2008 May
2008 May Vol. 28, No. 5
Focus on...Design
The Good, the Bad, and the (Really) Ugly
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” “There’s no accounting for taste.” “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” While these age-old adages generally hold true, when it comes to working with design committees in co-op and condo spaces, there may actually be some hard-and-fast rules about what looks good and what doesn’t. Making sure everyone involved in the decision-making process understands these parameters can help avoid dissatisfied residents—and maybe a few faux brass light fixtures. Read More
Elevator Design and Maintenance
To many people, the elevator isn’t just a device to get you up or down. Wood paneling, exotic woods, carpets, mirrors, chandeliers, brass operating panels—that’s what you’ll see when you go into many elevators in high-end buildings. Read More
Understanding the Building Blueprint
In architecture, floor plans or designs have always been crucial in mapping out how a structure is put together. Even in ancient Egypt, primitive drawings have been found to suggest that builders have been relying on floor plans for millennia. Read More
Dressing Your Walls for a Good First Impression
In the past, choices for wall decorations were simple—paint, wallpaper or paneling (like the infamous paneled dens of the 1970s.) Once you made a selection, you simply narrowed the options down from several available colors or patterns and you were all set. Read More
Living in New York City's Singular Spaces
As prices for co-op and condo apartments in Manhattan continue to climb, and wealthy buyers continue to clamor for the next word in luxury real estate, one subset of house-hunters has set their sights on something different. They want one-of-a-kind properties with character, unique architectural elements, and historical significance—and they’re finding those properties in buildings that formerly housed banks, schools, and even carriage houses. Read More
New Trends, New Looks and a Sense of the Future
When it comes to issues of design and aesthetics, New York is the epicenter of all things style. That is certainly the case when it comes to architecture and perhaps most importantly, interior design. For co-op and condo buildings, style and design are keys to providing a unique identity and a welcoming place for residents and their families. In the last few years, design has changed and evolved, representing cultural shifts and the one simple constant that always holds true for aesthetics: times change, and so do people’s tastes. Read More
Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
Although the position offers little compensation apart from the satisfaction of a job well done, building board members are still in charge of running a business—a business with revenues, expenses, and assets. Regardless of the size of the complex and whether it is of the co-op or condo variety, a board member’s job can hardly be considered insubstantial. Read More
When a Project Goes Wrong
Living in a community sometimes requires a bit of flexibility, and that’s especially true when a large construction project is happening. Usually, whether it’s a facade restoration, lobby redesign, or a heating/ventilation upgrade, most building construction projects go pretty smoothly. However, problems with noise, dust, or disruptions in building services are commonplace and to be expected with some construction projects. And if residents have been informed of the possible inconveniences ahead of time, a nasty resident backlash usually can be avoided. Read More
Keeping Design Projects Under Control
A good redesign of an outdated, obsolete, or run-down common area in your co-op or condo building can be a thing of beauty. Spiffing up a lobby, hallway or elevator can not only inspire residents to take more pride in where they live, but can help maximize property values as well. Read More
Care and Maintenance for Marble Flooring
Nothing says luxury and elegance quite like acres of polished marble— particularly in the lobby of an upscale co-op or condo building. Marble has been used in palaces, temples, and homes for thousands of years, and is prized for its beauty, durability, and vast variety of colors and patterns. Stone floors need maintenance, however, and knowing what they need can make them look better and last longer. Read More
Recognition, Credibility and Certification
With more and more people hanging out shingles as either interior design professionals—thanks partly to the popularity of television shows like Design on a Dime, Extreme Home Makeover and Trading Spaces—knowing who to hire for a job in your home or building can sometimes be a little tricky. Read More
Take Advantage of 1031 Exchanges
The “Green Movement” has quickly gone from fad to trend to global initiative. In the U.S., corporations as well as commercial and residential property owners are being challenged to find ways to embrace ‘Green Initiatives’ in response to demands for greater sustainability, social accountability and profitability. Read More
New System Tracks Down Hard to Find Rodent Entry Points
Keeping your property free of rats and mice is a perpetual problem for home and property owners. New York City recently put noted rodentologist Bobby Corrigan on the payroll fulltime to combat its burgeoning rat problem. Heading a beefed-up squad of special inspectors known as the “Rat Pack,” Corrigan and his crew are patrolling the city to root out rodent infestations, visiting as many as 200 buildings a day. If cited, property owners have two weeks to evict the varmints or face a fine. Read More
Emerging Faces in Sustainable Development
New Yorkers are obsessed with real estate development. We all pause to stare at the listings in our local real estate office window, and everybody knows the average price of an apartment in Manhattan (currently $1.7 million). Citywide, massive building and construction proposals like the World Trade Center, Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards and Manhattan’s West Side Rail Yards dominate the news. Read More
Managing Change, Protecting Investments
New Yorkers live in an ever-changing city that’s been building and rebuilding continuously since its inception. Today, throughout the five boroughs, according to the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB), there are more than 950,000 buildings. Most were built in varying styles during dozens of eras of development. They are our city’s architectural heritage. Read More
Q&A: Withholding Taxes for Employee Gifts
Our condo gives out gifts (in monetary form) to the employees of the building. The gifts go through the president of the board first. The president has created a separate bank account for employee gifts. Is this breaking any laws? Should the president be withholding taxes from these gifts, which are pretty substantial? Read More
Q&A: Opting Out
I live in a Mitchell Lama co-op which is starting the process of privatization. We have a very large mortgage that has many years to go until it is paid off. We also have a large reserve fund for various contingencies. Read More
Q&A: Fair Election
One of our board members has been president for many years. She runs the building on a unilateral basis, giving out very little information about the business of the condo. Unit owners have little influence because the she is elected by the board, not by unit owners. When it comes to elections, she controls them. Our accounting firm runs the election. After the ballots are cast, the president (who is also one of the candidates) takes all of the ballots and mails them to the accounting firm. Is that fair? The accounting firm counts the votes, and I’m sure they do it in an honorable way, but what if the president has already manipulated the ballots? We want to get a fair count? Who should we go to deal with this? Read More
