WL Expert Advice Blog

Co-op Boards Must Treat All Pieds-a-Terre Equally

By James Woods
Managing Partner

Aug. 2, 2022

In Animal Farm, his parody of Soviet totalitarianism, George Orwell created a skewed utopia where all the farm animals were equal — but some were more equal than others.

That very situation played out recently when a co-op purchaser was told by the board that it does not allow shareholders to use their apartments as pieds-a-terre. But once his purchase was approved, the shareholder learned that some of his neighbors were using their apartments as pieds-a-terre. Confused, he asked Brick Underground: “Is the board just looking the other way? Could the other pieds-a-terre be grandfathered in?”

About the Author

James Woods, Managing Partner of Woods Lonergan, holds more than 25 years of experience in corporate, real estate, and business legal matters. His expertise in handling negotiations, litigation, jury trials, and all forms of alternative dispute resolution spans multiple areas, including corporate, real estate, and commercial litigation. James actively represents dozens of Cooperative and Condominium Boards and serves as counsel to many Corporate Boards. Prior to founding the firm, James proudly served as an Assistant District Attorney for Nassau County and handled both jury and bench trials. With experience that also covers sophisticated transactions and complex acquisitions, James also serves as counsel to several domestic companies in a range of industries and commercial arenas, including real estate, insurance, banking, transportation, and construction. If you have any questions about this article you can contact attorney James Woods through his biography page.

Disclaimer: The information in this article and blog post (“post”) is provided for informational purposes only, and may not reflect the current law(s) in every jurisdiction. No information contained in this post should be construed as legal advice from Woods Lonergan PLLC or the individual author(s), nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. Nothing herein shall be construed to create an attorney-client relationship with Woods Lonergan PLLC. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this Post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from an attorney licensed in the recipient’s jurisdiction. This post is attorney advertising.
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