2007 Mar
Focus on... Exterior Maintenance

Exterior Good Light and No Sounds
2007 Mar Good Light and No Sounds

Few things matter more to a co-op or condo owner than living in a place with good light and a good view. That's why windows serve as one of the biggest selling points and most important physical aspects of a building. The right windows c…

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Exterior Swinging Off of Skyscrapers
2007 Mar Swinging Off of Skyscrapers

 Every time a co-op or condo building needs exterior  work - an occurrence more regular now than a quarter century  ago - a group of highly-trained, highly-specialized, and extremely  brave professionals arrive to carry out the project.…

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Exterior Surface 101
2007 Mar Surface 101

The facades of New York City's residential buildings are part of what gives the city its character. From historic brownstones to modern high-rises with glass-curtain walls, New York City's buildings are recognizable to people around the wor…

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Exterior Your Roof-Lounge or My Library?
2007 Mar Your Roof-Lounge or My Library?

If you flip through the advertisements for new condo buildings in the real estate section of New York magazine or Time Out NY, you've probably noticed that more and more developers are including well-appointed libraries, residents-only soci…

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Exterior Keeping Your Curb Appeal
2007 Mar Keeping Your Curb Appeal

Curb appeal plays a large role in determining a property's value and it is the first thing anyone notices about your co-op or condo building. But beyond aesthetics, proper maintenance is necessary to protect residences, grounds and common a…

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Real Estate Trends Staging for Success
2007 Mar Staging for Success

No matter what real estate market we find ourselves in, we all know that it's never easy to sell a home. In the last several years, a new trend has emerged in the real estate arena that is said to help homeowners sell their houses or apartm…

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Exterior Preserving the New York City Skyline
2007 Mar Preserving the New York City Skyline

New York City's skyline is like none other and has a blend of classic and modern architecture that defines itself as one of the world's greatest cities. Beset by the vagaries of weather and age, though, even the finest brick, limestone…

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Organizations Rock of Ages
2007 Mar Rock of Ages

In an age of tinted-glass curtain walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, and ubiquitous vinyl siding, it may be comforting to know that the granddaddy of all building materials—natural stone, quarried from the earth and hewn by hand in some cases…

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Maintenance Who's Responsible
2007 Mar Who's Responsible

As the cycle of work from the most recent Local Law 11 deadline expires, buildings inevitably must resolve issues over fees they owe to the contractors who did the work, completion of the work and questions about the quality of the …

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Maintenance Safety in Numbers
2007 Mar Safety in Numbers

Over the past five years, we've driven crime down to historic lows. And as our city's crime rate continues to fall, positive economic indicators continue to rise. One of greatest signs of confidence in our city's future is the record number…

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Neighborhoods A Happening Place
2007 Mar A Happening Place

Want to know what it is like to live in the Murray Hill section of Manhattan—that strip between Madison and Third avenues that runs roughly between 29th and 38th streets? You could ask someone who lives there, but be forewarned - th…

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Interior Leak Lessons: A True Story
2007 Mar Leak Lessons: A True Story

Leaks happen all the time. American Leak Detection, a nationwide company (unrelated to the Scooter Libby trial), claims to have discovered 1.4 million leaks last year alone—and that's just one company! Common as they are, leaks can cause qu…

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Q&A Q&A: Asset Transfer on Death
2007 Mar Q&A: Asset Transfer on Death

Q For estate planning purposes, my wife is the sole owner of our co-op. A recent change to the New York State law permits assets to be transferred on death by use of a “Transfer on Death” designation. Like a trust, this avoids probat…

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Q&A Q&A: Altering Meeting Minutes
2007 Mar Q&A: Altering Meeting Minutes

Q I would like to know if the board has the right to alter minutes given to the  shareholders, because there were questions raised at meetings that they would  not answer and are left out of the minutes. Are there any regulations governin…

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Q&A Q&A: Co-op Rules v. Sponsor Units
2007 Mar Q&A: Co-op Rules v. Sponsor Units

Q Our building is 75 percent shareholders, 25 percent sponsor units (renters). The  sponsor units fall under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA) of 1974. My  question is, doesn’t everyone in the building, shareholders and sponsor u…

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Q&A Q&A: Foaming Over Washing Machines
2007 Mar Q&A: Foaming Over Washing Machines

Q In our Queens co-op (containing 68 apartments) we do not allow laundry washing  machines. A few owners have had them from years back, others have recently  renovated and installed washing machines in their apartments.    This cau…

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