In New York, they are called superintendents. In Florida, they are called maintenance supervisors. Other places call them supers or building engineers. No matter which title they answer to, these are the employees who are responsible for th…
Approximately one year ago in response to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at five buildings in the Bronx, New York City passed the most comprehensive and toughest law in the country for the monitoring of cooling towers and their mandat…
Northeasterners are a tough breed, but even they have to deal with dark days and nights—and they need an action plan in case of a blackout. This was evidenced by the blackout of 2003. In August of that year, a series of power failures overl…
Donald Trump makes it look so easy. “You’re fired,” he declares firmly, terminating an aspiring apprentice from the popular reality TV series, who will never be seen from again. In reality (and reality TV is not reality), the issue of ter…
My stove failed to work. I called in the maintenance person in my building. He said that the shut off valve is useless. He will have to turn off the gas elsewhere. I bought a new stove from P.C. Richards. The technician told me that the pre…
The New York City rules for heating are confusing. For example, from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., if the outdoor temperature is below 40 degrees, the indoor temperature must be at least 55 degrees. Taken literally, this means that if the outdoo…
Every day, resident manager Peter Grech runs a building systems check, makes himself available for the residents to ask questions or let him know if there are any problems, and holds brief meetings with his handymen and other staff members…
It's been said that there is strength in numbers and there have long been organizations that strive to strengthen and clarify the roles of owners, residents, and managers in condos and co-ops. One vitally important professional—the superin…
A cold, wet spring turned quickly into a hot, humid summer rife with thunderstorms and localized flooding throughout the northeast. As autumn starts to paint the region’s foliage, building community and association boards and managers are …