July 4, 2008 — A scenario from the proxy wars: a very prestigious building, inhabited by some Very Important People. For some reason, their control of this co-op board became the most important thing in their lives. The campaign for office was brutal and the election meeting was intense and contentious. Unfortunately, it was all about personalities — and frequently in such cases, elections are so close that every vote counts. That's when proxies — a document authorizing a specified person to vote your corporate stock, generally because you cannot attend a meeting for some reason — can tip the balance. Read More »

July 2, 2008 — If you've ever served on your board, you may, unfortunately, be no stranger to proxy skirmishes, proxy wars or in some cases even proxy apathy. Draconian proxy rules, unscrupulous board members, vicious lawsuits, too few or too many proxies — these are just some of the challenges board members have encountered at meetings that require voting.

We asked expert attorneys, managers and board members to relate their firsthand experiences dealing with the power of the proxy. Here are their stories. Read More »

June 30, 2008 — When the extensive and expensive landscaping at two large co-ops began dying during a drought and its subsequent water restrictions, both turned to the same solution: Install water wells. The technology is dead simple, unchanged for thousands of years except for the ease of modern machinery. And each co-op's water bills have dropped precipitously. Here's how they did it. Read More »

July 4, 2008 — We're a sucker for behind-the-scenes books about various trades, like Thomas C. Lowe's What Your Mechanic Doesn't Want You to Know, Todd Wilbur's Top Secret Recipes books that reverse-engineer brand-name foods so you can make them at home, or all those books about how to disappear and assume a new identity. (I'll admit it here, first time ever: I'm really D.B. Cooper.) In that spirit, we offer an unusual New Product: exterminator extraordinaire Mike Allen's book and Web site that shows homeowners and board members cheap, do-it-yourself / do-it-your-super ways of killing termites without using pesticides. Read More »

Welcome to our new online section that helps you find your dream co-op or condo. Just look in here for a sampling of recent sales and selected listings by brokers in the New York City metropolitan area, and check out what's available in your preferred locale and price range. Read More »

Post-Issue Update: June 27, 2008 — The New York State Assembly on Monday passed a bill designed to provide tax abatements to encourage the construction and maintenance of green roofs in New York City and other million-plus municipalities. Bill A11226, already passed by the State Senate, now awaits the governor's signature.

The abatement would total $4.52 per square foot of approved green roof, up to either $100,000 or a building's tax bill for the applicable year, whichever is less. According to the bill's Assembly Memo, this abatement would offset about 35% of the cost of installing a green roof — "a growth medium and a vegetation layer of drought-resistant, hardy plant species" that provides an insulating layer to helps reduce energy consumption, among other benefits. Read More »