A Central Park West condo board is suing the city in an attempt to put the brakes on plans for a protected bike lane on their ritzy Manhattan street. The suit filed by residents of 25 Central Park West in Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday charges that the city’s Department of Transportation is violating state […]
J-51 Tax Abatement Extended and Expanded (NY)
More co–op and condo owners will now have the opportunity to join a previously expired tax abatement program, thanks to a bill signed into law earlier this month, Qns.com reports. The J–51 tax abatement, which helps co-ops and condos make costly capital improvements, now allows properties with an assessed value of up to $40,000 to […]
Will a Condo Owner Be Liable for a Delinquent Neighbor Not Paying Property Taxes? (NY)
Q. I own a condo unit in Queens, New York, with more than 500 units. I noticed an increase in my quarterly tax bill, which had a note at the end that stated, “Please contact your managing agent so that the delinquent charges are paid to avoid the possibility of being included in the next […]
Ten Days in May (NY)
This is not a Hollywood thriller about seven days in May. This is the astounding true story of a recent ten-day drama at a 47-unit co-op in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, sparked by a gas leak which, if not successfully addressed, would have changed the life of every shareholder in the co-op. Read the article………………….
Clinton Hill Co-op’s Long Nightmare Is Over (NY)
An impassioned battle to keep a live-in handyman from being evicted from his rent-free apartment in the Clinton Hill Cooperative has been resolved. The handyman, Hector Caballero, and his family will be allowed to stay in their home of 19 years – but they must start paying a below-market rent, Patch reports. Read the article………………………
Co-op Board Members Charged With Taking $874,000 in Bribes (NY)
Two co-op board members and an office manager at the affordable Luna Park Houses on Coney Island have been indicted for accepting $874,000 in cash bribes to get ineligible applicants into apartments, NBC News reports. Read the article……………………….
‘Nuts’ UWS man who sued his condo board blasted as NYC’s ‘worst neighbor’
He’s the Lord of the Gadflies. James Miller holds his luxury Upper West Side high-rise accountable for everything he can think of — and then some — from security, sidewalk cracks, pool temperature, squeaky elevators and tree removal to unfriendly employees and how the snow is shoveled. Read the article……………………..
Free Deck and Retaining-Wall Inspections Now Available (NY)
It happened in 2005, when a retaining wall at the Castle Village co-op in the Hudson Heights neighborhood in upper Manhattan collapsed, sending dirt and debris cascading onto the Henry Hudson Parkway. In happened again in 2014, when a retaining wall at the Hudson Courts co-op in Yonkers gave way, burying a northbound track on […]
Could Queens lawmaker’s ‘green deal’ cost co-ops and condo owners across city huge bucks? (NY)
Astoria Councilman Costa Constantinides maintains that the Climate Mobilization Act he sponsored in the City Council aims to make the city greener — but a group representing co-op and condo owners citywide fears it will hit their bank accounts quite hard. Read the article…………………….
Kafka Near the Long Island Shore (NY)
Three consecutive boards of the Spring Meadows cooperative, a 167-unit townhouse community in Hauppauge, Long Island, learned that capital projects can drag on. And on. In this case, the board spent 18 years tiptoeing around the demands of town and county bureaucrats. Read the article………………………..
Condo Board at 865 UN Plaza Overcomes a Trio of Tricky Problems (NY)
When Leonard Barish of John P. Lovett & Associates began managing 865 UN Plaza in 2016, he was greeted by a trio of vexing problems. First, the red-brick facade of the 16-story pre-war luxury condominium in the Turtle Bay neighborhood was in need of serious repair. Second, many of the 87 unit-owners were months behind […]
Day of Reckoning for Trump Tower and Other Energy Hogs (NY)
Today’s the day. The New York City Council is expected to approve a bill that will require most co-op and condo boards to undertake costly retrofits to reduce their buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions. Known as Intro. 1253, the bill will require owners of residential and commercial buildings larger than 25,000 square feet, including co-ops and […]
A Chelsea condo with swimming pools for everyone files for bankruptcy. Again. (NY)
The Pool House is taking another dive. The LLC behind Six Sigma’s stalled condominium development at 435 West 19th Street, which includes a personal pool in each unit, filed for bankruptcy a second time last Friday as the project’s restructuring firm gets ready to start from scratch, Commercial Observer reported. Read the article………………….
