NEW YORK CITY

At last year's annual meeting, the newly elected board was faced with a group of dissatisfied shareholders. They expressed complaints concerning the board's lack of communication about the slow turnover in apartment sales. The board members then undertook several initiatives to address shareholders' needs.

When the board at 545 West 111th Street authorized an engineering study for a switch in fuel from No. 6 oil to natural gas, the members did not anticipate being presented with an $800,000 proposal to upgrade their heating plant.

This past year, one of our buildings faced a very difficult staffing issue, one that involved a long-term and well-liked building employee. The employee was involved in an incident in the building that the board felt merited dismissal. But he was popular, and a number of the shareholders were very vocal in their protests. The board and our office worked through a host of options and then had extensive discussions with most of the shareholders in the building.

At last year's annual meeting, the newly elected board was faced with a group of dissatisfied shareholders. They expressed complaints concerning the board's lack of communication about the slow turnover in apartment sales. The board members then undertook several initiatives to address shareholders' needs.

A READER ASKS: Our co-op is six stories high. Our old board was convinced that this meant that we were exempt from Local Law 11/98 inspection. Now we've voted them out, but no one seems to know if it's true that we're exempt. I thought there was a change to the definition of a "six story building," but now I'm not sure. Can you clarify?

HABITAT ANSWERS: New York City government indeed has gotten tougher with its Local Law 11/98 inspections and, in some cases, it is even redefining what constitutes a six-story building.

Andrea Bunis, founder and president of the New York City property-management firm that bore her name, died Monday, Aug. 25, after a 14-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 57.

"You gave her a challenge, she met it, and then she surpassed you. That was a given," her executive assistant, Genevieve Hernandez, told Habitat. Describing her as "tough as nails, with a heart of gold," Hernandez said the company's staff "is very, very heartbroken." Bunis had planned for the company's transition, she added. "Everything she has set up will stay in place. We have a director of management who will handle the agents and make sure they continue to do what they have to do."

UPDATED Aug. 24, 2014 — Terra Holdings' Halstead Property, a residential brokerage with 1,000 brokers throughout the tristate area and a residential management company for more than 180 buildings, has purchased Gerard J. Picaso Inc., one of New York City's earliest co-op and condo property-management firms. Namesake founder Gerard J. Picaso will now lead the Halstead division that bears his name. The change becomes effective Sept. 1.

Anthony DeGrotta and Larry Friedman, co-founders with Neil Binder of what is now the Coldwell Banker Bellmarc Group real-estate conglomerate, filed a lawsuit in New York County Supreme Court on Aug. 26, alleging Binder "embezzled many hundreds of thousands of dollars” and made such unusual demands of employees as hiring a man only under the condition "that the man shall commence taking Adderall," a common medication to combat attention-deficit disorder, even though the man was not diagnosed with that condition. The New York Daily News said the partners claim Binder illegally withdrew company funds for private use, including from an escrow account used to fund employees’ health-insurance premiums, and gave his wife a no-show job. They seek $2 million in damages, and a court order barring Binder from the firm. Binder did not respond to the newspaper's requests for comment.

On the one hand, they accept your UPS packages, classy up the joint and serve as a de facto crime-watch. On the other, you need to have the budget to afford them and the temperament for small-talk social graces. But don't take it from us — take it from these six New Yorkers living in a range of Manhattan neighborhoods from the East Village to Hamilton Heights, who spoke with BrickUnderground.com to give their thoughts on those intrepid men (and women) who serve as the Heimdall of our hallways (which is better than the Loki of our lobbies. Everyone here's seen the Thor movies, right?).

Gather 'round, boys and girls ... we're going to tell you a scaaaaary story. One day, a young couple searching for a co-op found an apartment. They settled on a price, were assured of obtaining a mortgage and turned in sound financials to the co-op board. But then they rounded and corner and found themselves ... having to come up with reference letters!!! (Lighting flashes, thunder booms) Whoa, whoa, settle down. It's only a story. In real life, a young couple could just turn to "14 Successful Real-Life Reference Letters," courtesy of BrickUnderground.com. Everyone good? Fine. Let's have another story. This time it's ... The Newly Built Condo with Shabby Construction! Bwaa-ha-ha-haaa!!