Con Edison and National Grid are both revamping their policies and procedures with regard to potential #6 heating oil to gas conversions (either firm rate or TC) in an attempt to streamline the process and provide potential customers with quicker responses.
Also, the Morningside Heights area is currently being considered as a prime location for gas conversion projects. With that, Con Edison is looking to "bundle" or "cluster" projects together in an attempt to reduce overall construction costs. Keep an eye out for info on this...I would give them about 3-5 weeks before anything definitive happens, yet at least know that it is being discussed.
Also, if you have had "service layouts" issued from either utility and they are now claiming that they are "inactive" due to lack of action on a buildings part...know that a signed conversion proposal will fast track your case out of the "inactive" doldrums.
Have a great day.
I'm curious to know in other buildings how long you allow someone to be in arrears before you move to have them evicted? We have 3 Shareholders who for the past several years are ALWAYS in arrears. They owe as much as $4500 at a time and will make arrangements through our attorney to pay it off and pay for about 2-3 months and then stop paying again until we threaten to go legal on them.
My concern is because lenders are tightening up on finance regulations re: co-ops, how long should we allow this to continue? It has literally been going on since 2005 (and in some cases before then). How do we get these Shareholders to realize that enough is enough?
Our super has amassed a reasonable amount of large refuse items that we need to dispose of - rugs, furniture, doors, and other large debris. Our management company has received quotes for >$2,000 to rent a dumpster and remove the debris. I'd like to find a less expensive solution as it's not a lot of debris (although it's more than the City will pick up for us). What alternatives to dumpster rental have other buildings and boards used?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
David Robinson
President - Chocolate Factory Condos (Brooklyn)
i want to make a copy of the by laws, but i also want to have it scanned into a digital file, it would be easy for anyone to dl or read on-line, same with proprietary lease. Plus if my Managing company changed items without proper voting as they have already done with the cumulative voting. it would be very easy to find the unauthorized changes. i would have to get that one in a digital format and there are ample free software that will highlight and list items that do not match.
the annual financial budget should also be provided in a digital format if requested by a share holder using a open source format or software that had a reader that could be DL.
Since they use software to make it, it is already in a digital file .
I cant believe we are getting info on our finances the same way we did 25 years ago. Are all the co-ops as behind the times as this bldg.
Plus the better use of technology for spreadsheets you can see at a glance 10 to 15 years of payments and charges. You can have the computer check and highlight anything that is different in documents or contracts. Sure would be easier and quicker, and much easier and quicker to find embezzlement.
Also every board member could have read only permissions to check the bank accounts daily, all independent, in fact give it to every shareholder who request it , we own the building, we should not have to wait until someone embezzles for 10 years and it is caught , because someone finally does their job. But the co-op is SOL on recovering the money.
I have alerts on my banking and credit card that tells me when a transaction has been made. I have total knowledge of my finances on real time via email and cell phone. If we had the same for our monies in the coop,our monies would be much safer. No shuffled money in accounts cover the missing funds The more people that know, the less chance of co-ops being victims.
We have to watch out for our monies ourself and since the AG isn't going to do squat, which i am going to follow up on.
Get rid of that department , why pay them to do nothing except approve plans, and not back up the law.
the price of the co-op prosecuting the thief , could be throwing more money away for no repayment.
we need to start engaging the politicians and get them to pass bills and new laws, i have read horror stories here, coops that were embezzlement and the AG office would not follow through,
co-ops conversions which the AG approved have turned out to be the biggest scam going. managing company when it was rental style manging company as coop, but no longer did they have to do much. No boss overseeing the building managers as it was when it was rentals. the building manger/managing agent cost the owner money for not doing his job, he was gotten rid of.
