Groucho Marx once famously said, “I wouldn’t belong to any club that would have me as a member.” Not so for many in the world of co-ops, condos, and HOAs. Shared communities often (if not usually) have an application process required for p…
This publication spends a lot of time exploring and explaining the duties and purpose of multifamily boards—the benefits and drawbacks of serving on them, and even the difficulty that many buildings and communities have with motivating owne…
For many co-op and condominium buildings in New York, making necessary repairs under the City’s many local laws requires cooperation from neighboring - often physically adjacent - buildings. You may need access to your neighbor’s roof, or a…
As if New York co-op and condo communities weren’t under enough pressure from sluggish sales, high interest rates, and the ever-increasing volume of work required to comply with environmental requirements like Local Law 97, Governor Kathy H…
The governing documents of a cooperative, condominium, or homeowners association spell out the rules, regulations, and administrative policies that all residents and board members alike are obligated to follow as a condition of their reside…
Board approval has been part and parcel of buying into an NYC co-op since the housing model was introduced in the late 1800s. Boards can demand troves of personal information from buyers, and can approve or deny a purchase for just about an…
Perhaps you’ve watched an episode of Law & Order , or one of the many other shows shot in and around the New York City metro, and wondered how the producers select buildings for location shoots. Maybe you’ve even wondered whether your …
According to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised in Brief (2005), “The holding of assemblies of the elders, fighting men, or people of a tribe, community, or city to make decisions or render opinion on important matters is doubtless a cus…
Whether living in a crowded high-rise or a sprawling suburban community, when it comes to condos, co-ops and homeowners’ associations, safety is paramount. From management to the board to fellow residents, it falls to everyone to show conce…
In 2017, a Boston couple were brutally murdered in their penthouse apartment in a high-end condominium building. The murderer, the former employee of a company that supplied concierge services to the condo, had worked there, and so knew the…