Co-op / Condo News: Smoking Bans, Bad-Board Laws, Foot Model & More

Read all the latest co-op board, condo board and co-op / condo buyer news in Habitat's weekly Monday News Roundup. Also included: Permanent archival links. If a link ever goes dead, you'll still be able to read the backup at WebCitation.org.

• "Foot Model, Doorman Husband Who Fought Co-op Board Getting Divorced" by Dareh Gregorian and Vinita Singla (New York Post)

• "Smoking Bans Hitting Home" at New York City co-ops and condos, by Craig Karmin (The Wall Street Journal)

• "Fight Continues over Co-op Assessments" by Victor Mimomi (Queens Chronicle)

• "Succession Rights for Family Members / A Co-op Building Gets a Buyout Offer / When Fumigating Poses a Health Risk [and Board Fines]"  by Jay Romano (The New York Times)

• "Park Reservoir’s Board Votes to Stay Co-op" by Adam Wisnieski (The Riverdale Press, The Bronx, NY)

 Buying, Selling, Living...

• "30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate Falls to 4.76%" by Nathan Becker (The Wall Street Journal)

• "If the Interest Rate Looks Good, Don’t Stop There" by Malcolm Carter (Service You Can Trust blog)

• "Condos: How to Deal with a Bad Homeowners Association" by Andy Asbury (StockMarketsReview.com)

• "Ask an Expert: Do I have to let my neighbor's contractor in?" by Teri Karush Rogers (BrickUnderground.com)

• "Court Backs Refunds for Unhappy Condo Buyers" by Josh Barbanel (The Wall Street Journal)

• "421-a Tax Abatements" discussion (StreetEasy.com forum)

• "Hotel Chelsea Could Go Condo" (TheRealDeal.com)

Board News from Around the Country...

• "Legislation Protecting Condo Owners Introduced in Connecticut General Assembly" by George Gombossy (Connecticut Watchdog)

• " ' Why HOAs Don't Work' State Senate [Regulatory] Bill Introduced" by Michelle Rindells (Associated Press via Las Vegas Review-Journal)

• "HOA Bill Requiring [Board] Transparency Fails to Pass" (East Valley Tribune, Mesa, AZ)

• "Bill [to Restrict Boards from] Limiting Solar-Panel Bans Blazes through Senate Committee" by Jessica Meyers (The Dallas Morning News)

• "Mountain Law: Reflections on the Yacht Club Case" in which condo won a suit against a town re: parking, by Noah Klug Summit Daily News (Summit County, CO)

WebCitation archives:

"Foot Model" • "Smoking Bans" • "Co-op Assessments" • "Succession Rights" • "Park Reservoir" • "30-Year" • "Interest Rate"  "How to Deal" • "Ask an Expert" • "Refunds" • "421-a"  "Hotel Chelsea" • "Connecticut" • "HOAs Don't Work" • "Transparency" • "Solar Panels" • "Mountain Law"