2009 May
2009 May Vol. 29, No. 5
Focus on...Design
Stretching Your Dollars
It's time to face the facts. The teal-and-salmon sofa that was purchased for your foyer may not exactly be in
style any more. The window treatments that were chosen in the early 1990s no
longer grace the pages of every design magazine sold on Broadway; It’s time for a change; an overall facelift to the tired common areas that once
welcomed residents and their guests into your building. It’s time to bring the décor into the 21st century—and that may seem like an overwhelming task if your building, like so many
today, are on a shoestring budget.
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In Good Harmony
Good communication is key to making any relationship work—married or dating couple, parent and child, sibling to sibling, and best friend
forever friendships. In the co-op and condo world, boards also have
relationships—with vendors, designers, contractors, residents, and managers, just to name a
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Keeping Projects on Schedule
Nothing can take the fun out of a design project faster than missed deadlines and
cost overruns—and naturally, both problems usually go hand in hand. Even if a project is
certain to increase a property’s value and/or curb appeal, the upheaval and disruption to residents’ lives while work is going on can be a big pain.
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Putting Your Best Foot Forward
In today’s tough real estate market, people are searching for every advantage they can
find when it comes time to sell their property. They’ll search out the best agent they can find. Or place ads in the highest
circulation magazines. They’ll lower the price to outpace the competition. But often, people will neglect
the most important piece of the whole puzzle: the space itself.
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A Look at the American Institute of Building Design
Despite well-intended laws and protocols enacted in respective states, co-op and
condo homeowners, organizations and associations are often faced with
complicated, sometimes confusing issues related to building codes, zoning
ordinances, designers, vendors and contractors. Too often, they are left to
negotiate the maze without adequate guidance and oversight.
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Dispelling Myths About "Poor Water Pressure"
Few things annoy an apartment homeowner more than persistent low water pressure,
be it at the shower, the kitchen sink or the toilet. So common the problem, one
wonders what New Yorker hasn’t suffered from it and what property manager hasn’t struggled to solve it. Recently, an exasperated homeowner asked me, “Is it true I have poor water pressure because my building is old and I live on a
higher floor?”
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The Importance of Home Staging
How many times have you seen a property that’s a mess and visually unappealing with so much furniture and furnishings that it
is impossible to see anything? There are cracks that need spackling, walls that
need cleaning, and floors that should be polished. The lighting is dreary and the color questionable. There’s plenty of clutter, but no warmth, and perhaps, even a strange smell.
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Q&A: Board Resisting Removal
A group of majority unit owners in our Manhattan condominium are trying to remove our current board of managers for failing to operate the building in compliance with our bylaws. This group signed a petition and did everything necessary, in accordance with the bylaws, to vote them out. However a few members convinced the other board members to collectively refuse to resign. We petitioned the board again, and still they have ignored us. Our management sided with the board and hired an attorney to represent themselves and the board to resist their removal. Our unit owners are not a wealthy group and can’t afford to get a lawyer to help us. What are our options to try and get the board to abide by the bylaws and accept that the majority of residents want them out? Read More
Q&A: Right to Inherit
What are the laws in New York City regarding domestic partners who are technically the tenants of a co-op owner? My domestic partner and I have been living in my Jackson Heights co-op for over five-years. He contributes to our monthly maintenance fees, but I can’t add him to the stock certificate because we are unable to get legally married. If anything should happen to me, could he simply inherit the co-op or would he face difficulties because of our unrecognized legal status? Read More