Now the coop boards who know nothing about the hidden world of contractor tricks and managing agent tricks.
a bunch of people that know nothing taken on face value ridiculous stuff i heard them accept by the MA in annual meeting. there is no way to stop the noise from the pneumatic brass auto door closers on the stairway doors,some slam shut,some squeak and make noise. impossible to fix them.
the old small 12 by 15 incinerator doors. one woman has been wondering if they can be made bigger. no cant be
it may be expensive. but how expensive is it to take a sawzall to the bricks and make a bigger hole and mount a door. it may be worth her while to pay for her floor herself if it really bothers her. i read here where there whole building was done, i tried to ask him how much one floor cost but got no answer, he probably is off list.
impossible to put storage lockers in the storage room, MA said the guy came and said*ipes, but the president of the board has the room filled with 95% of his stuff, he doesn't want to lose his free space.
we need political force and get some laws with teeth.
i started a Google + circle group
NY Coop Apartment Shareholder Action Group
no one there yet but join! i don't know much about it , but i am also going to start one called something like contractor scams and tricks so we can learn from other honest stand up craftsman what the bums are doing to steal your money and the managing agent is in on it ,but he gets a piece. As as we get people we can share knowledge and help each other if we live close, such as serve subpoena to managing agent or managing company pres or BOD . You cant serve one yourself, so you can pay someone to do it or get anyone else, you just need to point out the guy, and let another person help.
we need to crowd source and take direct action
Curious to know how you handle slacking by the Super in the middle of the day. Many (verbal) complaints come in that he isn't doing enough to keep the building clean, but the Board members have to go to work everyday and the managing agent can't be there on a daily basis to monitor the work getting done, so it seems that other than reprimanding and going over the work schedule that needs to get done, it's hard to hold the Super accountable through documentation. He seems to be doing the bare minimum to get by, but 'finding him slacking' or catching him not doing work is difficult and can't be proven. Are there some other ways to hold the Super accountable through documentation or, better yet, ways to incentivize so he does a better job?
Anyone have similar situations that you can lend advice on this? Complaints are verbal as people don't want to put their name on a written complaint, so documentation is necessary, I believe.
Can anyone recommend an inexpensive, yet conscionable, management company? Please do not respond with your own management horror stories, as I am trying to solve this problem, not be an ear to even more nightmares.
I'm on the Board of a financially-compromised coop building in a financially-compromised neighborhood in Brooklyn. Our management company, selected by the sponsor (who used to represent more than 50% ownership) does not do its job, which is costing the coop even more money. We're in a bind. Surely there's at least one reputable Management Co.?
Thank you!
I am interested what are in your co-op standards and procedures about budget. I mean, is there a law that requires that budget must be approved before it is distributed to shareholders? If yes, who approves the budget? A Board, manager or treasurer?
Do you have a discussion about budget?
Where can I find information about budget requirements?
our Super has a friend who is an electrician. This electrian works in apartment that the Super does "private jobs' in - some of the sponsor apartments. The managing agent/ coop has also used this electrician for buiding project and now a board member has used this elecrtician for his apt. It is suspected the Super gets a kick baclk. Is this a conflict?
> Join the conversation Comments (2)We are in a co-op where the sponsor still owns a few apartments AND is the management company as well. A heat pipe burst in one of his apts. and flooded the unit , soaking down through the renter's carpeting, through the wood floor beneath, and we want to make sure he cleans up according to best practices so that no mold grows beneath the floor. Owner's agent says all he has to do is sand the floors. We, the board, understand he has to pull up the wood floor, sub floor, and treat with anti mold solutions and let dry before putting in new sub and wooden floor. Are there any official guidelines per OSHA or dept of health that set out the proper procedures? Thanks for your input.
> Join the conversation Comments (2)Introduce yourself to other members of Board Talk! Log in below or register here.
Board Talk members who registered prior to March 9th, 2016 will need to reset their password.
I have a question, which perhaps you, Eric, can answer. Or, anyone else knowledgeable about this? I live on the top (6th) floor. Last winter, while my neighbors on the lower floors had too much heat, apts. on the 6th floor got almost none (it went down as low as 57° inside my apt.) And whatever did come up dissipated almost immediately, due to the windows, etc. Last summer, the building converted from oil to gas. THIS winter, I receive more than enough heat, and it's wonderful. Do you think the conversion is responsible for this? Thanks.
Thank you for rating!
You have already rated this page, you can only rate it once!
Your rating has been changed, thanks for rating!
Board Talk members who registered prior to March 9th, 2016 will need to reset their password.