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Our co-op has a live in super for way over 20 yrs. for the last few yrs. he has been very lacked and sends the handyman in his place. A couple of times a shareholder will be knocking on his door, no answer. So I called him on his cell he comes out of his apt. and straight in front of us.
With new equipment and 85% shareholders have renovated their apts. he is not needed 24/7 if anything he should be on part time and be replaced by the handyman. My question is how do we get everyone on board to agree to sell his given apt. and hire an emergency company after 5PM-8PM since the record shows the hotline will instruct the shareholder what to do or wait until the super comes around at 8AM. FYI if he comes at night he smells from beer and saids don't call at night.
Here''s a conversation starter and food for thought... Con Ed is on a shut down frenzy and it's going to get worse!
As many are aware, all buildings need to be tested and inspected by a licensed professional, with certifications beginning whenever your specific community Board schedule mandates.
Many pre-war or war era buildings could never pass a pressure test if put to it, and if a line is suspect, they will pressure test it and shut it down.
The inspections right now are simple visual inspections followed by an ambient gas leak detector scan around all visible lines (my assumption is that within a couple short years they will amend the law to include a 5 year pressure test). Only if something is suspect does it become an issue. I was informed by one of our plumbers that Con Ed is wanting them to have special waist clipped detectors that are automatic and will contact Con Ed autonomously if ambient gas is detected. This can be a nightmare since it does not give the opportunity to resolve a simple issue before getting Con Ed involved.
Whats the solution? There isn't one that I know of, butt what I am doing in all my buildings is equipping the supers with personal gas leak detectors and performing constant in house inspections. preemptively replace anything that seems suspect and start making plans and budgets to replace individual lines.
Anyone else have any ideas, thoughts or preventative measures to suggest?
~AR
I have a verizon cell site on one of my buildings where they are wanting to convert to 5G. I am very skeptical about the RF bleed levels into the building and any exposure to my residents in the building. There seems to be too little known about the long term effects of exposure at various levels. FCC sidesteps the safety issues by allowing for signage and precautions on the roof or where ambient RF is, as a way of making what is otherwise not legally acceptable now acceptable and somehow safe.
I have requested from the carrier a complete RF report showing the levels in and out of the building. They agreed and now supplied me with this report which to me does not look as if I would want it in my home, but FCC says its safe with certain compliance mitigations, which is merely signage!
Here's my question: Since I am not an RF engineer, or an expert at reading these reports and only making my assessment based on my limited knowledge and experience, does anyone have or kn-ow of an engineer who can read the report, assess and evaluate the risk and make a recommendation as to whether I should permit or deny the upgrade application?
This is something that I believe effects many buildings, and Board Members and Managers should do whatever possible to not only ensure the safety of the residents, but to mitigate any risk or liability on our end.
Thoughts? Advice? Referrals?
~AR
Our cooperative has not had a quorum in 11 years which is bothers me because we are a large cooperative.Quite a few shareholders didn't get the notice and a complete master list has been denied so we can't reach out to all shareholders. Is a redacted shareholder's list legal? Our board is not knowledgeable about the BCL's and our attorney allows them to do as they please. Security is of the upmost concern here for all due to alleged drug dealing. The board and management has allowed it to escalate to the point we are destroying the quality of life on an entire block of cooperatives. They just started to install cameras on every floor without discussing it with the shareholders. This is after removing live security ten years ago and installing cameras around the complex which is a cul-de-sac. Shareholders were not asked their opinion then nor are they asking them now. What can we do to get our voices heard? Shareholders are reluctant to sign a petition for a special meeting out of fear of retaliation from the board or refusal of services.
> Join the conversation Comments (1)We recently had a by-laws amendment proposal approved at a special shareholders' meeting. The notice of the meeting contained the proposed language and it was also read out at the meeting prior to the vote. However, when we got the amended by-laws, they did not contain the exact wording that was voted on. Sentences were moved around and new language added. I thought the verbatim proposal should be in the new by-laws with no changes. Anybody have advice? Thanks.
> Join the conversation Comments (2)
To upgrade an aging Video Intercom system, can the board bill individual shareholders for the intercom panel inside their units, or does the cost have to be recovered through an assessment? If the shareholders pay for the panels, do they become individually responsible for the maintenance and replacement of that portion of the system?
Thank you
We need some advice if anyone has some suggestions. We both have been living together in our coop for over 25 yrs. My spouse is the original owner (their for over 35 yrs), and we were married 8 yrs ago. Back in Jan 2018, I was made a shareholder. Sometime in March of this year, all shareholders received an abatement update from building management. Basically, it said the eligibility requirements for the Co-op Real Estate Tax Abatement have changed due to an amendment of New York State Law. To now qualify for the abatement, your apartment must be your primary residence. It was also mentioned that shareholders whose status was in question would be receiving a form to fill out. If the apartment is not your primary residence, then you are required to pay this operating assessment in full, with no offset of any abatement.
Shockingly enough, WE received the form days later, and immediately filled it out with the correct information informing them that this was indeed our primary residence for many years. We don't even have summer home! The representative from building management even knows my spouse and how long he's been a resident. The coop is fully paid off and we are on auto-pay with our maintenance.
Weeks later, our monthly bill arrives and there's a surcharge to our maintenance for over 2000.00! It was the abatement tax! We called building management and they said "oh, that happened to a few residents in various buildings - that's an error on NYS's part. I told them we immediately returned the form to your office so why is the state charging us? They looked up our information once more, and figured out how this error occured: apparently, when I went on the lease, it caused some kind of glitch, making it appear we BOTH just moved in. Building management said don't worry, you'll be getting credited.
This has been going on since April! Every month we've received our maintenance bill so far, there's been no credit. We call management, and each time, they tell us they have people actively working on the case, and it will probably be on the next bill, AND it's the state that's slow.
Is this something can we take on ourselves with the state, or do we have to wait for management. I feel like they're tagging us along for a ride. I already asked and was told ...oh no that's between coop management and New York State.
Thank you
Our co-op is currently proposing reducing our flip tax and have included closing costs before the flip tax is calculated. They have defined closing costs as all fees and transfer taxes paid by the seller at closing. They include: broker fees, seller attorney fee, co-op attorney fee, city and state transfer taxes, loan satisfaction fee, UCC-3 filing fee, NYS equalization fee, deed transfer fee, co-op stock transfer tax, any co-op processing or move out fees."
When asked if there would be a cap on certain fees, such as attorneys' fees, we were told there was none and it was not the co-op's business.
Do other co-ops allow all these deductions and, if so, is there a cap on them, particularly on those that are not fixed?
Thank you.
No one wanted to run for the openings on our board this past election. There was one available seat that shareholders assumed was just not filled.
Usually there is a posting with names and positions held of the new B.O.D. this year that was not the case.
It recently came to light, unbeknownst to cooperatives, that an employee of the management company was listed as a board member.
Is this a legal and executable practice?
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Sounds like you just really need to get rid of the super, ASAP. Questions come to my mind... Union/Nonunion? What is the manager doing in all this?
Why would you want to sell the apartment? How many units are in the building? Do you need the handyman also, or just an adept superintendent?
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