Withholding Maintenance Over a Noisy Neighbor Q. A shareholder in our co-op is having a problem with an upstairs neighbor whom he accuses of constantly makes disturbing noises. He asked the co-op board to solve the problem, but the board has gotten nowhere. The shareholder has now started putting his maintenance payments into an escrow account
Read more %1$sReal Estate Q & A
By JAY ROMANO Q I own a third-floor condominium in Westchester County that has a nice view over a garden behind the building. A few years ago, the condo board planted some trees in the garden. The trees have now grown so tall and wide that they are starting to block my view. One reason
Read more %1$sAsk an Expert: My co-op needs cash. What’s the least painful way to get it?
by Teri Karush Rogers Is your building cash-poor? Consider selling off pieces of the roof for residents to use as private outdoor spaces. Q. My co-op building has been hit hard in recent years by property taxes on top of a huge elevator replacement project. Our maintenance charges are already on the high side and
Read more %1$sQ & A with America’s Real Estate Professor: Title insurance and escrow documents
Q. I’m in escrow and just received a stack of paperwork from the title insurance company. One document says, “Sign that I accept the Preliminary Title Policy,†but I don’t really understand what that means or what I’m signing. Help! Armando S., Los Angeles, CA A. You’re not alone. About 99.99 percent of residential real estate buyers foolishly
Read more %1$sWhat to ask when selecting a real estate agent
By Edith Lank Q. We are going to sell our condo this spring and intend to follow your advice and interview three Realtors. We are not sure what probing questions to ask. Can you please advise us? A. I asked a couple of experienced brokers what they’d advise. One suggests asking, “How many homes have
Read more %1$sAdvising Boards on Handling Secondhand Smoke Issues
Adam Leitman Bailey and John Desiderio explain how to handle smoking issues in your building.
Read more %1$sAdam Leitman Bailey answers your questions about washing machines in The New York Times
Q & A By JAY ROMANO Published: January 4, 2013 Questions About a Washing Machine Q I am on the board of a Brooklyn co-op. One of the rent-controlled tenants in the building has had a washing machine in her apartment since she moved in. Such appliances are prohibited by the co-op because of the
Read more %1$sQ & A: The Inquiring Mind- Renting Only to People with Paying Jobs, New York Housing Journal
I want to adopt a policy of renting only to people who have paying jobs. Is this considered a violation of any fair housing laws?
Read more %1$sKeeping Window Guard Notices, New York Apartment Law Insider
I know that the city’s lead-based paint law requires me to keep the lead-based paint notices I get back from tenants for 10 years. But what about the window guard notices returned by tenants. Am I legally required to keep those returned window guard notices and, if so, for how long?
Read more %1$s‘Kickback’ plan could land buyer in legal trouble
For starters, the bank you choose to finance the purchase with will have the legal right to know every detail about the deal. Telling a loan officer or mortgage broker about what is essentially a kickback scheme certainly wouldn’t help your chances of gaining loan approval, but failing to disclose the arrangement could be considered a mortgage fraud that could land you in jail.
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