Sooner or later, your building will probably have to undergo an exterior maintenance, renovation or repair project—especially since Local Law 11 was passed in 1998, mandating periodic inspections of exterior walls of any building more …
In a city known for its tall buildings, two kinds of structures loom almost as large as the buildings themselves—construction sheds (normally called a sidewalk shed) and scaffolds. Everyone has seen these familiar blue plywood platform…
In a city that is made for walking, few stop to pause and look beneath their feet at the sidewalks that lead them uptown, downtown and crosstown. But these sidewalks—all 12,000 miles of them—form the arteries at the heart of New York. …
New York City is a beautiful place, but let’s face facts—it gets pretty dirty. All the fumes from countless trucks and cars letting off exhaust leave a layer of grim on buildings so thick that in many cases, it’s impossible to know jus…
The city can be a tough place to navigate even for the most able-bodied New Yorkers. For the elderly, those with disabilities, or anyone whose mobility has been compromised by illness or injury—even temporarily—getting into their own b…
The inspections and repairs required by the city’s Local Law 11 are often viewed by buildings as a costly hassle, but they can also been seen as an opportunity to make necessary improvements to your building’s façade, and to keep the a…
The nine villages and several unincorporated communities that make up the city of Great Neck are steeped in history. F. Scott Fitzgerald chose Great Neck as the setting for his famous novel, The Great Gatsby, and even though the area …
They say that two heads are better than one—but what about eight? It seems that when a group of people in the same line of work get together to discuss what they do and how they do it, they often come away with new information, fresh p…
Anyone who has ever gazed at the Manhattan skyline knows how much architecture has shaped the heart of New York City. It’s no surprise then that the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA New York) has grown into…
Q My co-op has a balloon mortgage that will burst in approximately 5-6 years if not refinanced. We were told that the lender will not allow a refinancing for at least another year, if not longer, and has refused to do one for the past …
Q I have been an apartment owner in a Woodside cooperative since 1985. Presently, we shareholders are faced with the problem of an overly controlling board. I am looking for an explanation, in layman’s terms, of ARTICLE III, title…
Q At our recent annual meeting we were shocked to learn that a single shareholder had, without any discussion, filed a complaint with the NYC or NYS over the absence of a ramp or some other special equipment (lift or elevator, possibly)…
Q I am a rent-stabilized tenant in a co-op building. I was a tenant in the building before it became a co-op, and have had numerous problems with the owners. Currently at the top of my list is a discrepancy over my security depos…