When you think about Harlem condo board and fines, you probably think about the penalties imposed on homeowners by the board itself. Those can be assessed anytime a rule or a regulation is violated or an owner falls out of compliance with the bylaws or the rules and regulations.
Condo associations can also be fined. The laws are constantly changing in New York real estate, and it’s important that your board stays ahead of the curve. You need to understand the requirements of running a condo association, and you need to respond to deadlines, inspections, and filings.
As professional property managers who specialize in condo associations, co-ops, and the boards that run them, we’re sharing some tips on how you can ensure you aren’t facing any expensive and unnecessary fines.
Sharpen Your Board’s Legal Expertise
To avoid costly fines, you need to know the law.
Appoint someone on your board to become the legal expert for your community. If no one is comfortable with this, appoint someone to work with outside counsel so you can be sure that the board understands the existing laws, the new laws, and the court interpretations of any laws that may impact your community.
If you’re working with a Harlem property manager, they can do a lot to keep you in compliance. They’ll have their own set of legal experts who understand the laws and rules, and they’ll also have years of experience in helping boards like yours stay in compliance.
Keep Habitability and Safety up to Code
Buildings in Harlem and throughout New York City that stand higher than six stories must be inspected every five years. If your building is subject to this inspection and deemed unsafe, you’ll have to make repairs within 30 days or face steep fines.
Maybe your building won’t be deemed unsafe, but you will get a SWARMP rating, which says it’s Safe with a Repair and Maintenance Program. This indicates that there’s a condition that needs attention before the next inspection in five years.
Not scheduling the inspections on time and not complying with the results or outcomes of an inspection can result in a lot of costs, frustrations, and wasted time. Make sure you’re compliant with every step of this inspection requirement.
Get your Harlem Building to Net Zero
With the Green New Deal becoming law in New York City (otherwise known as the Climate Mobilization Act, approved in 2019), buildings are working hard to limit their waste and their carbon footprint. Audits that judge a building’s ability to move towards zero waste and greener systems will be coming. Most of the boards we’ve talked to understand that there will be fees and fines for buildings that have lower green grades, especially if they don’t make the recommended or required improvements within the prescribed time.
The worst part about facing fines is that you didn’t see them coming or you didn’t know you were doing something that kept you out of compliance with city and state laws. Don’t put your building, your homeowners, or yourself at risk for these costs. Contact us at Harlem Property Management, and we’ll protect you from risk.
Harlem Property Management is the authority on co-op and condo building management in Upper Manhattan and a member of the Real Estate Board of New York. We specialize in managing condos, co-ops, and multi-family buildings up to 99 units.
