NEWSLETTERS & ARTICLES
Boards & Boundaries
How 'Available' Should You Be?
CooperatorNews New York
In multifamily residential communities, where neighbors share common space, amenities, and maintenance—if not actual walls-establishing and maintaining boundaries can be a bit tricky. Physical boundaries are often breached by things like noise, odors, smoke, and other airborne nuisances...
THE ZOOM OUTLOOK HABITAT MAG
Sometimes good things come out of hard times. What, if anything, has the pandemic actually helped you solve? Prior to the pandemic, we really didn't meet via Zoom. We had a conference call or maybe a phone call with a couple of board members...
Leak Fix: Like a Roof Raincoat HABITAT MAG
The problem. We had a property that had sprung leaks all over the top floor apartments and into the hallways and needed to do repairs very, very quickly. Scoping out the work, getting specs and bidding out the project would have taken months...
2 Big COVID Vax Questions for Property Workers:
Can They Get Them Now? Should They Be Required?
THE COOPERATOR
The long-awaited rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations has begun at last, but has gotten off to a decidedly bumpy start. Getting shots to nearly 20 million New Yorkers - twice - has hit snags around everything from the supply chain to equitable distribution to communication about the process...
Co-op and Condo Staffers Say They’re Essential Workers and Deserve Vaccines HABITAT BRICKS & BUCKS
As part of New York State’s phased distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that as of Feb. 15, people with certain health problems – including cancer, heart conditions and compromised immune systems – are now eligible to get their shots...
Garthchester Realty is Moving! IMPORTANT NOTICE!
We are pleased to announce Garthchester Realty is moving our Scarsdale office effective 12/30/2020.
Our new office is located at:
440 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 512
Harrison, NY 10528
Safety and a 10-cent Tour 5 MINUTES WITH MEGHAN & MARSHALL - LINKED IN
MANAGEMENT ON THE FRONTLINES: Building Staff HABITAT MAG
Unbelievable: a Co-op Capital Project That Was Glitch-Free HABITAT MAG
Even in the best of times, most capital projects come with surprises and setbacks, not to mention the accompanying added costs. During the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, these projects have tended to become even more challenging and expensive...
How to Avoid Burnout on the Job Four Lessons from Property Managers
The duties of a property manager are multiple and multifaceted. Starting the day before dawn, and remaining on-call throughout the night and even on weekends, managers have to deal with a dizzying array of challenges and tasks—everything from the physical upkeep of the property, to staff management and vendor procurement, to dealing with interpersonal conflicts and communication—not just with boards and residents, but with vendors, service providers, and municipal personnel, too...
COVID-19 Policy Updates - JULY 2020 COVID-19 UPDATE
In anticipation of entering Phase 3 (NYC) CURRENTLY POSTPONED and Phase 4 (Westchester County) of the Covid-19 restrictions currently in place by Governor Cuomo, we are discussing plans for properties and policies for consideration to be in place for the following...
As Construction Reboots, Rules Must Be Enforced HABITAT MAG
Though co-ops and condos were allowed to resume their nonessential construction projects on June 8, not all are comfortable doing so. “Some construction opened up, only to close again,” says Eugene Ferrara, president of the engineering firm JMA Consultants...
COVID-19 Policy Updates - JUNE 2020 COVID-19 UPDATE
The below is for CONSIDERATION ONLY, we are attempting to be proactive and place procedures in place PRIOR to any reduction of the current restrictions in place. We request the Board review the below information and consider for distribution to the residents...
COVID-19 Policy Updates - APRIL 17, 2020 COVID-19 UPDATE
As you are aware, on April 15, 2020 Governor Cuomo signed executive order 202.17 indicating all New Yorkers are required to wear cloth face coverings in public places in which social distancing of at least six (6) feet is not possible...
Garthchester Realty Update - APRIL 3, 2020 COVID-19 UPDATE
We would like to continue to correspond with you as frequently as possible with information during this COVID/Coronavirus pandemic. In February, as this pandemic was taking form, we fully assessed our operation with an eye on ensuring that, if the scenario of quarantine became more problematic, we would continue to operate as seamlessly as possible for our clients and residents...
Safe Laundry Practices - MARCH 31, 2020 COVID-19 UPDATE
Do not shake dirty laundry, be thorough & launder regularly, use the right amount of soap, take safety precautions, the hotter the better, clean and disinfect, and occupancy limit.
Building Repairs/Moves/Deliveries - MARCH 23, 2020 COVID-19 UPDATE
As you may be aware, Governor Cuomo signed an Executive Order mandating that 100% of the workforce, excluding essential services, must stay home beginning Sunday, March 22 at 8PM, which resulted in the closure of our office, however we are working remotely and will respond to emails/voicemails as promptly as possible...
Building Employee Guidelines - MARCH 23, 2020 COVID-19 UPDATE
Some guidelines for building employees may be helpful:
Doorpersons should not personally open and close doors for those entering and leaving the building. Instead, consider the following options..
IMPORTANT UPDATE - MARCH 18, 2020 COVID-19 UPDATE
Management wants to share the planning/contingencies that we have implemented and adopted, based on the advice and information that has been circulated by the Centers for Disease Control (the “CDC”) and the Department of Health to date. We have detailed below some possible scenarios and our current plans to address them. These plans are subject to change based on guidance from the CDC and other experts.
