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Co-op Shareholder Kept in the Dark QMy friend lives in a co-op in Queens. She says that her building has not had an annual meeting in years, and that she has not seen any financial statements, either. What recourse does she have? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Check E-Mail for Co-op News QMy co-op uses e-mail to communicate with owners. Is the co-op required to communicate by regular mail, or am I required to accept e-mails? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renovated, Except for the Heat QI recently bought a co-op that was gut-renovated in 2005. It is a duplex that has no heat on the lower floor. I have since discovered that law requires that there be heat in the entire apartment. Since the board approved that renovation, are they responsible for fixing the problem? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shareholder List Withheld by Agent QOur managing agent refuses to let me have a list of shareholders of our co-op. Isn't he required to provide this list? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Your Design Taste Versus the Landlord's Q Some time ago our landlord put up larger apartment numbers next to each door, even though we already had numbers. I thought they were ugly, so I took mine down. After receiving a threatening letter, I put them back. Now I am getting a $400 charge on my rent bill. Is this legal? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Landmark' Co-op, New Windows QOur co-op board decided that all the windows in our 400-apartment complex needed replacement, at an estimated cost of $10 million. Most are floor-to-ceiling wood-frame windows that must be replicated because the building has been designated a landmark. Does a project of this scale require shareholder approval? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Benefits of Buying From a Sponsor QIs it possible to buy a co-op from a sponsor as an investor for the purpose of renting it out? How about doing this with more than one apartment in the same co-op? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean the Windows, or Buy New Ones? QWe live in a prewar co-op on the Upper East Side that is offering shareholders the opportunity to exchange their old windows for new ones, at a cost of $50,000 to $75,000. We chose not to do it at this time. The management now says that our windows cannot be professionally washed. I've heard there is something wrong with the safety bolts that window washers use on the outside of the building. Must I now spend an enormous amount of money to change my windows just to get them cleaned, or is it the responsibility of the co-op to fix whatever needs to be fixed on the outside of the building? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavior Issues in a Co-op QI am a shareholder in a Manhattan co-op and have problems with my neighbor, including noise, odors, and threatening behavior toward me. All of this is in violation of the house rules. I have raised these issues with the co-op board, but nothing has been done. The board claims it has no authority to enforce the house rules. Is this possible? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Getting a Copy Of Bylaws and Lease [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A Sponsor Wants to Maintain Control QMy seven-member co-op board wants to change the bylaws to create a four-member board. The request is driven by the sponsor, who holds the majority of the shares. What are the pros and cons of doing this? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A Co-op Neighbor Becomes Abusive QI am a resident shareholder in a co-op where another owner is becoming increasingly abusive verbally and has tried to physically intimidate other shareholders over co-op policy. Can the board terminate his proprietary lease and evict this person if this outrageous behavior continues? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Anonymity vs. Public Voting QMy co-op recently held a shareholders' meeting to elect a new slate of board members. The voting apparently was not anonymous. The shareholders were upset, and the vote was declared null and void. A new vote is being scheduled. Must the voting be public, or should it be anonymous? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

When Shareholders Seek Amendments QIs it legal in New York for shareholders to try to put a cap on the amount a co-op board can spend? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shareholders' Rights for Amending Bylaws QWhat rights do shareholders have to submit proposed bylaw amendments for a vote at the annual meeting? Can the board adopt a resolution allowing the directors to decide whether the proposed amendment will be voted on? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Shareholders Avoiding Conflict of Interest QIf shareholders seeking to be elected to the co-op board are also part of a group of shareholders who have brought a lawsuit against the building, are they required to disclose their involvement in the lawsuit? If elected, are they allowed to vote on issues involving the suit? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granting Access to Co-op Inspectors QThe shareholders in our co-op have just been notified by management that it plans to conduct inspections of our apartments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An Accident in a Co-op Lobby QI am a shareholder in a Brooklyn co-op. A board member fell in the lobby a year or so ago. The management company failed to notify the insurance company, assuming the woman probably wasn't badly hurt and would not sue. It assumed wrongly; this person is now suing the co-op, and the shareholders stand to lose a lot of money because of her lawsuit. Is there any way to hold the management company responsible for this? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a Spouse Seeks Board Membership QMy wife bought a co-op before we were married. The board said I could not run for a seat on the board unless I was a shareholder. Didn't I become a shareholder when I married my wife? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Equal Treatment for All Shareholders QAre sponsors of co-op conversions exempt from paying maintenance fees for apartments they own and rent out? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Financial Statements for Shareholders QWho has to pay a co-op's charge for providing financial information when someone is buying a co-op? The buyer or the seller? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a Sublet Tenant Has a Roommate QCan a tenant who sublets an apartment from a shareholder in a co-op have a roommate without the co-op board's approval? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Hidden Costs of Refinancing QIs it standard for a New York City co-op to charge a ''refinance fee'' when a shareholder is refinancing a share loan? A fee was imposed after our lender had requested that the co-op provide a few documents and sign a ''recognition agreement.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Shareholders Suggest Minimum Sale Prices [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

'Pet Friendly' To a Point [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

When a Conflict Might Exist [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Voting Shares At Co-op Buildings [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

When To Add A Wheelchair Ramp [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A Condo Owner With a Noisy Tenant [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Some Co-op Owners Get Special Benefits [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Can the President of a Co-op Reject a Shareholder's Proxy? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

QAt a recent annual shareholders' meeting, my co-op had a vote to increase the flip tax. To pass such a change would require the affirmative vote of two-thirds of all outstanding shares. The tally was about eight percentage points short of the necessary 66.67 percent. In the days after the meeting, certain board members campaigned in the lobby to get votes from people who had not attended the meeting or submitted a proxy. During the next few days, the requisite number of votes was secured, and the board declared the new flip tax to be in immediate effect. Is this valid? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

QIs there a law in New York City that says whenever you change a door in your home, it has to be large enough to accommodate a wheelchair? A ''No, because replacing only the door, with or without its frame, would be considered ordinary maintenance,'' said Marcel DeWinter, a Manhattan architect. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Discusses the practice of cumulative voting by shareholders in cooperative and condominium housing organizations in New York.