Lonely Leaders of Co-ops & Condos

Being the president of the co-op or condo board can not only feel like a thankless position, but in many ways like a one man show. The president has the final signature, and while the entire board may technically be responsible for certain aspects of the running of the board, the final responsibility (or ‘fault’ depending on your outlook) often rests on his or her shoulders.

Co-op and condo Board Presidents come in many flavors. Some have tunnel vision, and mainly care about one aspect of the board, and tend to ignore other problems. The worst kind of board presidents use its position as a self-serving platform, demand special treatment, are completely unqualified and refuse advice; we have even seen outright corruption in many NYC buildings.

The best volunteer for all the right reasons- a desire to help or “give back,” recognition of problems that they may have a unique skillset with which to solve, etc. A desire to help and improve their community, and a willingness to learn and try to master a new industry. Where to begin? This is where it can feel lonely.

There are resources like The Cooperator and CNYC, which not only offer tutorials and advisement, but literal classes on how to behave and operate as a board member. This is immeasurably helpful for day-to-day aspects of board operations, but nothing can truly prepare someone for some of the likely more “colorful” situations that can arise.

One New York City building was in the midst of major LL11 – Façade Inspection Safety Program also known as FISP repairs. This required a sidewalk shed to be erected, as per the Department of Buildings. Now, no building wants to keep the shed in place any longer than necessary. It is ugly, costly, the sidewalk underneath must be regularly cleaned as the rain cannot clean it naturally. However, it cannot be removed without NYC DoB approval and sign off.

Well, this particular building’s co-op board president received a letter complaining about shed and how disturbing it was to him. This is understandable. The only problem is, he was not only not a resident of the building, but he lived several blocks and avenues away: in a completely different neighborhood!

Eventually the work was completed, and of course the shed removed. We can only hope that Mr. Shed has recovered from his trauma enough to go back to his regular schedule of keeping delivery bicyclists off the NYC sidewalks and smokers 25 feet from building entrances.

If you are on the board of your co-op or condo and need support planning your next façade inspection safety program (“FISP”), or need an alternative bid to inspect and repair your building’s facade, The Folson Group provides cost-saving façade inspection consulting services that can save your building tens of thousands on the cost of your project. Email us at info@thefolsongroup.com or call us at (917) 648-8154 to find out more.