Riverhead’s fight with a Baiting Hollow community over road maintenance and repairs continues. The Town Board last month authorized outside counsel to appeal a trial court judgment in favor of the Oak Hills Association earlier this year in costly litigation dating back to 2016. Read the article………………………..
City Seeks to Tighten Garage Inspections After Deadly Collapse
One good turn deserves another. As the first round of the city’s new six-year cycle of mandatory garage inspections draws to a close, the city council is considering even tighter rules — in response to the parking garage collapse in April in Lower Manhattan that killed one and injured five. Read the article………………………..
Roofing Contractor in $3.7M Stalemate with Suburban NYC Condo Complex
A 157-unit condominium complex in Westchester County, NY, is fighting with the roofing contractor firm hired for a reroof of its 15 buildings in the hamlet of Hartsdale, located in Greenburgh, a commuter suburb of New York City, at a cost of $3.7 million. Read the article………………………..
Western Queens co-op/condo owners learn about costs of new climate law at town hall event (NY)
More than 150 concerned western Queens residents attended a town hall event in Sunnyside on Wednesday, July 26, to learn about a new climate law that is likely to impose hefty costs on the owners of older co-op and condo buildings — and how to rally against its implementation. Read the article………………………..
Some relief available for NYC co-ops and condos as they approach year-end deadline for climate law upgrades (NY)
Time is running out for New York City co-op and condo owners to upgrade inefficient, fossil fuel-burning heating and cooling systems as mandated under city Local Law 97 — or face stiff penalties. Read the article………………………..
My 55+ Community Is Discriminating Against Me. What Power Do I Have? (NY)
Q: My husband and I own a condo in a 55-plus community on Long Island. He likes to golf, while I like to use the complex’s outdoor pool. Our homeowners association just made a rule that single owners can bring a guest to the pool, but married couples have to bring their spouse, or no […]
NYC co-op and condo owners face expensive dilemma in upgrading buildings to meet new climate law
New York City condo owners and co-op managers may soon learn that there are other major costs to climate change beyond hotter summers, stronger storms, flash floods and apocalyptic smoke. Read the article………………………..
Co-op and Condo Boards Are Getting the Jump on Garage Inspections (NY)
When a poorly maintained, century-old parking garage collapsed in Lower Manhattan on April 18, killing one person and injuring five others, alarms sounded in co-op and condo board rooms across the city. “That was definitely a wake-up call,” says Eric Cowley, principal at Cowley Engineering and one of 52 city-approved inspectors of parking structures. “We […]
Looming Climate Law Has Co-op and Condo Owners Fretting About Funds to Retrofit Buildings (NY)
Property owners with lower or fixed incomes are scrambling to fund renovations to comply with a city climate law that requires buildings to reduce their carbon emissions. They say the city has not provided viable financing options, or explained what mitigating factors could ease potential noncompliance penalties for the law that’s set to take effect […]
Queens lawmaker’s bills aimed at preserving affordability for NYC co-op, condo homeowners passes state legislature (NY)
Two bills sponsored by Assemblyman Edward Braunstein to provide tax relief to middle-class New York City cooperative and condominium owners have been passed in the Assembly and Senate. Read the article………………………..
State Funds to Help Disadvantaged Co-ops Cut Their Carbon Emissions (NY)
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is making $10 million available to advance carbon-neutral building projects and economic development in disadvantaged communities throughout the state, Crain’s reports. Read the article………………………..
Airbnb Files Suit Over Law Curbing Short-Term Rentals (NY)
Co-op and condo boards applauded earlier this year when the city enacted Local Law 18, which was designed to cut down on the scourge of illegal short-term apartment rentals in their buildings. Read the article………………………..
Legislature Extends Co-op and Condo Property Tax Abatement to 2026 (NY)
The state Legislature on Thursday passed a bill — which Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to sign into law — that will keep the cherished co-op and condo property tax abatement alive until at least 2026. Read the article………………………..
Eric Trump dumped millions of dollars in fees on tenants after condo deal: lawsuit
Trump World Tower resident Johanna Beiter filed a lawsuit against the condo board, of which Eric Trump is a member, saying he approved the conversion with little notice to condo owners and without giving them an opportunity to appeal. Read the article………………………..
Judge blocks building’s construction at Spring Valley condo complex pending lawsuit review (NY)
The condo board’s lawsuit filed on May 2 involves Rockland County, Spring Valley, the property owner and the condominium’s board of managers, which opposes the construction. Read the article………………………..
Stalled Condo Tower Near Wall Street Doesn’t Just Tilt — FDNY Declared it a Hazard (NY)
….four years after it was first scheduled to open, the promised upscale high-rise remained an empty hulk, its upper floors open to the elements, most of its glass wall exterior yet to be installed. This was 161 Maiden Lane — shut down by its owner midway through construction after the discovery that the entire structure […]
NYC co-op owners, covering over 800K apartments, rebel against massive climate law costing millions
Middle-class co-op and condo building owners covering 800,000-plus apartments are rebelling against a massive city climate mandate — a green tax they claim will substantially hike housing maintenance bills to either pay for millions of dollars in upgrades or face gigantic fines beginning next year. Read the article………………………..
