
Legal Talk for Co-ops and Condos
Co-op and condo board directors face a myriad of challenges they are not equipped to solve, and taking action can be a fraught experience. In this series, Habitat Magazine editors interview New York's leading co-op/condo attorneys for guidance on these challenges. Habitat, a New York City publication founded in 1982, is edited for co-op and condo board directors, property managers, and other professionals.
Episodes
33 episodes
From Arrears to Foreclosure, Collection Strategies That Work
Do you have a roadmap for handling delinquent payments? Caryn Meyer, partner at Cohen, Warren, Meyer & Gitter, has a plan. In this episode, she tackles the entire collection journey, from establishing clea...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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14:59

When the Business Judgment Rule Works — and When It Doesn't
Your board can sleep better at night knowing your decisions are protected by the business judgment rule — but it's not absolute. In this episode, Eric Goidel, a partner at Borah, Goldstein, Altschuler, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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16:43

Drawing the Line: Who Pays When Your Co-op or Condo Breaks?
Confused about who's responsible for that leaky window or damaged floor? If your board has ever faced a battle over repairs, you know that ambiguous governing documents can often lead to disputes. Ken Jacobs, a partner at the law firm
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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16:49

David vs. Developer: Protecting Your Property Rights
In the era of Local Law 11 work, the access agreement has become so mundane that it usually doesn’t cause controversy. That isn’t true, though, for buildings facing a developer who wants to build a new building next door. Mark Hankin, partner a...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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14:03

The Eviction Playbook: How Boards Can Legally Handle Problematic Residents
Intolerable behavior is everyone’s nightmare, and solving the problem first falls in the lap of a co-op or condo board. Often this is tossed to the building’s attorney or managing agent because the solution is painful, relentless and full of le...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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16:20

When Accessibility Meets Complexity
When a resident asks for an accommodation, the response may not be so straightforward. Your co-op or condo board will need to approach each request thoughtfully, legally and compassionately. Daniel Finger, partner at the law firm
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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13:00

The Secret Weapon Against Difficult Sponsors
Think your co-op board is powerless against holders of unsold shares? Think again. When sponsors dismiss safety concerns by claiming special privileges, boards actually have significant legal leverage. In this episode, Bruce Cholst, partner at ...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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9:39

Don't Get Sued Over Pet Policies
Are you prepared when a resident claims their parakeet is an emotional support animal? Co-op and condo board members can't afford to mishandle service animal accommodation requests — one wrong move could trigger costly discrimination lawsuits a...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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18:43

Injunctions: A Powerful Tool for Co-op and Condo Boards
David Berkey, partner at Gallet Dreyer & Berkey, joins Paula Chin of Habitat Magazine to discuss how co-op and condo boards can use injunctions to enforce rules...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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12:57

Serving on Your Board? The Liability Trap No One Warned You About
Volunteering for your building's board seems like a great way to serve your community—until you realize you might be personally liable for the board's decisions. Often overlooked are indemnification clauses, says Leni Morrison Cummins, Member, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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12:41

Understanding Co-op and Condo Bylaws
Emily Myers of Habitat Magazine discusses bylaw governance with Carl Finger, principal at the law firm Finger and Finger. Finger outlines how bylaws serve ...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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11:10

Defects After Move-In: How Boards Can Hold Sponsors Accountable
In this informative Legal Talk episode, attorney Michael Savino of Braverman Greenspun shares with Habitat's Paula Chin essential guidance for co-op and condo bo...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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20:30

The $300,000 Mistake: How Boards Can Avoid a Violation Crisis
Navigating building violations can be tricky for co-op and condo boards, especially when it comes to determining responsibility for corrections. In this enlightening discussion with attorney Brandon James of
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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17:58

When Time Runs Out: Protecting Your Building's Legal Claims Before It's Too Late
In this episode of Legal Talk, Jennifer Stewart, a partner at the law firm Smith Buss and Jacobs, explains to Habitat's Emily Myers how critical the importance of understanding statutes of limitations for co-op and condo board directors is. The...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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14:31

Beyond "No": The Smart Board's Guide to Handling Document Requests
Tracy Peterson, a partner at the law firm Braverman Greenspun, joins Habitat's Paula Chin for an essential discussion on how co-op and condo boards should handle...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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16:23

Hidden Traps in Pet Policies: A Warning to Boards
Enforcing pet policies in co-ops and condos can feel like walking through a legal minefield. From tight enforcement deadlines to complex accommodations for service and emotional support animals, board directors face high-stakes decisions that c...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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13:35

When Good Neighbors Go Bad: A Board Director's Guide to Nuisance Claims
Living in close quarters with neighbors who blast music at 3 AM, cook pungent meals, or hoard items can turn apartment living into a nightmare. But when do everyday annoyances cross the line into legal nuisances, and how should co-op and condo ...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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13:48

Squawking Their Way to Federal Court: The $800K Emotional Support Parrot Case
Mishandling anything to do with emotional support pets can have huge financial consequences. The Rutherford, a New York City co-op, recently learned that the hard way when a resident's noisy emotional support birds caused neighbor complaints. T...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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16:07

When Grandma Wants to Add Junior: Navigating Co-op Stock Transfers
One would think it would be easy to add a family member to a co-op stock certificate, but you can’t "just add a name." For boards, it requires careful consideration of multiple factors, including transfer taxes, flip tax implications, and the f...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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15:31

Yellowstone Injunctions: The Legal Power Move Your Board Needs to Know
When a commercial tenant becomes problematic — whether falling behind in rent, not performing repairs or some other infraction of their lease — co-op and condo boards need to act. In this episode Moshe Bobker, partner at
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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13:04

Personal Liability While Serving On Your Board
Serving on your board means making decisions that impact your entire community — without getting paid. But are you personally protected when things go wrong? Geoffrey Mazel, partner at Hankin & Mazel, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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13:25

When Are Board Decisions Protected And Why Should You Care
Peter Massa, Partner, Armstrong Teasdale, is interviewed by Habitat Magazine's Bill Morris.A legal landmark. The...
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7:16

What's Up With Expense Allocations In Mixed-Use Condominiums?
Leni Morrison Cummins, Partner, Cozen O’Connor, is interviewed by Habitat Magazine's Carol Ott.It all starts when sponsors decide how th...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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9:18