Coops and condos can’t take this mandate: A new climate change bill would sock ordinary New Yorkers with thousands of dollars in fines
Climate change is a real threat to our future, one that demands collective, forceful action by all New Yorkers in every aspect of their daily lives. The City Council is considering legislation that seeks to meet citywide goals solely by imposing rigid caps on greenhouse gas emissions from most buildings over 25,000 square feet. Unfortunately, […]
Contractor Sues Fortis Over ‘Unsafe’ Leaning Condo Tower Near Seaport (NY)
A Financial District condominium tower is leaning, and the contractor on the project claims the developer is to blame. The 670-foot-tall, 58-story apartment building under construction at 161 Maiden Lane is leaning three inches to the north, according to a lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court by the project’s contractor, Pizzarotti. An off-kilter foundation […]
When Condo Boards and Residents Clash, Legal Bills Mount (NY)
My mother-in-law recently regaled me with a tale of intrigue, money and power in her South Florida homeowners association. Seeking to raise about $6 million to refurbish the 20-year-old community, the association’s board had voted to assess each homeowner $7,000. But a group of vocal residents fought back, setting up a power struggle. Read the […]
At the Reserve in Brighton, residents have been barred from their own fancy clubhouse by developer (NY)
That lavish $7 million clubhouse at the Reserve in Brighton, the one with the pool, movie theater and personal wine lockers that helped persuade people to put down their roots in the exclusive residential community along the Erie Canal? Its doors have been locked and the Reserve’s residents, who ostensibly own the building, have no key. […]
Under GOP Tax “Cuts,” 11 Million Get Pockets Picked (NY)
The painful truth about the GOP’s co-called “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017” is finally becoming apparent. For many, it’s actually a tax hike. Some 11 million people – most of them in such high-tax states as New York, New Jersey, and California, all Democratic strongholds – will pay $323 billion more in taxes […]
Another New York condo votes to remove ‘Trump’ from name
Residents in a New York City condominium on Thursday voted to remove President Trump’s name from the building’s facade, the second time in four months that his name has been removed from a condo in the city. About 55 percent of “Trump Place” condo owners at 120 Riverside Blvd. in Manhattan voted in favor of […]
A Brooklyn Luxury Condo With Monster Arrears (NY)
There are arrears. And then there are serious arrears. And then there are absolute monster arrears like those racked up by the Chinese developer, Xin Development, at the Oosten, a 216-unit luxury condo building in Williamsburg, Brooklyn – a cool quarter of a million dollars or, to be precise about it, $252,752.23. Read the article………………..
Fed. judge flushes homeowner association’s lawsuit over toilet wipes (NY)
A federal judge has dismissed for lack of standing a proposed nationwide class action lawsuit on behalf of homeowners claiming a range of companies falsely advertised their toilet wipes as “flushable.” U.S. District Judge Joseph Bianco in Central Islip, New York in an order on Monday said the homeowners had failed to allege any imminent […]
Homeowners in Brighton development on Erie Canal sue beleaguered Costello (NY)
The homeowners association at the Reserve filed suit against the developer this month, another step in the decline of the would-be exclusive development on the Erie Canal in Brighton. As the Democrat and Chronicle reported in October, the ambitious $180 million, 327-unit development has floundered after the death of developer Anthony Costello in March 2016. […]
Strict labor laws and aging buildings put condo associations at risk (NY)
Condo associations in New York can have a tough go of it when it comes to strict labor laws that put the onus on them if a worker gets injured on their property, among other risks that are especially heightened in older buildings. Read the article……………………….
