2013 August
Focus on... Insurance/Board Training

Insurance Insuring Honesty and Integrity
2013 August Insuring Honesty and Integrity

When you decide to run for a board, you’re usually thinking about all the great changes you’re going to make to your building, along with all the time and effort that you’re prepared to sacrifice for the good of your home. Of th…

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Insurance Escalating Insurance and Your Contractor
2013 August Escalating Insurance and Your Contractor

In pretty much all states except New York, if someone doing construction work is injured on the job, workers’ compensation insurance will take effect and cover all medical expenses and lost wages. Here, according to a spokesp…

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Insurance Understanding Your Insurance Policy's Fine-Print
2013 August Understanding Your Insurance Policy's Fine-Print

Suddenly, the room was shaking and the plants around Ron Tepperman’s desk were moving—it took a second for him to register what was happening. Until a real live earthquake shook the city and created panic along the East Coast, that grou…

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Board Operations Get to Know Your Board
2013 August Get to Know Your Board

Most co-op and condo residents have taken part in at least a few annual board elections, and perhaps, they’ve even served on committees, or volunteered on behalf of their building in some other capacity. But those who’ve never taken a s…

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Board Operations This Old Board
2013 August This Old Board

Being on a board of a condo or co-op is no picnic. There are tons of decisions to be made, disputes to settle, finances to keep track of and a chance of being sued for a slip-up. So why do so many people decide to serve on a board—some …

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Board Operations The Democratic Way
2013 August The Democratic Way

Freelance photographer Jocelyn A. lives in a charming, post-war brick townhouse community of over 1,600 units and a $3 million annual budget. She receives a monthly newsletter with over 20 pages of everything to keep residents informed,…

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Management All in a Days Work
2013 August All in a Days Work

Property management, in the broadest of terms, is defined as the operation, control and oversight of real estate. Most property managers would agree that definition is just a starting point. There are many facets to the demandin…

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Maintenance Elevator Repair and Replacement
2013 August Elevator Repair and Replacement

 Any building in New York City taller than, say, five stories usually has an  elevator—and often, new buildings of even three stories have one. If you live in a New  York-area co-op or condo apartment building, chances are that you use an …

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Finance A Capital Idea
2013 August A Capital Idea

 These days, just about everyone is cutting back on spending, either to make ends  meet, saving for something special or a rainy day, paying off debt or funding  their retirement. Consumers are cutting coupons, looking for deals and keepin…

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Design Floor Me
2013 August Floor Me

 In New York City, people spend a lot of time looking around. Tourists gaze at the  skyscrapers, fashionistas window-shop and traders peruse the markets. But not  much thought is probably given to our homes and the floors beneath our feet.…

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Real Estate Trends It's Too Darn Hot!
2013 August It's Too Darn Hot!

 A glance at a chart of average temperatures in New York City during the summer  months (not withstanding the recent heat wave we’ve had) reveals typically it gets into the 80s during the daytime in July and  August, and cools off at night…

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Q&A Q & A: Right to Inspect
2013 August Q & A: Right to Inspect

Under New York law, does a landlord have a general right to inspect leased residential premises in the absence of a specific lease provision granting that right? Assuming no written lease, no specific agreement on the issue, and that th…

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Q&A Q & A: Dealing with Criminal Elements
2013 August Q & A: Dealing with Criminal Elements

I am president of a co-op board in Queens, NY. It has come to my attention that a sexual predator moved in with his son, who owns the apartment. I informed my security team and they are watching him very closely since there are children…

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Board Operations On Board
2013 August On Board

Bob Ricken: North Shore Towers, Queens The Building : North Shore Towers & Country Club, a cooperative spread out over 110 acres, commands the highest point in Queens with views of the Empire State Building, Long Island Sound and…

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