Basic Protective Measures COVID-19 UPDATE
Although all we have been hearing about is the Coronavirus, this is still the flu season. We all need to do our part to stay healthy and minimize the spread of any virus. The staff has been instructed to periodically wipe down handrails, door knobs and similar surfaces regularly touched. Please do your part by heeding the following advice...
Bidding Basics RFPs, Outsourcing, and Avoiding Conflicts
Co-op, condo, and HOA boards across the country are made up of volunteers who are committed to the governance of their community. Among their most important duties is selecting vendors to provide goods or services—everything from lawn care to roof repair; surveillance to extermination.
White Plains Co-op Takes Advantage of Low Interest Rates HABITAT MAG
The co-op at 512 Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains is a charming, 90-year-old Tudor-style building with 17 residential units and a pair of commercial units. Six years ago, when Garthchester Realty took over the management of the property, the co-op wanted to undertake several aggressive capital projects. But there was a problem.
The Cooperator - Board Transition Switching Smoothly From Old Board to New
Community associations are microcosms of democracy, run by an elected board of volunteers trusted to make good decisions on behalf of the community as a whole. Boards make the call on every large and small issue for their constituency...
Dobbs Ferry Co-op Takes the Pain Out of a Major Window Replacement HABITAT MAG
Jean Greenberg still remembers that day, 30 years later. She was at the closing on her apartment in the 84-unit co-op on Draper Lane in Dobbs Ferry, when her broker turned to her and said, “Oh, by the way, the co-op board just imposed an assessment on all shareholders.”
HABITAT MAG - STAFF MATTERS. If board, management, and staff aren’t working together, the building will suffer.
Isn’t staffing a building one of a manager’s biggest challenges? Absolutely. We took over management of a property in Westchester a while ago, and the board members were very dissatisfied with the level of service they were receiving from the superintendent and the staff. They felt the building wasn’t maintained in a proper fashion...
Local Knowledge and a Second Opinion Saved a Cool Million HABITAT MAG
The board of the Scarborough Manor, a two building, 205-unit co-op on the banks of the Hudson River in Ossining, figured one good turn deserved another. After installing a $1.5 million array of solar panels, the board got ready to overhaul its antiquated, 50-year-old heating and cooling system...
Renovating the Lobby: War or Peace? HABITAT MAG
Lobby renovations are notorious for igniting wars over inconvenience, aesthetics, and cost in co-ops and condos. Many boards dread the prospect. But there was no way out for the board at the 198-unit co-op at 281 Garth Road in Scarsdale: the lobby needed a lift...
HABITAT MAG - DEFUSING DISPUTES THE WHAT, WHY, AND HOW OF MEDIATION
They say good fences make good neighbors, but that’s one amenity co-ops and condos don’t have. Living in such close quarters, conflicts inevitably crop up, tempers flare, and nasty lawsuits can result...
Timing Was Everything for This Co-op’s Garage Overhaul HABITAT MAG
The co-op board at the 87-unit Hastings House in Hastings-on-Hudson faced a familiar dilemma. There was no doubt that the underground parking garage needed some love – there were cracks in the concrete ceiling, water was puddling on the floor...
HABITAT MAG - THE INSIDE TRACK 2018 THE TRANSITION
Something a new board member should realize is that being on the board is not simply attending eleven monthly meetings (with one month off in the summer) and then going home...
It Pays to Keep Fighting Property Tax Assessments HABITAT MAG
Michael DeGrazia moved into Longacre Gardens, an 88-unit garden-style co-op in White Plains, more than 30 years ago. Back then it was a place to call home. Slowly, however, Longacre fell into disrepair – windows leaked, driveways were cracked and potholed, and rain seeped through roofs into top-floor apartments...
HABITAT WEEKLY The Super Who Became a Property Manager
Maybe running buildings runs in Brian Scally’s genes. He was born in the Inwood section of upper Manhattan in 1964, and when the family moved to the Hudson River town of Irvington in Westchester County, his father became the super in their 72-unit garden-style apartment complex...
HABITAT MAG - 20 Years and Counting “My Turn,” with board president Mario Trozzi.
Mario Trozzi is considered his building’s “Mr. Memory” because he’s so detail-oriented.
HABITAT MAG - THE INSIDE TRACK 2017 Communicate During Emergencies – the Faster, the Better
All boards experience emergency situations, such as Hurricane Sandy or possibly a sudden building-wide gas shutdown. During those times, communication is paramount, and fast communication is even better...
Maintenance and mansplaining: Survival secrets of a female super
The glass ceiling in many industries remains relatively unfractured, but in one building in Long Island City, the male-dominated world of superintendents is being challenged...
HABITAT MAG - THE INSIDE TRACK 2016 How to Deal with a Disobedient Dog-Owner
A 250-unit co-op in Westchester that does not allow dogs had a recent sale. The purchaser completed the application and signed off that he did not own a dog...
Garthchester Realty Newsletter Fall/Winter 2017 - Issue 11
In this issue: Meet The Board, Our Featured Employee, Heat Ready, RE/MAX in the City...
HABITAT MAG - BRICKS & BUCKS A Bronx Co-op Gets a $2.4M Makeover, from Terraces to Roof
That sense of unity came in handy recently, when the board decided to replace the railings on the building roof, and renovate the terraces at the front and back of the complex’s two buildings...