Is Your First Conflict-of-Interest Report Past Due? (NY)
One big thing. In an effort to snuff out conflicts of interest on co-op and condo boards, the state Legislature passed a new law requiring annual reporting of all contracts in which a board member has a financial interest. The law went into effect on January 1, 2018, and board’s first annual report was due […]
Is Your First Conflict-of-Interest Report Past Due? (NY)
One big thing. In an effort to snuff out conflicts of interest on co-op and condo boards, the state Legislature passed a new law requiring annual reporting of all contracts in which a board member has a financial interest. The law went into effect on January 1, 2018, and board’s first annual report was due […]
Court orders Riverhead highway superintendent to plow Oak Hills roadways (NY)
A State Supreme Court judge has ordered Riverhead Highway Superintendent George Woodson to plow roads in the Oak Hills neighborhood in Baiting Hollow this winter. The decision, issued Jan. 8 by State Supreme Court Justice David Reilly, directs Woodson and the town highway department “to perform snow and ice maintenance and removal services for all […]
Homeowners in Brighton development on Erie Canal sue beleaguered Costello (NY)
The homeowners association at the Reserve filed suit against the developer this month, another step in the decline of the would-be exclusive development on the Erie Canal in Brighton. As the Democrat and Chronicle reported in October, the ambitious $180 million, 327-unit development has floundered after the death of developer Anthony Costello in March 2016. […]
The Clock Is Ticking on Preparing Conflict-of-Interest Reports (NY)
Time is running out for co-op and condo boards to compile and disseminate their first annual report under the state’s new conflict-of-interest law. The reports must list all contracts or transactions that were voted on by the board with an entity in which a director has a financial interest. The reports must be signed by […]
How Will Co-ops and Condos Pay for Greener Buildings? (NY)
At a packed hearing last week, the New York City Council opened debate on a controversial new bill called Intro 1253 that has major implications for most co-op and condo boards in the city. The bill, sponsored by councilman Costa Constantinides, a Queens Democrat, proposes new carbon emissions caps and energy performance requirements for large […]
Harlem Homeowners Face Increasing Repairs As Lawsuit Drags On (NY)
It has been one-and-a-half years since owners of apartments at the PS 90 Condominium in Harlem filed a lawsuit claiming that building developers cut corners — leaving many first-time homeowners on the hook for costly repairs — but residents likely won’t see financial relief any time soon, lawyers said. Read the article………………..
Trump Tower is one of the city’s least energy-efficient buildings (NY)
As president, Donald Trump has pulled the U.S. out of an international emissions treaty that would fight global warming, pledged his support for carbon-belching fuel sources such as coal and rejected the scientific consensus that the climate is warming because of man-made causes, with effects that will be catastrophic to society and the environment. As […]
Heat, hot water shutting off at Ronkonkoma condo complex (NY)
Residents of the Nob Hill Condominium complex in Ronkonkoma will be going days without heat or hot water. Management says starting Tuesday morning, utilities in building No. 1 will be shut down for five days to replace a broken boiler. “Our boiler needs to be replaced, if we don’t replace it, we will have an […]
Co-op Board 1, Madonna 0 (NY)
Score one for the immense power of co-op boards. Especially the power to change the house rules, provided all shareholders are treated equally. This came home last week when Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits ruled against the pop star Madonna and in favor of the Harperley Hall co-op board in a lawsuit that had […]
Peter Hunt, Amherst condo company pay $104,000 over leaky pipes (NY)
Hunt Real Estate Corp. CEO Peter F. Hunt and an Amherst condominium development he sponsored have agreed to pay $104,300 to the development’s condo association for failing to disclose pipe leaks and corrosion to homebuyers. Read the article…………………..
