Big purchases come with big reams of paperwork...it’s frustrating, but a fact of life. For co-op shareholders and condo owners, that concept can equate to hundreds of pages of documents outlining everything from the financial status of the…
In any co-op or condo association, as with any decision-making body, meetings are essential for influencers to gather and make choices that best represent the interests of their communities. However, these meetings do not—and cannot—…
There is an old adage that claims, "The more things change, the more they stay the same," and that is not a happy thought for a board of directors or an association looking to change property management firms. The turmoil of replacing a ma…
Accessing a Building's Financial Records Q “I live in a co-op on Long Island and I ran for a board position this year. The current board and resident manager spread some vicious rumors about me to keep me off the board. I’m very con…
When electing board members to serve on behalf of your condo or co-op community, you expect them to act as crusaders for prosperity, considering the needs of the building and the people who live there to be paramount when making their deci…
In a dense urban or sprawling suburban environment, people can still feel isolated. While high-rise residential buildings and suburban subdivisions put many people and families in very close proximity to one another, living side-by-side do…
Bad neighbors are something that everyone living with shared walls fears—and not without cause; co-op or condo, small or large, chances are there's at least one chronically objectionable person who seems to do his or her level best to anno…
It's a truism that's been phrased many ways by many wise people: “A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.” That's the case in any number of situations, but it's especially applicable to the administration…
From the Magna Carta to the U.S. Constitution, written documents have helped shape the way people live and interact with one another for centuries. The fundamental documents that establish co-ops and condos have that same importance in bui…
The candidates. The issues. The campaigns. Excitement and suspense are built into just about every election, including those of co-op and condo board members. In fact, those elections can stir even more emotion given the impact they may ha…