Seven hundred people attended CNYC's 29th annual Housing Conference on Sunday, November 15, 2009, attending workshops and seminars and visiting exhibits of products and services. Rohit Aggarwala, Director of the Mayor's Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability was CNYC's honored guest at the reception that closed the day's events. Dr. Aggarwala spoke of the how his Office is implementing the goals outlined in PlaNYC to reduce energy use and maximize energy efficiency in New York City.
Rohit Aggarwala, from the Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability, with CNYC Executive Director Mary Ann Rothman.
CNYC
TESTIMONY ON
"GREEN BILLS"
The
City of New
York is deeply
committed to
energy conservation,
a goal which
CNYC shares.
However, some
of the requirements
which the City
seeks to impose
appear to CNYC
to be costly
to our members.
On June 26,
2009, CNYC
testified on
four proposed
bills, supporting
two and challenging
two on the
grounds of
cost and of
imposing decisions
upon boards
of cooperatives
and condominiums
.which should
have the right
to set priorities
for their own
buildings.
CNYC always
prefers incentives
to mandates
and expressed
this view in
its testimony.
BORROWING
OPPORTUNITIES
EXPAND
During much of
last fall and
spring, the economic
crisis was aggravated
by the reluctance
of lenders to
make money available
for the purchase
of homes, including
cooperatives
and condominiums.
Happily, a number
of lenders are
now making loans
available, but
they are hesitant
to lend for the
purchase of apartments
in recently converted
buildings or
those with a
significant sponsor
presence, since
they want to
be sure that
the loans will
qualify for purchase
by institutions
of the secondary
market.
Building Boards Hit by Downturn, featuring CNYC President Marc Luxemburg (courtesy The Real Deal)
Click on video to play
2007 Comparative Study
of Building Operating Costs
now Available
The 2007 Comparative Study
of Building Operating Costs has been mailed to CNYC members, and is also available for purchase in the CNYC office, 250 West 57th Street, Suite 730, New York, NY 10107-0730. The price is $25.
PROPERTY TAX BILLS INCREASE
CITY EXTENDS PAYMENT DEADLINE
As it copes with the financial crisis, the City of New York has found it necessary to increase the property tax rate citywide for the second half of fiscal year 2009 on the property tax payments due in January and April. Bills are being sent to property owners specifying the amounts now due. To help taxpayers meet these increased demands, the City has extended the payment deadline to January 30th, 2009.
Additional Costs
Class 2 properties (including most cooperatives and condominiums) are taxed at 13.053%. The January and July bills will, however, also include additional sums to bridge the differential between payments made in July and October based on the 11.928% rate in effect in fiscal 2008 and the 12.139% rate for the first half of fiscal 2009, which was established by the City Council after the date that July bills were prepared.
But Quarterly Tax Payments Virtually Ensured
The City Council also raised the ceiling for quarterly payment of property taxes from $80,000 to $250,000. Cooperatives with assessed value averaging less that $250,000 per unit, and condominium unit owners with assessed valuation of less that $250,000 can pay property taxes quarterly. Entities with higher assessed valuations must pay semi-annually.
SCAM
ALERT!
Click
image
to enlarge
A number of
co-ops have
received a
notice from
an entity calling
itself the "Corporate
Records Compliance
Office" in
Albany, stating
that under
New York law,
corporations
must hold annual
meetings of
shareholders
to elect directors
and conduct
other business.
The form requests
that co-ops
list the names
of all officers
and directors
and mail it
back with a
check for $120.
It says that
upon receipt
of the money
and the completed
form, the co-op
will be sent
a "certificate
of minutes
of board of
directors and
shareholders" to
file in the
corporate minute
book.
This notice
is a scam. "There
is no reason
that a cooperative
-- or any
corporation
for that
matter — should
complete
this form
or send in
any money," said
attorney
Marc Luxemburg,
president
of the Council
of New York
Cooperatives
and Condominiums. "The
company that
is sending
out these
forms is
not affiliated
with state
government,
even though
the form
appears to
be designed
to look like
an official
form."
In fact, Mr.
Luxemburg said,
on the bottom
of the form
is a disclaimer: "This
service has
not been endorsed
by any government
agency and
this offer
is not being
made by an
agency of the
government.
This is not
a bill."
REMEMBER: THERE
IS NO REQUIREMENT
THAT ANNUAL
MEETING NOTICES
BE REGISTERED.
RECYCLE CLOTHING AND OTHER TEXTILES
IN YOUR BUILDING
Upper West Side Recycling and Wearable Collections will organize and publicize your textile drive. We’ll also provide a portable clothing bin (5 x 4 x 2 1/2) if your building has over 100 apartments; if it has less than 90 apartments we’ll give you a rack with large bags. Residents won’t have to haul their clothing and other textiles to a collection site—or worse—dump them in the trash. Wearable collections accepts clean clothing (wearable or unwearable), shoes, pocketbooks, curtains, sheets, blankets, comforters, and towels. Carpeting is not accepted. By participating you can do some spring or fall cleaning, keep textiles out of our landfills and recycle in an easy, convenient way.
We also recycle textiles in churches, schools, and other organizations. We also recycle textiles in residential buildings if your members are interested. Pickups are in Manhattan, and Wearable Collections will go to the outer boroughs for large quantities. For further information contact:
CNYC and the Real Estate Board
of New York have published a new guide designed to explain
the anti-discrimination requirements that all Boards must
follow. Included are recommendations on how a Board should
conduct the application process.
Mediation is a fairly informal, totally voluntary approach to settling disputes instead of going to court. Most (70-80%) cases brought to mediation settle, and the process is quicker and cheaper than litigation. The Association of the Bar of the City of New York has initiated a mediation program which is described in its new brochure, "Mediate (Don't Litigate)". The brochure can be found at the New York Bar Association website at www.nycbar.org.
The Gallery is a special section of
this website dedicated to displaying newsletters provided
by our member buildings, and to giving recognition for all
the hard work that goes into creating them.
WORKSHOP FOR BUILDING TREASURERS
Thursday, March 4, 2010
7:00 PM
Location to be announced
INTRODUCTION TO CO-OP BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES:
An Intensive Seminar for New Directors
Tuesdays, March 9 and 16, 2010
6:00 - 9:30 PM
Location to be announced
CNYC’s ANNUAL MEETING & ELECTION OF 6 DIRECTORS
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
6:00 PM
2 West 64th Street – Social Hall
BUILDING SERVICE EMPLOYEES CONTRACT:
Hope for the Best but Prepare for all Eventualities
Thursday March 25, 2010
7:00 PM
Location to be announced
SELF-MANAGEMENT 101 :
A 3-Session Program for Small Buildings
Tuesdays, 3/30, 4/27 and 5/25, 2010
7 to 9 PM
Location to be Announced
WORKSHOP RESCHEDULED - NEW DATE: CONDO START-UP : CHALLENGES FOR BOARDS AND UNIT OWNERS OF NEW CONDOMINIUMS
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
6:00 - 9:00 PM
Location to be announced
25 YEARS OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN NYC
Thursday, May 13, 2010
7:00 PM
Location to be announced
You may register for CNYC events by calling (212) 496-7400 or by completing the Registration Form.
For events requiring payment, please mail a check for the appropriate
amount to: CNYC, 250 West 57th Street, Suite 730, New York, NY 10107-0730.
Please make checks payable to the Council of New York Cooperatives &
Condominiums.
