EVA
RAPPAPORT HONORED
The Federations dedicated Executive Director, Eva Rappaport,
was invited to a WhiteHouse Reception in celebration of Cooperative
Month (October). She was one of six housing cooperative representatives
in the country invited. Eva's invitation is an extraordinary
honor and well deserved.
FEDERATION STARTS THE MILLENNIUM WITH ITS 43RD ANNUAL
TRADE SHOW AND SEMINARS
Mark your calendar now! Sunday, February 6th, 2000, the Federation
will celebrate the new millennium with the longest running
trade show and seminars in the real estate industry. If your
Cooperative or condominium pays for three or more directors
to attend the Trade Show and Seminar,Your Board President
comes free of charge. Here is an opportunity to see several
vendors all in one location. You canprequalify them to see
if that vendor is right for your building. . Best yet - Lunch
will be provided
This program proves to be the most exciting one yet! Here
is what we have for our members and guests:
Our popular Attorneys Round Table -Update your knowledge
on the latest law casesaffecting cooperatives and condominiums.
Federation Executive Vice President Al Pennisi will lead a
panel of attorneys to answer your questions. Had a legal question
but were afraid to pay? Come to our exciting attorneys round
table discussion.
NEW --Professional Round Table- ask your questions.
Our panel of experts, consisting of attorneys, managing agents,
accountants,refinancing experts and engineers will answer
your questions on issues you want to know about, not the usual
seminar topics focused on, which they want you to hear.
NEW -- Your Corporate Documents , Federation Executive
Vice President Al Pennisi, will discuss with you, updating
your building's Occupancy Agreement, Bylaws, Proprietary Lease,
etc.
Energy Conservation------ The Federation has joined
engineer Herbert Hirschfeld, P.E. in obtaining a grant from
the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
(NYSERDA), under its New York Smart Energy Program. This grant
will pay for your building's feasibility study and more. Come
to this seminar to find out why submetering of electric is
for you.
NEW ----Management Representatives from the Association
of co-op and Condo Managers (ACCM) will have an open exchange
with our members about various management issues and the ethics
of the ACCM association.
BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES --Attorney Stan Dreyer will
deliver his popular seminar on the Board and how it works.
Questions like, what make's a good Corporate Secretary? How
much power does a Board President have, will be answered.
NEW --"DISCRIMINATION" WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT
IT -Attorney Howard Schechter will explain a) reasonable accommodations
to the disabled person and b) sexual harassment. He will explain
how to protect yourself and what the many open items are.
NEW -- SAFEGUARDING YOUR ASSETS --Accountant Rick
Montanye will discuss ways your building can ensure itself
to minimize any fraud in dealing with your professionals.
In light of the recent indictments, this seminar is a must
for everyone.
FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS - Direct from
Washington, the National Association of Housing Cooperatives
Judy Sullivan, and Director of Government Relations will update
us. She will also stress the need for National membership.
Director of the year nomination entry form is enclosed for
your building's Director who went over and above the call
of duty. The prestigious Charles Rappaport Director
of the Year will be chosen after judging and confirming the
entries. Good Luck to All.
Reserved your space now!
LEAD BASE PAINT UPDATE See past newsletters--SEPTEMBER
1999 and before
HUD Mortgage Insured properties new guidelines will have
to be followed by September 15th, 2000. This includes:
- PRE -1960 built properties
- Distribution of lead based paint pamphlet
- Risk Assessment
- Interim Controls
- Notice to Occupants
- Ongoing Lead Based Paint maintenance
- 1960-1977 built properties
- Distribution of lead based paint pamphlet
- Ongoing Lead Based Paint maintenance
If your building receives more HUD assistance than mortgage
insurance, you have more stringent requirements to fore fill.
If this is your case, please contact your local HUD office
for the correct information.
FEDERAL --As written previously in the Federation's newsletters,
we informed you that as of June 1, 1999, if your building
was built before 1978, you fall under the Federal Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) Renovation Disclosure Compliance.
As of June 1, 1999 any renovation (or any persons performing
renovations for compensation) must give the affected unit(s)
a lead hazard information pamphlet and obtain a signed acknowledgment
from each recipient. This new regulation will place another
layer of paperwork on the building. Although it is the contractor
who must provide the information, the contractor's extra costs
will be passed to the building. EPA in Part II of Interpretive
Guidance has issued further clarification. Some highlights
are:
- More than one contractor on a renovation? The general
contractor is basically responsible. If there is no general
contractor but many contractors? If proof can be given that
a prior contractor has given out the notice and pamphlet,
there is no need to duplicate the effort.
- Delivery to a Managing Agent is deeming as giving notice
to the owner.
- A renovation performed by the owner or staff does fall
under these regulations.
- Exterior work is deemed as a common area. Therefore these
disclosure
rules apply. It holds true for terraces (balconies) that
are not enclosed.
- You can seal off an area. The work area is said to be
temporarily excluded from the common area of the building
because it is not accessible to residents. To qualify, the
work area must be an area, which is enclosed by a wall,
fence or other permanent or temporary barrier, which prevents
access by residents. (E.g. laundry rooms) Rope, tapelines,
pylons, etc, are not acceptable.
