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When one shareholder wants out and the other wants to stay, the fallout doesn't just involve the two of them, it lands squarely on the board's desk. Matthew Goldberg, partner at Hankin & Mazel, walks through a real case involving an unmarried couple who bought a co-op together, only to face a breakup that turned into a stock transfer, a lender negotiation, and a financial review most boards wouldn't see coming. He breaks down what boards are actually responsible for reviewing when ownership changes hands and what can happen when an agreement falls apart entirely. Goldberg offers real lessons for any board that assumes a breakup, divorce, or ownership change is simply a private matter. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.

The business of running a building is demanding work that requires making endless decisions — some that can quickly lead your board into a quagmire of legal difficulties. Legal Talk interviews New York's leading co-op/condo attorneys to find solutions, and get some guidance, on these challenges. For more co-op and condo insights, sign up to receive Habitat's free newsletters or become a Habitat subscriber today!

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What would happen if your co-op's proprietary lease didn't actually give your board the powers you've always assumed it had? That's not a hypothetical — it's exactly what happened to one New York co-op. Tracy Peterson, a principal at Braverman Greenspun, takes Carol Ott through a case where digging into a co-op's proprietary lease revealed a provision so unexpected that it had escaped notice — by attorneys, managing agents, and board members alike — for more than 40 years. She breaks down what the board found, how they handled the fallout, and what every board member should take away: read your governing documents, because the surprises are in there. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.

The business of running a building is demanding work that requires making endless decisions — some that can quickly lead your board into a quagmire of legal difficulties. Legal Talk interviews New York's leading co-op/condo attorneys to find solutions, and get some guidance, on these challenges. For more co-op and condo insights, sign up to receive Habitat's free newsletters or become a Habitat subscriber today!

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When a newly married couple applied to a Riverdale co-op with an emotional support animal request, their board faced a situation that most no-pet buildings aren't prepared for — and the fallout landed them before the Human Rights Commission. Eric Goidel, senior partner at Borah Goldstein Altschuler Nahins & Goidel, walks through the case step by step, explaining the unconventional strategy he recommended and why it matters for any board navigating ESA requests. The lesson here isn't just about pets — it's about documentation, process, and knowing where the real legal exposure lives before a complaint ever gets filed. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.

The business of running a building is demanding work that requires making endless decisions — some that can quickly lead your board into a quagmire of legal difficulties. Legal Talk interviews New York's leading co-op/condo attorneys to find solutions, and get some guidance, on these challenges. For more co-op and condo insights, sign up to receive Habitat's free newsletters or become a Habitat subscriber today!