When it comes to something as valuable as the place we call home, almost any dispute has the potential to turn into a legal crisis—and that goes double for New Yorkers. For tenants and landlords, these issues usually arise over problem…
While most residential buildings in the city are either purely rental or purely co-op/condo, there are many co-op and condo buildings that are home to rental tenants. This usually is the result of the building converting from rental to…
Q I’m currently the vice president for our co-op, a 334-unit community on Long Island. We’re having difficulties with two of our board members. One has been on the board for five years, and has been very destructive. For example, this b…
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…
Q I have been a shareholder in my Brooklyn co-op since 1986, and am facing a problem that has come up since my husband’s death almost 18 months ago. My husband was an active participant on our board of directors—past president, vice pre…
Question: When reviewing applications from prospective purchasers, can a co-op board treat a married couple differently from an unmarried one without running afoul of New York’s discrimination laws? Answer: Possibly. While court…
In its last meeting of 2005, the New York City Council enacted legislation to make the city a quieter, cleaner and more environmentally-friendly place to live. Perhaps one of the major initiatives sought by the mayor’s office was revis…
Several interesting court decisions regarding co-ops and condos were made during the latter part of 2005. The decisions received some commentary, but perhaps not the attention that they deserve. In a condo case, the Appellate Court tha…