We have been notified by the NYC DEP that one of our water meters will be replaced soon. The letter states that the water meters have internal parts that can wear out and may under report water usage. They also reserve the right to back bill us for up to 4 years based on the new readings if there is a change in usage reported with the new meter. (No mention of a credit if it’s less). Our concern is that the last time they changed one of our meters, the piping was under sized – a 2” meter had a pipe which measured only 1.9” OD, which might give us 1.75” of water flow, effectively reducing water pressure in the building. Failure to permit access can result in penalties. Building agent has been unable to get any response from DEP or the contractor regarding the new meter pipe sizing/flow etc. Any ideas?
> Join the conversation Comments (1)
HI,
Can you tell me if is the responsibility of the property manager to inform the residents of pesticide spraying that will be taking place in their community?
Notices were posted in the hallway the evening of the spaying. There was no set time when the spraying would begin or end, just to keep windows and air conditioners off that day & night.
When the property manager was questioned why we were not informed earlier his response was he was not notified by the city.
A shareholder saw the notice while shopping and brought it to his attention. He immediately made copies for distribution that evening.
When I said that most of the people I spoke to did not see the notice since it was posted around dinner time, he suggested we contact our councilman for an explanation.
We have an onsite property manager to handle these situations and keep the community informed.
We don’t feel it is the responsibility of the members to contact the councilman for an explanation or express our concerns regarding health related issues.
Are co-op required to provide handicap parking spaces for their members?
> Join the conversationWould love to get your advice (or referral) on best way to find an experienced super, whose duties will overlap with those of a porter. We are a 75-unit, new-construction, non-union condo. We have a staff of 5 total (1 full-time live-in super, 3 full-time doormen, 1 part-time porter). Many of the super's responsibilities overlap with the duties of the porter, so it's challenging to sell this position as a true super, as many candidates we've seen are more managers of a staff, rather than get-your-hands-dirty, working supers. Also, we have a 1-bedroom apartment to offer the super, so the option to have a family live on the premises is limited. It would be very helpful if you could share any tactics for finding some good candidates.
> Join the conversation Comments (1)
Does a spouse of who is not listed on the deed of a co-op owner but resides in the co-op,have the right to speak at a meeting.
This is not an official annual or special meeting. More of a Town Hall meeting.
As a new condo owner, but someone w/ co-op board experience, I'm concerned that the board in my small building does not seem to follow basic policy such as creating written summaries of annual meetings. While well-versed in some areas such as recycling, the board seems unaware of other basics like guarding against trip and fall suits. I'm also worried that we won't know when it is time for capital work since we don't have formal inspections by an engineer. (As a less than 6-story building Local Law 11 does not apply to us.) And, the low-cost mgt company appears to provide only minimal guidance. Aside from running for the board myself, how might I motivate board members to follow basic procedure? I.e., is there a 'horror' story I can relay about disastrous consequences to owners' financial health? Any advice, or links to relevant articles, would be welcome. Thanks.
> Join the conversation Comments (1)We are a condo of 67 units. Lately buyers seem to be investors and renting out the unit. We have nothing that addresses this situation in our bylaws. We now have 10 of the units rented with no restrictions on time of lease etc. I understand that if 30% of units are rented some banks will not approve a mortgage. I do see other pitfalls and the board is discussing solutions. First we are trying to get an 80% majority vote changed to 66-2/3rds in our bylaws. The more rentals with absentee occupancy the more problems we seem to have. What are your thoughts and has anyone confronted this same problem? This will be a hard sell.
> Join the conversation Comments (2)Coop has had the same front door key for over 10 years. What is your recommendation for changing the front door key? Do you recommend a swipe card?
> Join the conversation Comments (1)
Hi,
Has anyone heard of a company called Bright Power? One of our Board Members has been in contact with them regarding Solar Electric. They seem a little too eager (initially reminds me of a pre-crisis mortgage lender a little). Has anyone dealt with them before and if so, how were they?
Thanks,
Steve
I live in a small co-op (32 apartments) that recently refinanced taking an additional 400 thousand for the reserve fund. Prior to this we had 2 assessments that were made permanent and then had a 14% maintenance increase on top of that. Currently there are 6 or 7 apartments for sale, including mine, but no one is even looking. According to my real estate agent the first hurdle is getting someone into the neighbor hood which is shaky since it boarders on an extremely high crime neighborhood (2 blocks away). Then we have a high maintenance fee, limited parking (16 spots with a waiting list), and a flip tax (which used to be paid by seller but was recently change to buyer pays/six of one half dozen of another if you ask me). The previous MA was let go, but under his rein the building deteriorated and is in need of much repair. The building is old (approximately 80 years) and quite charming otherwise, large rooms and ½ of the apartments have working fireplaces.
One serious issue is that the windows are also 80 years old and most of the share holders would like to see them replaced. Also under the previous dysfunctional management shareholders were told that no money was available to replace windows. At this time they were advised that if they wanted new windows they could purchase them on their own. Since some of them chose to do this it is a source of contention among them that others will be getting new windows while they paid out of pocket. Also according to one board member the source that shareholders were told to use for the new windows basically ripped them off (she used the term “hoodwinked”). In this case I think all the windows should be replaced rather then financial compensation to those who purchased on their own, which is now being considered. At a recent shareholder meeting some of us pushed for new windows and told that it was under consideration, but that it was very expensive. Some of us were under the impression that new windows were going to be installed this summer. But in further discussion with a board member it may be more then 2 years before we get what we want (new windows). Instead they are considering new mailboxes, intercoms, and refurbishing the workout room which no one in the building uses, along with some other major but necessary repairs. In speaking with another shareholder she thought that getting a petition signed by shareholders may be the way to go. Does anyone know how this works, and if petitions are a viable way of having our voices heard and responded to?
Thanks for any and all advice.
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.
Write the Mayor Office - you will get a response, guaranteed.
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.