By Adam Leitman Bailey Q. I rent a penthouse studio with a large terrace. There is major construction on the exterior of the building, making the terrace impossible to use. This was not a problem in January, when construction began and I wasn’t using the terrace. But now that the weather is warming, they are Full Article…
Q & A: One Good Reason, The Cooperator
By Adam Leitman Bailey Q. When an applicant applies to buy into a co-op and pays the high application fee, yet is denied by the board, shouldn’t they be given a reason why they were rejected? I feel strongly that the board is wrong in turning someone away without so much as an explanation, especially after Full Article…
Q & A: Dealing with Deadbeats, The New York Times
By Adam Leitman Bailey Q. I am the president of a 29-unit condo near Pennsylvania Station. The owners of one apartment have not paid their common charges for five years. They refuse to respond to any correspondence we send. The apartment is rented to tenants who claim they have no contact with the owners; they Full Article…
Q & A: A New Board Member Asks to See Old Minutes, The New York Times
By Adam Leitman Bailey Q. I was elected to the board of my self-managed co-op. After several meetings, I asked to see the minutes of the last five years so that I could better understand the building and its management. I was told that I did not have the right to see these minutes. It Full Article…
Q & A: The Trunk is in Their Yard, the Branches are in Yours, The New York Times
By Adam Leitman Bailey Q. I own a home that abuts property, owned by a railroad company, that has trees that are growing over my property and dropping large branches. When I contacted the company, I was told it does not clear branches from trees that grow over other owners’ property, but I could do Full Article…
Q & A: The Inquiring Mind- Renting Only to People with Paying Jobs, New York Housing Journal
By Adam Leitman Bailey Q. I want to adopt a policy of renting only to people who have paying jobs. Is this considered a violation of any fair housing laws?
Q&A: Insurance Coverage for Unofficial Sublet, The New York Times
By Jay Romano Q. I am unofficially subletting an apartment in Brooklyn. I pay the person whose name is on the lease, who lives in another state. We have not written up any official sublease, and I am guessing the management company doesn’t know I am here and wouldn’t approve of the arrangement. Will renter’s Full Article…
Adam Leitman Bailey Recommends a Change to Cooperatives’ Corporate Documents for Habitat Magazine 2007 Attorney Survey
By Adam Leitman Bailey House rules and the proprietary lease are crucial elements in ensuring that a building runs properly. They create governing policy. Yet enforcement can become a difficult affair. You don’t want to be too harsh, nor do you want to be so lenient that the policy becomes meaningless. It is, in effect, Full Article…