Social distancing, lockdowns, quarantine, remote work, distance learning—these once unfamiliar terms have changed the way we live our everyday lives in the time of a global pandemic. In a society where a handshake is the social gesture that…
Every co-op, condo, and HOA must elect a board of directors to oversee the community’s finances, physical maintenance, and other day-to- day operations. While board elections don’t rise quite to the level of a state or even local election i…
Q Until last year, our board was elected at the general meeting, with shareholder votes weighted by the number of shares they owned, and with these votes cast as one vote each for seven of the candidates (that being the total number of …
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…
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,…
It is an annual rite of passage for owners of co-ops and condos. Once a year or thereabouts, they gather in a common area—in my co-op in Astoria it was the basement, right off the washers and dryers—and vote for next year’s board. Someti…
Q My co-op has not had elections in many years, as the number of candidates always equals the number of seats on the board. This year, however, there will be more candidates than seats. Someone mentioned that we are supposed to have cumu…
Imagine that your building's sponsor has planted a friend or business partner in one of the units he owns in the building. This shareholder then decides to run for a seat on the board and with the help of the sponsor, wins. In addition t…