Email is a fact of life, but it’s not without its perils as you likely know firsthand. What you may not know are the special risks that attach to your board’s reliance on this form of communication. The reality is that in most buildings email is not only the non-lethal weapon of choice, among board members, but also the means by which they communicate their decisions. It’s convenient but is it legal? Read more »

You know what they say about cigars. But maybe you didn’t know that a chair can be more than something to sit on, that is, unless you live in a high rise, where everyone knows that chairs are as much a symbol of power as a place to park yourself. Here's what I mean. Read more »

“I think someone’s pointing a scope at me,” a near hysterical voice screamed into the phone that I recognized as that of my friend who lives in a co-op on the Upper West Side. “I mean I know I have enemies, but I didn’t think any of them would try to do me in.” It's the latest hazard of apartment living that you need to know about -- laser pointers. Read more »

So what gives? Having something delivered used to be a snap. You bought a lamp at Crate & Barrel or your favorite antique store, and the delivery guy arrived at your apartment, plugged it in and voila – let there be light. No more. Whether it’s a guy coming to deliver a newly purchased upholstered chair or pick up a rug to clean or replace a gasket in your refrigerator or repair your flat screen TV, increasingly in buildings all over the City, boards are declaring “No Entry” -- unless the contractor has the proper papers for passage. No, not a visa, an insurance certificate. Read more »

I finally figured out how to make a million. Seriously! After all those years serving for nothing as a director on my building’s board, I see a payday ahead. I’m going to market an “AGREE” button. You probably know about that EASY button you can put on your desk or download to solve problems at work. Well this one is geared toward the specific needs of officers and directors of co-ops and condos who want to burnish their image by giving the impression they are busy solving your problems -- when maybe they’re not. Read more »