Suit Claims Massive Mismanagement at Acropolis Gardens (NY)
Here are a few of the fruits of mismanagement. Leaky ceilings. No hot water. Asbestos exposure. Ballooning debt. Rising monthly maintenance. Misappropriated funds. And the maraschino on the sundae: foreclosure. These problems have led Michael Leifer, a shareholder at 618-unit Acropolis Gardens in Astoria, Queens, to bring a derivative shareholder suit against the co-op board […]
The Latest Trends in Home Security (NYT)
New technology lets you use your cellphone to buzz people into your building or turn off the stove. You can even get a robot to patrol your apartment complex. Read the article…………………
City officials conduct one of the largest Airbnb raids at Far West Side condo building (NY)
The city’s Airbnb enforcement officials raided the Far West Side Atelier condominium last month, handing out nearly two dozen violations to owners who allegedly rented out apartments on the home-sharing site. And the crackdown — one of the largest yet on short-term rentals — could be a sign of what’s to come as the city […]
Hell’s Kitchen condo residents are rebelling against its ‘creepy’ boss (NY)
Enraged residents of a Hell’s Kitchen condo are rebelling against the flashy building boss who they claim has turned the luxe tower into an illegal, short-term rental “gulag.” Daniel Neiditch’s firm, River to River Realty, is not just the exclusive Realtor for the Atelier, located 635 W. 42nd St., he is also the building’s manager […]
Judge: Trump Tower racketeering lawsuit can continue (NY)
A federal judge has recently denied motions to dismiss a civil lawsuit filed by the condominium board of Trump Tower at City Center against its former treasurer and his associates for alleged violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Read the article………………
Buildings Tighten Security in Wake of Mail Bombs (NY)
After pipe bombs arrived at the homes and offices of multiple critics of President Donald Trump, including former President Barack Obama and CNN’s Columbus Circle headquarters, New York City property owners and managers are ramping up security, the Real Deal reports. Read the article………………
Brighton Reserve: An exclusive Costello community under a cloud (NY)
When Ellen and Irwin Solomon moved into their condominium at the Reserve last winter, they thought their days of outdoor chores were behind them. The homeowners association would cut their grass, trim their hedges and plow their driveway. But a few months ago, Irwin Solomon went out and bought himself a new lawnmower. The homeowners […]
The Spider Woman of Facade Inspections (NY)
Sara Tsiropinas is a licensed architect who likes to spend her free time rock climbing. This unlikely pair of interests dovetails beautifully in her day job as head of RAND Engineering & Architecture’s Rope Access Team, five fearless souls who rappel down the sides of buildings inspecting facades, looking for leaks, performing emergency investigations, and […]
New Rebates for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (NY)
Co-ops and condos are among the potential beneficiaries of $5 million in New York State rebates for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced. The initiative is part of the state’s drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by the year 2030. Read the article………………
Can a Felon Be the President of My Condo Board? (NY)
Q: A candidate for the president of the board of my Park Slope, Brooklyn, condo has a past felony conviction. I believe that some states do not allow people convicted of felonies to run for seats on condo boards. What are the rules in New York? Can this person legally run for a seat on […]
Trump Condo Board Asks Court to Intervene in Deadly Fire Case (NY)
A fire at Trump Tower last April that killed one resident and brought up the issue of retrofitting sprinklers in older buildings has entered into the legal arena. This past July, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, the Trump Tower condo board filed with Manhattan Surrogate’s Court to compel relatives of Todd Brassner, owner […]
Valhalla Man Charged With Stealing From His Homeowners Association (NY)
A 43-year-old Valhalla man was arraigned on Tuesday for allegedly stealing nearly $94,000 from his homeowners’ association. John Pacor, an attorney and a former board member of the Pleasant Ridge Homeowners Association where he lives with his wife and children, deposited 51 checks totaling $93,955 from the association’s bank account into his own checking account […]
Here a New One: a Monthly Fee During Renovation Work (NY)
Without consulting shareholders, an Upper West Side co-op board has quietly implemented a $1,000 fee – to be charged once a month for the duration of every apartment renovation project. The board instituted the fee two years ago and mentioned it, in passing, at this year’s annual meeting with shareholders. When questioned about the board’s […]
Dobbs Ferry community sues state AG, aiming to pay less in taxes (NY)
The Landing at Dobbs Ferry, a residential complex, has filed an Article 78 lawsuit against Attorney General Barbara Underwood and her staff for allegedly abusing their power to stifle the community’s effort to change its status from a single-family-home community to condominiums. Read the article………………
Man Busted Stealing Nearly $100K From Homeowners Association (NY)
A Westchester attorney turned himself into police custody for allegedly stealing nearly $100,000 from his homeowner’s association while he was acting as a board member. Valhalla resident John Pacor was arraigned this week on charges claiming that he stole $93,955 from the Pleasant Ridge Homeowners Association, where he lives with his wife and children. Read […]
HOA sues NY Attorney General Underwood over condo conversion (NY)
Homeowners at the Landing at Dobbs Ferry found a way to minimize the impact of a new federal tax law last year by converting their homes to condos. But when they tried to make the conversion to save about $1 million a year on property taxes, local government officials and the New York State attorney […]