“Passive house” condo cracking, leaking: lawsuit (NY)
Residents of Nava Partners’ energy-efficient Brooklyn condo claim the forward-thinking construction got some things backwards. The condo board sued Stewart Osborne and David Ruff’s development company for $5 million last week, alleging the Boerum Hill project suffered from faulty construction and lousy materials. Read the article………………………..
There’s a semi-secret list of NYC co-op and condo buildings that are off limits to certain mortgage lenders (NY)
Imagine a New York City co-op or condo building that certain lenders won’t touch: It could be a nightmare situation for a buyer, seller, and the building in general. That scenario is the new reality for nearly 40 apartment buildings in NYC that appear on a list putting them off limits for Fannie Mae lenders […]
Co-op Board Keeps Pandemic Ban on Door-to-Door Deliveries (NY)
Q: At an 80-unit Upper West Side co-op in a doorman building, the board restricted food deliveries when the pandemic hit — three years ago! — holding them at the front door and requiring shareholders to come down and retrieve them. While many buildings have rescinded similar policies as the pandemic fades, this board has refused […]
Co-op and Condo Boards Are Wondering: Is Our Money Safe?
In the wake of the second- and third-largest bank collapses in U.S. history — and the ensuing tumble of stock markets around the world — jittery co-op and condo boards in New York City are asking a chilling question: Is our money safe? Read the article………………………..
Strike looms for thousands of co-op, condo workers (NY)
The union representing porters, maintenance crews and other building service workers is set to go on strike if they don’t reach a contract agreement…….Building service workers picketed outside of the Skyview Apartments on the Hudson River, saying that the board wanted to extend the deal with the union with no pay increase. Read the article………………………..
Unit-owners Sue Central Part West Condo Board Over Costly Improvements (NY)
Angry unit-owners at the Vaux, a 413-unit postwar high-rise condominium at Central Park West at 97th Street, have taken the condo board to court in a dispute over the cost of a heating upgrade and repairs to elevators and balconies. Read the article………………………..
East Hampton Town to Sue Condo Complex (NY)
After two stop-work orders were either ignored or slow-rolled earlier this year, the Town of East Hampton is suing The Landings in Montauk, a marina-condo complex located at 408 West Lake Drive, alleging that the complex has exceeded construction-related approvals and committed other violations of the town zoning code. Read the article………………………..
Worker dies in fall from Delaware Tower Condos (NY)
Aworker died in a fall at the Delaware Tower Condominiums at 1088 Delaware Ave. on Monday afternoon, Buffalo police said Wednesday. The worker “fell from a seventh-story patio while working on the building Read the article………………………..
Bulging Facade Forces Evacuation of Chinatown Building (NY)
Today we offer a reminder that all building owners, including co-op and condo boards, must ensure the safety of their buildings — even if they don’t fall under the mandatory five-year inspection and repair cycle of the Facade Inspection and Safety Program (FISP), formerly known as Local Law 11. Read the article………………………..
Bill Would Ease Restrictions on Rooftop Solar Installations (NY)
Money isn’t the only obstacle for co-op and condo boards that want to install solar panels on their roofs as a way reducing their buildings’ carbon emissions. Strict regulations by the Fire Department of New York often make it impractical to install solar panels, especially on smaller roofs. Read the article………………………..
Residents at Somers condo, site of fatal 2022 fire, said broken hydrant is in urgent need of repairs (NY)
Residents in the Heritage Hills Condos in Somers are furious over a fire hydrant that has been out of service for almost a year. They say they have tried for months to get it fixed to no avail. Read the article………………………..
Problem Solved: Avoiding Fines by Combining Roof and Facade Projects (NY)
Caution, fines ahead. When the Climate Mobilization Act’s Local Law 97 goes into effect next year, we’re seeing fines into the hundreds of thousands of dollars for buildings that don’t do any retrofits. We’re working with a very progressive board on the Upper East Side, a high rise building, and this board wanted to reduce […]
Video Doorbells Present a Conundrum for Co-op and Condo Boards (NY)
Q: A shareholder in a small co-op recently installed a video doorbell. A neighbor across the hall fears she’s being watched, possibly even listened to. Does the co-op board have the power to ban video doorbells? Read the Q&A……………………………….
Families displaced by Peekskill condo complex fire receive financial help from Salvation Army (NY)
Eleven people went to the Salvation Army in Peekskill to get money to help them get back on their feet after a fire destroyed their homes at the Hillcrest Park Condo’s last month. Read the article………………………..
Bill Seeks to Push Local Law 97 Fines Back by 7 Years (NY)
Vickie Paladino, a Republican who represents northeastern Queens on the New York City Council, has introduced a bill that seeks to push next year’s fines under Local Law 97 back by seven years. Beginning in 2024, buildings that fail to reduce their carbon emissions to prescribed levels are scheduled to face stiff fines. The carbon […]
Blooming Grove housing developers have defied DEC stop work orders for months (NY)
New York state may be gearing up to take stronger enforcement action against a group of developers in charge of a large-scale housing project in Orange County after they defied six stop-work orders issued by the Department of Environmental Conservation since May. Read the article………………………..
