Budget Season... Again
It’s that time of the year again. Soon, you will need to inform your coop shareholders or condo owners that their monthly fees are increasing, again. This is in spite of a close to zero inflation economy and owners’ salaries barely increasing. Despite this, every contract and vendor that the board hires, on owners’ behalf, automatically increases their fees every year.
Lights! Action! Savings!
When opening her apartment door, Emily was surprised to see that the hallways were already lit. She recently bought this apartment because her realtor had told her that the condo board was proactively “green,” something that she, as a millennial, genuinely cared about. Her realtor had highlighted that they recently replaced all light fixtures with LEDs on motion sensors. Emily had to think about it for a minute and then went back into the apartment, while leaving the door wide open. After a few minutes, all except one fixture turned off. The fixture by the elevator remained lit but had dimmed from where it was before.
Scaffolding Season
Have you ever wondered why buildings are covered under scaffolding, often times for years? And this summer, it seems that scaffolding, also known as a sidewalk shed, is going up on every block. Well, summer is the season for exterior work. It is when buildings comply with the Façade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP), formerly known as Local Law 11. After months of planning and funding, this is when scaffolding goes up and lots of Coop, Condo, and rental property residents start living in darkness for months or even years.
Photocredits: Deborah Donenfeld Photography
Trapped in Elevator (Service)
Who services the elevators in your building? This is done by a specific elevator service company, which the coop or condo has a service contract with. Our research shows that some buildings pay 100% more than others for these contracts. Don’t feel trapped by your elevator contract; find out if we can help you reduce the cost of your service contract by calling us today!
A New Regulation Looms Ahead
Elevator regulations are a big part of what dictates the safety and cost of elevators. In New York City, the Department of Buildings (DOB) is the regulator of elevators. As the result of increase in elevator accidents, in part due to aging elevators, the DOB has added four new regulations.
Two are already in place, while one is due in 2020 and another one in 2027.
The Ups & Downs of Elevators
When Gladys pressed the “9” button on the elevator panel, she heard a noise that could most generously be described as sounding like a train slamming into a wall. For most New Yorkers, this is a subconscious everyday fear, as each day involves multiple elevator rides.
Although there’s nothing as annoying as being stuck in traffic or a delayed subway, an elevator “out of service” sign for a 15-flight stair climb is not far behind.
Has your building installed a door lock monitor system? They are required by January 1, 2020.
Effective Habit #7 Create an Upward Spiral
Habit #7: “Sharpen the Saw”
In “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, Stephen R. Covey talks about the “upward spiral” model that results from growth, change and constant improvement. The Upward Spiral model consists of three parts:
Learn
Commit
Do
Effective Habit #6 Synergize
The management team in a coop or condo is composed of three distinct entities: the board, the property manager, and the staff. When their strengths are combined, goals can be achieved that could not have been done by just one of these entities.
Effective Habit #5 “Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood”
You Have Two Ears and One Mouth- Use Them in That Proportion
Understanding the limitations of the staff, managing agent and fellow board-members is important. Although the staff reports to the managing agent, the managing agent reports to their firm first and ultimately to the board. The board then reports to the residents. The managing agent has, in most cases, multiple buildings with multiple emergencies such as leaks, fires, floods; and of course loose cats.
Effective Habit #4 Think “Win-Win” or “Give and Take”
As the decision-maker, the board is in charge and needs to set the overall tone. Only when there are clear goals, systems and plans, will all of the involved parties in the organization thrive.
It is not uncommon that boards and residents tell us that their staff is lazy or is in “cahoots” with the managing agent. It is also not uncommon to hear that boards are unhappy with their managing agent. We could give you a very long list of all the reasons they think so, but in reality, the culprit is more often than not the board.