and hewn by hand in some cases—is still very much relevant to building construction and architecture. Read More
A Happening Place
Want to know what it is like to live in the Murray Hill section of Manhattan—that strip between Madison and Third avenues that runs roughly between 29th and 38th streets? You could ask someone who lives there, but be forewarned—the answer you get will depend on who you talk to. Read More
Who's Responsible
As the cycle of work from the most recent Local Law 11 deadline expires, buildings inevitably must resolve issues over fees they owe to the contractors who did the work, completion of the work and questions about the quality of the work itself. There may also be open issues to resolve with certain shareholders or unit owners claiming damages from the Local Law 11-related work. Read More
Safety in Numbers
Over the past five years, we've driven crime down to historic lows. And as our city's crime rate continues to fall, positive economic indicators continue to rise. One of greatest signs of confidence in our city's future is the record number of construction projects going on throughout the five boroughs. This is great news for the more than 100,000 men and women who work in the building trades. But, as the number of construction projects has increased, so too, unfortunately, has the number of construction accidents. Although public safety is at an all-time high, we can and must do more to ensure worker safety. Read More
Q&A: Foaming Over Washing Machines
In our Queens co-op (containing 68 apartments) we do not allow laundry washing machines. A few owners have had them from years back, others have recently renovated and installed washing machines in their apartments. Read More
Q&A: Co-op Rules v. Sponsor Units
Our building is 75 percent shareholders, 25 percent sponsor units (renters). The sponsor units fall under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA) of 1974. My question is, doesn’t everyone in the building, shareholders and sponsor units alike have to adhere to the house rules and any fair and reasonable decision of the Board of Directors? Do you have any case law that addresses this issue, as well as statutory law? Read More
Q&A: Altering Meeting Minutes
I would like to know if the board has the right to alter minutes given to the shareholders, because there were questions raised at meetings that they would not answer and are left out of the minutes. Are there any regulations governing meeting minutes? Read More
Q&A: Asset Transfer on Death
For estate planning purposes, my wife is the sole owner of our co-op. A recent change to the New York State law permits assets to be transferred on death by use of a “Transfer on Death” designation. Like a trust, this avoids probate, but incurs little or no cost to prepare. Can I use such a method to transfer co-op ownership? Read More