- An emergency repair is just the repair itself that addresses
safety or public health hazards or threats of significant
damage to equipment and/or property. For example, you have
a pipe burst. The emergency repair would be the opening
of the wall or ceiling, fixing of the pipe (the further
opening of the wall or ceiling if the portion was ready
to come down or harm in any way) period. The fixing and
painting of the wall or ceiling would fall under these regulations.
For the complete EPA Interpretive guidance, see our web site
FNYHC.ORG under Legislation
New York City Local Law 38, which was outlined in the September
Newsletter, goes into effect November 12,1999. Remember
only pre-1960 built buildings are effected. Three new additions
to what was in the September Newsletter.
1. Annual notices must be on a separate form from the window
guard notices, but can be delivered at the same time.
2. When the Department of Health issues their pamphlet,
it will be different from the Federal pamphlet. You may
end up issuing two different pamphlets to the same unit.
EPA and the Health Department are working on a joint pamphlet
but it will not be ready before January 2000.
3. If an inspection is required, most management companies
will hire
outside inspectors and pass the cost onto the building.
SHORT NOTES:
IMPORTANT NOTICE THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE ENHANCED STAR
PROGRAM- The Department of Finance has recently sent out
recertifications to the recipients of the Enhanced STAR Exemption.
This two-sided one page recertification will be done annually.
Failure to return the completed form will result in the loss
of your Enhanced STAR exemption benefits. I urge you not to
throw this letter away. Deadline to return the completed form
is January 5, 2000.
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL (DEP) --WATER
DEPARTMENT- Some of our members have called the Federation
concerning the billing practices of garden apartments frontage
charges. It seems that they take the frontage information
and apply the same information to each registered building
in the complex. The Federation is arranging for the staff
of DEP to be at a booth at our Annual trade show and seminars.
If your building is having trouble, please bring the appropriate
information with you, so you can solve the problem with DEP.
HUD MANAGEMENT NOTIFICATION -- Although not required
in the HUD Manual, the New York office is requiring Section
213s to fill out and sign HUD Form 9839-B.
DHCR OCCUPANCY STANDARDS --The Division is contemplating
new occupancy standards for those buildings under their direct
jurisdiction, including cooperatives. DHCR's memo states The
proposed occupancy standards address the privacy needs of
households headed by single persons and joint leaseholds of
the same sex, while continuing to acknowledge the need of
larger families, for the limited stock of three and four bedroom
apartments.The federation will keep you updated on this topic.
DEC BOILER REGISTRATION -- If you're building has a burner
that burns oil, you must register the boiler with New York
State Department of Environmental Control (DEC). Notices have
been sent out to buildings and agents but DEC's mailing list
is antiquated, you may not have received it. There are three
levels of registration depending on the fuel consumption in
you complex. Note --- DEC has been issuing noncompliance violation
to buildings that did not register and fining those properties
tens of thousands of dollars.
NEW MEMBERSHIP SERVICES
A BULK OF THE FEDERATION'S TIME HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO OFFERING
OUR MEMBERSHIP SERVICES THAT MAY HELP TO SAVE YOU MONEY OR
HELP YOUR BUILDING. THESE SERVICES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
The Federation's web site is now online in its' infancy stage.
We will be mailing to all our members, an opportunity to list
their building's information at our web site. Right now, the
site provides a legal corner, event list with links to other
cooperative sites, legislative
issues, a question and answer page where you can ask your
questions directly to the Federation and the Federation Newsletter.
Please visit our site at "FNYHC.ORG", let us know
what you think and don't hesitate to ask us questions.
The Federation has signed on to the Durnan Group Managers
Workers Compensation Safety Group. One of the line items'
on all of our member buildings with staffs is workers compensation
insurance. The Federation has been studying different workers
compensation insurance providers and has concluded that the
Durnan Group best fits the needs of our membership. With discounted
premiums up-front and a substantial dividend at the end of
the year, this makes the safety group the best deal around.
Each claim is investigated thoroughly, which is why this group
can offer the best workers compensation package in the state.
To find out more information or to sign up, please call the
Durnan Group Managers at 1-212-768-9191 and make sure to tell
them you are a Federation member.
ELECTRIC DEREGULATION With all the confusion concerning
electric deregulation, a new Energy Service Company (ESCO)
is consumer oriented. 1st Rochdale Cooperative is an energy
company that is owned by buildings who belong to 1st Rochdale.
They are not just an energy provider, as the other ESCO's.
Similar to what happens when you belong to a cooperative,
there are no investors, so the consumers are the owners. In
addition, they will do energy audits on your building to see
what can be done to diminish or reduce your demand side electric
bill, which will save you kilowatts and money. Now is the
time to think about the next phase in the deregulation process,
which starts in January 2000. Start now in preparing your
building, talk to all the "ESCO's" and talk to 1st
Rochdale, you will be surprised in what you hear. For further
information, please call 1st Rochdale at 1-212-673-3900
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