How do you know if the information is true about the property manager? I cannot believe a management company and a board of directors would let someone who you say was convicted work for them?

this information was confirmed by the actual property manager that was previously arrested and convicted for taking kick backs. the property manger informed shareholders, the board, and the managing agent JAL Diversified. When shareholders presented this information to the board no action was taken. The bigger concern is that this property manager is responsible for our building and at least 15 other buildings that he manages for JAL Diversified.

The information was provided by shareholders and found in 2 major NY newspapers and craigslist resume search.JAL has not shared this information with the Board.
The board and the management was urged by the shareholders and no action has been taken at this time
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/25/nyregion/metro-briefing-new-york-brooklyn-6-charged-in-courthouse-kickbacks.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2002/07/25/2002-07-25_bust_in_courthouse_kickbacks.html

The information was provided by shareholders and found in 2 major NY newspapers and craigslist resume search.JAL has not shared this information with the Board.
The board and the management was urged by the shareholders and no action has been taken at this time
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/25/nyregion/metro-briefing-new-york-brooklyn-6-charged-in-courthouse-kickbacks.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2002/07/25/2002-07-25_bust_in_courthouse_kickbacks.html

Believe it. It happened in our (Manhattan) building.

And all I can say is: old habits die hard. Be very very prudent.

...for something that happened in 2002 or so, then let's not condemn the agent unduly. If he was convicted and served his time, he deserves a second chance.

I would imagine that if someone were taking kickbacks and was caught and imprisoned or did community service or otherwise received punishment, that person would likely be treading VERY carefully to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Sure, some people are recidivists, but in general, after a person's time of punishment is over, they don't deserve to never hold a job again for the rest of their lives. The punishment isn't supposed to be a life sentence.

For any one reading this string of messages. It should be noted that the person defending JAL and the convicted property manager is a board member of the same brooklyn coop that I reside in. Several shareholders expressed there concerns to the board about the convicted property manager and we all recieved the same response that was posted by JB over 2 months ago. This brooklyn coop has gone through its fair share of convicted felons. The previous board president was convicted of kickbacks and now there is a lien on his apartment. The current managing agent JAL Diversified has a history of mismanaging buildings. The current property manager was convicted of taking kickbacks. Many of the shareholders also suspect that the current board treasurer and secretary have also taken kickbacks. The biggest concern is that JAL manages over 50 buildings in NYC and now they have a convicted felon taking bids for projects, after he was arrested for taking bribes. This is unethical and will impact any building that is managed by JAL.

And I'm surprised anyone would think so simply because I'm defending a fellow American's Constitutional and civil rights. A conviction for virtually any crime is not a life sentence. The comedian Tim Allen was a convicted drug dealer -- should he never have been allowed to work again? A lot of people loved Home Improvement (though not me) and his voice in the Toy Story movies (including me).

Tim Allen wasn't breaking the law while plying his trade. The two were completely distinct. Not the case with crooked property managers who return to the same line of work that they couldn't do without cheating the first time around.

Tim Allen was a convicted drug dealer — if you follow your argument to its logical conclusion, you seem to be suggesting that Tim Allen should be allowed to sell drugs again.

That is such twisted logic I don't know where to begin. My point was that of rehabilitation, second chances, and the fact that once a sentence is over, a convict has served his time. What are you advocating -- lifetime exile to a gulag?

Just because someone broke the law in a particular field and served his time doesn't exile him from that field for the rest of his life. Tim Allen "going back to drug dealing" is a specious example -- the field of drug dealing was illegal in the first place.

A more apples-to-apples comparison would be to that a a businessperson cheating on his or her business' taxes. After being convicted and serving a sentence/paying a fine/etc., should that person be forced to leave the business in which they know how to make a living?

Bottom line? We (unknowingly) gave a guy a second chance... and he revived his criminal career in our building.

These people have access to our apartments, finances and family.. it is not unreasonable for us to not want them in a position where they can harm or steal from us. And the Board has the responsibility of protecting the SH -- to the best of their ability

It is also not unreasonable to suggest they they choose another line of work. Perhaps in realestate,, but not Managment or a position where they can take kickbacks or steal... Isn't Tim Allen...an actor? Bad argument/comparison.
HG

"Bottom line? We (unknowingly) gave a guy a second chance... and he revived his criminal career in our building."

