2009 Nov
2009 November Vol. 29, No. 11
Focus on...Building Maintenance
Prioritizing Projects to Avoid Trouble Later
With the economy still in the weeds and building administrators looking for
creative ways to save money and build up their bottom line, it’s no surprise to hear that co-ops and condos are taking a hard look at their
maintenance and building improvement wish lists and making some tough
decisions. They’re reassessing which projects they can afford to undertake and which ones they
need to put off until later.
Read More
Life Spans of Building Systems
Even when living in a multi-family building, individual residents must handle
some of the same responsibilities as those of a single-family homeowner. While
board members will be more involved than other residents in helping to ensure
proper maintenance of their community’s infrastructure, every resident of a co-op or condo community shares partial
ownership of the community’s common property—and that should translate into awareness of the community’s common needs.
Read More
Working with the New Building Codes
If you’re part of a co-op and condo community, you’ve definitely had to deal with the New York City’s Building Codes. They’re a complex set of regulations, documents, amendments, local laws and more,
regulating all sorts of things, from boiler maintenance to elevators to
exterior walls. Read More
Installing & Maintaining Laundry Facilities
Clean laundry. It’s one of those basic things without which we would go mad but which we rarely
stop to consider. Within New York’s co-op and condo complexes, laundry room facilities are an integral part of a
happy, functioning environment. Over the last decade, those facilities have
evolved to suit changing needs and expectations from residents and managers
alike. As a result, many laundry room service providers are offering new
options that put them squarely at the forefront of customer service, both for
individuals and the buildings as a whole.
Read More
Elevator Safety & Inspections
Ever since the first hydraulic passenger elevator was installed in New York City
in 1870, the city has relied upon elevators to support its upward growth. Given
that few would care to contemplate living or working in a 20-story walk-up,
transporting people upward and back down again quickly and safely was a crucial
component to the Big Apple’s development into a world-class city.
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The Many Faces of Chinatown
"Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” An immortal line from a beloved movie, and perhaps a reflection of how many
Western urbanites over the years have viewed the large pockets of Asian
immigrants that have settled in their cities. Chinatowns dot the country from
coast to coast, but their residents have often been treated with suspicion,
discrimination, and outright hostility.
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Dealing with Objectionable Behavior
Even before the landmark “Pullman” case in 2005—in which a co-op board and shareholders voted unanimously to evict an especially
troublesome and disruptive shareholder from their building—New York co-op residents have grumbled about “objectionable tenants” and how to deal with them. The term “objectionable” is subjective, and the behavior that can fall under that label ranges from
constant noise and offensive cooking smells to ranting at and even assaulting
neighbors or board members in the lobby.
Read More
From Dutch Traders to Wall Street Traders
In the late 1980s, seeking high-growth, low-risk investment opportunities, and
with an affinity for brick and mortar, European pension funds began to invest
heavily in the American real estate market. So much money poured into the United States, in fact, that the pension fund
managers decided to start a not-for-profit association for the non-U.S. real
estate investment community doing business here. The result was the Association
of Foreign Investors in Real Estate, better known by its acronym, AFIRE.
Read More
Sidewalk Care and Liability
No doubt about it, the Big Apple is a pedestrian town: according to the New York
City Department of Transportation (DOT), over eight million people tread the
city’s approximately 12,750 square miles of sidewalks each day.
Read More
A Word on Holiday Tipping Etiquette
According to some sources, the word “tips” is actually an acronym—it’s short for “To Insure Prompt Service,” and the list of people who are commonly tipped—at least in the United States—includes everyone from hair and nail salon workers to bellhops, cab drivers,
newspaper delivery people, porters, valets, bartenders, and, of course,
restaurant wait staff.
Read More
Q&A: Condo Foreclosure
I am three months behind in my homeowner’s association payments. Can the condominium foreclose on my unit? My mortgage payments are up to date, and I called my lender who said, ‘no, they cannot foreclose.’ What do you say? I wrote a letter to the board asking for a payment plan in January of this year, but I have not received a response as of yet. I know I owe the money, but I was sick for a period of time. I am planning to pay the back fees with my taxes. Read More
Q&A: D&O vs. General Liability
Our co-op has a question about our various insurance policies. Our insurance agent has recommended to the board that we keep our D&O coverage separate from our general liability coverage. I understand that some commercial general liability policies include D&O so is there a standard approach or policy for this type of scenario? Read More
Q&A: Rights to Building Insurance Certificates
I own a co-op unit in Jackson Heights, and recently I asked to get a copy of my building’s insurance policy. The board’s management told me that they only give this information out when an owner is buying, selling or refinancing—none of which I’m doing. Am I entitled to this information? If so, how can I compel my management company to allow my access to it?” Read More
Q&A: New Construction Woes
Last year, I bought a brand new condo from a builder in Brooklyn. The disaster started from the first day I moved in. After I remodeled and thought that I could enjoy it, I found that there isn’t any insulation between the walls, firewall, and the electrical and plumbing were done incorrectly. We received a letter from our builder’s attorney asking us to let him in to make repairs. In his letter, he admits that his workers did not do the job properly. About 10 units of the 30 units allowed him to make repairs. Read More
Q&A: Noise in a New Construction
“When I purchased my apartment in Brooklyn, noise was a concern of mine. I was told by the sales team and the builders that noise was not a problem. But now with people moving in, I hear closet and kitchen doors closing, people walking barefoot, babies crying. Normal sounds penetrate not only from above, but from next door and above the apartment next door. I’ve done some electrical work in the apartment and noticed in certain places there was insulation missing and spacing where the sheetrock meets the floor. The vents are a nightmare as you can hear people having normal conversation just as if they were in your apartment. Several complaints are pouring in. Is there anything we can do?” Read More
