Board and Building Management

Hi cc3duke99. I cannot really give you any advise there, but I wondered why would anyone want to live in a coop where one is at the mercy of a board who dictates everything up to who you can sell/rent to.
Why go for a coop when you can go for a condo which has more autonomy?

BWC

BWC - I cannot speak for cc3, but in a coop there are far stricter requirements for purchasing, so that the likelihood of a whole bunch of people not being able to pay their mortgages and maintenance when a downturn comes is far more of a reach to happen in a coop. Condo allow exotic financing...also risky. Finally, if I wanted to live in a building with a whole bunch of people renting I would have just stayed in my rental apartment.

cc3 - try to see if you can get a few minutes of time to speak at the next board meeting and make a presentation of your ideas. You will likely get some of them implemented if the board sees validity to your suggestions.

We actually have a very tacky looking suggestion box in our lobby just for that purpose. You could leave a note asking to speak with someone on the board about some ideas and then gauge their reaction when you talk to them. There is no real need to worry because you are making small practical suggestions that are not in any way controversial but unfortunately some of these people are territorial and you don't want any trouble getting stuff approved that's much more important to you down the line. What was your sense of the board from your interview?

The shareholder meeting is fine, and it's also acceptable, I think, to introduce yourself to board members with a "hi, I'm new here" -- which can be followed up three weeks later with a "I was just thinking . . . why don't we try thus-and-so . . ."

Also, I don't know how newfangled your building is willing to be, but many bigger buildings are having success with Building Link, which is computer software that it is used to track packages, dry cleaning, etc. I don't know what it costs, but I know whenever I ask people about it, the buildings love it, and the residents love it.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

cc3, it's a good idea to 'get a feel' for the building before making suggestions. And rather than wait for the shareholders meeting to voice it initially, I suggest writing a note/email to the board letting them know of your idea, asking if it's feasible.

As other posters noted here, you never know who you might be ticking off or rubbing the wrong way, even though your suggestions may seem logical. Also, someone might have suggested the same thing before, and there could've been a good reason why it didn't happen. So take baby steps.

I'm not sure how large your building is, but at my place, the minute I walk through the door the doorman tells me when I have packages/drycleaning. This may not work for larger buildings.

> Why go for a coop when you can go for a condo which has more autonomy?

Uhh, because co-ops cost less than condos?