Same here. Perhaps that's why I'm so sensitive to this issue. Email has made things more transparent and corruption more difficult, but it's apparently still far too easy for people to dip their hands in the cookie jar and help themselves. Things are too lax, boards often have too many other responsibilities to be able to pay sufficient attention or apply sufficient scrutiny, it's just too easy.

Shareholders elect a coop board to make sure the coop remains financially secure and continues to thrive. Letting a convicted criminal have major responsibilities would impact the coop in so many adverse ways. When we contacted the board about replacing the convicted property manager they told shareholders give the property manager a second chance. Our previous board president took over 50,000$ in kickbacks. If we follow the logic of the current board then we should let the previous board president go back on the board because he was convicted and now he has learned his lesson. The current board did not respond, because they may have realized that as shareholders letting a criminal manage the coop would put their investment at risk.

For any one reading this string of messages. It should be noted that the person defending JAL and the convicted property manager is a board member of the same brooklyn coop that I reside in. Several shareholders expressed there concerns to the board about the convicted property manager and we all recieved the same response that was posted by JB over 2 months ago. This brooklyn coop has gone through its fair share of convicted felons. The previous board president was convicted of kickbacks and now there is a lien on his apartment. The current managing agent JAL Diversified has a history of mismanaging buildings. The current property manager was convicted of taking kickbacks. Many of the shareholders also suspect that the current board treasurer and secretary have also taken kickbacks. The biggest concern is that JAL manages over 50 buildings in NYC and now they have a convicted felon taking bids for projects, after he was arrested for taking bribes. This is unethical and will impact any building that is managed by JAL.

Boards/SH's now have a very powerful tool. EmailPower...

We got rid of a criminal Super, questionable lawyer and very bad MangCompany.

Document EVERYTHING.
Write businesslike Emails. Ask pointed questions and you will have a powerful Email Trail. (dont forget to file them)

ALSO: Read your monthly financials. We have discovered strange overtime, bills etcetcetc.... The buck stops at the Board -- and if you are taken to court by a SH -- its YOUR name that will appear on the court doc.
PS: Our Super had a criminal record, which was hidden from the Board. We found out AFTER he was caught taking kickbacks and running other illegal business in the building. He trashed the Supers apartment and removed all the tools -- and still the Union protected him. He may be working in your building.

VP

I agree as a sh I have seen changes take place in my coop. Nothing had been done for years and when shareholders started emailing the board and other shareholders we have seen a slight increase in responsiveness.

Great post, VP. I cannot agree enough.

Email is super efficient, allows you to communicate with several people at once, minimizes ambiguity, keeps folks accountable — and has the added benefit of constructing an institutional history. It's an efficient, dated, searchable note-taking technology.

to VP re: >>He may be working in your building.

I've been trying to think of a reason why not to give his name, and I really couldn't. If it would help protect another co-op/condo, isn't it simply a concrete, completely objective thing to say, "From this date to this date, so-and-so worked at such-and-such address"?

I agree that old habits die hard. If board's and management companies ran a good background check issues like hiring a criminal would not happen. It is obvious that in all the cases listed a background check was not done. This is a reflection of an incompotent board and unprofessional management company. As is the case in my brookyn COOP. Our managing agent JAL never ran a background check before they hired the propery manager convicted of taking kick backs. There are no regulations for management companies and this is why issues like these occur.

They deserve to hold a job again for the rest of their lives but not in the field in which they commited the crime and that's the state law explains (see attached document 752.2)

http://www.employmentlawwatch.com/uploads/file/ARTICLE%2023-A.pdf

They deserve to hold a job again for the rest of their lives but not in the field in which they commited the crime and that's the state law explains (see attached document 752.2)

http://www.employmentlawwatch.com/uploads/file/ARTICLE%2023-A.pdf

Maybe he/she did do their time, but if he returns to same type of work he may slip and start taking the pay-offs again. What cooperative or condominium board would want to take that chance?

I agree everybody deserves a second chance, but he/she should maybe work in the management company office doing some other type of work that has nothing to do with the day to day operations of any building or selecting/making decisions on bids.