Middle Island couple ‘disheartened’ by lack of progress months after fire wrecked condo (NY)
A Middle Island couple whose condo was destroyed in a fire days before their wedding is still on the difficult road of rebuilding their home months later. Amanda Cappiello and her then fiancé lost their condo and everything in it after a fire in April of last year, just five days before their wedding. Read […]
Firefighters rescue person trapped inside burning Peekskill condo complex (NY)
Firefighters made a dramatic rescue of a person trapped inside a burning condo complex early this morning. Fire officials say the flames broke out just before 2 a.m. at the Building Three of the Hillcrest Park Condominiums on Rolling Way, and has since become a two-alarm fire. Read the article………………………..
Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoes bill to close NY tax loophole for condo owners
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has vetoed a bill that would have closed a loophole in state law that gives tax breaks to owners of big suburban homes classified as condominiums. Read the article………………………..
City Releases “Final” Rules on Compliance With Local Law 97 (NY)
The other shoe has dropped — sort of. After releasing draft rules and holding a public hearing, the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) has issued final, though incomplete, rules on how co-op and condo boards can comply with Local Law 97, the centerpiece of the Climate Mobilization Act. Read the article………………………..
Toll Brothers pays Town of Fishkill for outstanding bills (NY)
Developer Toll Brothers has paid the Town of Fishkill the more than $352,000 it owned for water and sewer service. The payment satisfies outstanding bills owed to the town by the developer, based on an agreement approved earlier this year to bring to a close the long-standing issue over payment. Read the article………………………..
Hoboken condo assoc. reveals email from Mukherji in quest to stop Story, files new suit (NY)
The 51-53 14th Street Condominium Association, Inc. has included a new email from Assemblyman Raj Mukherji (D-33) to several involved with Story Dispensary as part of their quest to stop the project, which occurred shortly before a new lawsuit was filed. Read the article………………………..
SUV Driver Sues Upper East Side Condo For Blocking Her Parking Spot (NY)
A luxury Yorkville condo building broke promises when it gave a woman a parking spot too small for her bulky SUV, she alleges in a new suit. Read the article………………………..
Residents at Parkchester condominium complex report no water for days (NY)
Residents in eight buildings at a condominium complex in Parkchester have expressed frustration of not having water for multiple days. Read the article………………………..
Condo board sues Glenwood, calling luxury Manhattan project “hazardous” (NY)
Unit owners at Glenwood Management’s first condo project might wish the developer had stuck to rentals. Five years after the developer entered the condo market with a project at 60 East 86th Street, the board claims the 19-story offering on Upper East Side with 14 units is coming undone — and it wants Glenwood to […]
SUV Driver Sues Upper East Side Condo For Blocking Her Parking Spot (NY)
A luxury Yorkville condo building broke a promise to one of its residents by giving her a parking spot too small for her bulky SUV, the resident alleges in a new lawsuit. Read the article………………………..
Homeowners’ associations no longer allowed to prevent installation of electric charging stations on private property (NY)
Clean transportation has been something New York State has been working towards, and Governor Kathy Hochul recently took steps to get there. A new law passed that helps to remove barriers to the installation of vehicle charging stations. The overall goal is for the state to reach 850,000 zero-emission vehicles by 2025. After that goal […]
Virtual Town Hall to Help Co-ops and Condos Comply With Local Law 97 (NY)
State Senator Liz Krueger and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine will host a virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. to lay out technical and financial resources available to co-op and condo boards as they strive to cut their buildings’ carbon emissions enough to comply with Local Law 97. Read the […]
Beaver Pond residents in Saratoga Springs want development work completed (NY)
This winter the Department of Public Works will plow the roads that make up the Beaver Pond Village development, but the plow drivers will have to watch for lifted manhole covers since the streets don’t have top coats. Lack of road top coats is just one item on a list of things Chris Baldwin and […]
New York Won’t Allow HOA’s to Ban Electric Car Charging Stations
In a press release on Tuesday, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she had signed legislation that would prevent homeowners’ associations from prohibiting charging stations for electric vehicles. Read the article………………………..
Staten Island man sent to Rikers Island in $500K condo board feud; ‘A broken man’ says his wife (NY)
Something about New York’s legal system doesn’t seem right to Joseph Riccardi, who is jailed because he won’t spend up to $500,000 to meet the demands of his Staten Island condo board. Read the article………………………..
A Motion to Hold Town Trustees in Civil Contempt Over Truck Beach (NY)
On Monday, Stephen Angel, representing five homeowners associations, asked the New York State Supreme Court to hold the trustees in civil contempt of the Appellate Division’s Feb. 3, 2021, ruling that overturned the court’s 2016 decision holding that the trustees’ 1882 conveyance of some 1,000 acres on Napeague to Arthur Benson reserved the public’s right […]
Neighbors demand Medford complex increase security after at least 4 vehicles had tires slashed (NY)
Residents of the Blue Ridge Condominium Complex say the issue has been happening for over a year. Cars in separate parking lots of the complex were vandalized. Read the article………………………..