A new board member should have access to the minutes of past meetings. This new member should ask the board to review those minutes. If they are denied by the board, the new member should ask co-op's attorney just to make sure they have that right.

I am somewhat concerned with your statement that "we have heard." Be very careful with statements like that which may be second hand information. How did you hear about this?

Did the new board member tell you? Did someone else on the board tell you? Or did you hear this from another shareholder who is not on the board?

Communication is a key to a successful board. False rumors can adversely affect the new board's effectiveness, so please only concern yourself with actual statements made by board members - and not people who are not on the board.

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Communication is key, unfortunately all of our board members have signed NDA agreements and are not permitted to speak with shareholders outside of the one and only Annual Meeting.

Our board does not communicate with the shareholders and does not respond to shareholder inquiries or concerns.

The shareholders in the building have already sent a petition to board members requesting they address concerns raised at our Annual Meeting and have heard nothing back.

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Do they realize that the Board answers to the shareholders and not the other way around?

Transparency is key and especially nowadays.

Someone is hiding something.

Run for the board!!! Get others too!

I would NEVER sign an NDA on a co-op Board.

Who wanted this done?

Also I bet board members and their families know everything that’s going on in the building.

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JLR - I agree with Pooh. I don’t think Long Island co-ops operate under different laws than NYC. I don’t want to alarm you, but something is probably very wrong with your co-op.

Sign an NDA? Wtf??? Most important, you and all shareholders should be concerned about the money in the co-op. If the Board is so secretive about the minutes, then what about the $$?

That is YOUR money! You have a legal right to know where it is and how it’s being spent - as do all shareholders.

Pooh’s right. Run for the board and get some other shareholders to join your team. I’m sure they will be just as angry about the situation as you are.

Does your co-op use a management company or are you self managed? Contact the management company and also contact the co-op’s attorney. Demand to see EVERYTHING pertaining to the co-op. Minutes, financial reports, etc.

DO NOT BACK DOWN! Don’t be afraid of the Board. You need to find out before anything bad happens - not afterwards. You need to become a pain in their rear end. Just remember that they forced you to act this way. Had they done their jobs properly, you wouldn’t need to act as you need to do now.

Good luck and keep us posted.

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