Managing a cooperative or condominium apartment building in New York would be a piece of cake… if weren’t for all those people. “The bricks and mortar is easy,” says Margie Russell, managing director of the New York Association…
Q “My boyfriend and I live in a co-op apartment. The mortgage is in my name but he is listed as a co-resident of the apt. If we break up, is there a chance that we would have to sell the co-op to split the ownership of shares? What l…
Everybody sometimes disagrees with the decisions of their co-op or condo board. Maybe the choice to rearrange the garbage receptacles out front seems ridiculous, or the ongoing clattering of machinery on the roof is driving the top-flo…
Lee Iacocca once said that if you want a sound company, “You start with good people, lay out the rules, communicate with your employees, motivate them and reward them. If you do all those things effectively, you can’t miss.” Id…
Q I have used my sister’s co-op apartment as my primary residence for 12 years. She holds the proprietary lease and owns the shares but she has never lived here. Recently the old co-op board was replaced, and the new board is tryi…
The Cooperator headquarters in Midtown Manhattan again played host to a group of real estate industry professionals gathered to discuss their strategies and challenges, trade anecdotes (both the positive and not-so-positive), and me…
Lawsuits are an unfortunate, often expensive fact of life these days, and co-op and condo communities are not immune from seeing the inside of a courtroom, or at least a lawyer's office suite. An issue that arises between a resident and …
Q From downstairs at times I can hear the kids who live in the apartment above me jumping around. The owner has a rug down sometimes, but not at others. The board president has hardwood floors, even though it says in the bylaws that …
Unless you’re a Broadway star, the thought of having a spotlight pointed at you probably is not that appealing. No doubt, most prospective co-op buyers feel that kind of “center of attention” pressure when it comes time to go before the boa…
Q My co-op is about to engage in a multi-million dollar upgrade energy project. The board president has decided to not let myself (a newly elected member of the board) and any shareholder access to review the documents on this project. …