Lasser Law Group, PLLC

Home
United States
New York, NY
Lasser Law Group, PLLC

Lasser Law Group is a real estate, construction and commercial litigation law firm.

09/16/2026

Here is the mistake boards make often when they need a supermajority to pass an amendment: they announce the change when they send out the ballot.

That is not the way to garner the necessary support.

The boards that get the supermajority votes approach it differently by starting months earlier. They put out a simple FAQ that addresses obvious concerns about cost and fairness. They explain why the change is important. They hold a meeting to answer questions.

One thing that has made all this easier is that remote and hybrid meetings are now permanently legal in New York.

•.Co-ops received this authority in 2021.
• Condos received it in 2022.

For buildings that struggle getting enough people in a room, this is a game changer.

Want to learn how to get all those yeses?

Contact the Lasser Law Group: (212) 292-3075, https://lasserlg.com/contact/.

09/09/2026

Every board should answer this question before drafting a single word of an amendment.

What is the exact vote count you need to pass?

For co-ops, find the answer in your by-laws and certificate of incorporation. Some changes need only a board majority, while others require a supermajority of shareholders.

• Often two-thirds.
• Sometimes 75%.

For condos, it's trickier. Declaration amendments typically need a high supermajority of the common interest.

• You have to record it with the county clerk.
• Mortgagees may need to sign off on the change.

The threshold determines everything about how you approach the vote. Make sure you know what that is before you act.

Want to know what this means for your board?

Contact the Lasser Law Group: (212) 292-3075, https://lasserlg.com/contact/.

09/02/2026

Your board wants to ban smoking in the building. How you do that depends entirely on where in the building you will apply the ban.

•Inside apartments? That is a change to how units are used. It goes in the governing documents, and owners or shareholder’s vote.

• Hallways, lobby, elevators? That is a common area, and the board can handle it with a resolution.

• Boards confuse these all the time. The difference between an enforceable rule and one that gets challenged in court can come down to knowing which document you are changing.

Need help breaking it all down? We advise co-op, condo and HOA boards make decisions that hold up.

Contact the Lasser Law Group: (212) 292-3075, https://lasserlg.com/contact/.

08/26/2026

The most common mistake co-op boards make is calling us after the dispute has started.

The right time is before the decision is communicated, when an attorney can still evaluate whether the proposed reasons hold up and flag discrimination risk while it is avoidable.

Lasser Law Group serves as general counsel to more than 200 co-ops, condominiums, and homeowners associations across Manhattan and Westchester. We advise boards before decisions turn into litigation.

If your board is weighing a close call, please read our blog before you reject a co-op applicant, https://lasserlg.com/co-op-purchase-rejection-requirements-for-boards/

Call Lasser Law Group at (212) 292-3075.

08/19/2026

Board members serve without pay. That does not mean they serve without personal risk.

New York’s highest court held that directors who act in bad faith cannot shift personal liability back to the cooperative. A finding of intentional discrimination can mean personal liability, punitive damages, loss of indemnification, loss of D&O coverage, and reputational harm.

Sound process is what keeps personal assets off the table.

Please read our blog before to learn how to protect your personal assets, https://lasserlg.com/co-op-purchase-rejection-requirements-for-boards/

We serve as general counsel to more than 200 co-ops across Manhattan and Westchester.

Call Lasser Law Group at (212) 292-3075.

08/12/2026

Most boards worry about approving the wrong buyer.

But rejecting a qualified applicant based on a protected characteristic like race, religion, or disability can land you in court.

Silence does not protect you.

Borderline applicants with thin liquidity, high debt ratios, or unstable employment may be legitimate grounds, but only if they are legally defensible and properly documented.

Lasser Law Group helps boards evaluate rejections before they are communicated.

Please read our blog before you reject a co-op applicant, https://lasserlg.com/co-op-purchase-rejection-requirements-for-boards/

We serve as general counsel to more than 200 co-ops across Manhattan and Westchester.

Call Lasser Law Group at (212) 292-3075.

08/05/2026

The rules on co-op rejections just changed in NYC. Here is what boards need to know.

A new NYC law took effect on July 28, 2026, establishing mandatory timelines for application review and decisions.

Westchester County goes further, requiring written reasons for denials, advance financial disclosures, and fair housing training for board members.

Board decisions now generate a paper trail. If your board has not updated its process, now is the time.

To learn how this affects your application process, read our blog, https://lasserlg.com/co-op-purchase-rejection-requirements-for-boards/

We serve as general counsel to more than 200 co-ops across Manhattan and Westchester.

Call Lasser Law Group at (212) 292-3075.

07/29/2026

Boards that stay inside the Business Judgment Rule tend to do the same things, every time:

• Know and follow your governing documents.
• Decide on an informed basis.
• Treat every owner the same.
• Disclose conflicts and step out of the vote.
• And get professional advice on the sensitive calls.

The pattern is easy to remember: informed, even-handed, and within your authority. A good decision made the wrong way is still an unprotected decision.

Want help putting these habits in place on your board? Contact the Lasser Law Group: (212) 292-3075, https://lasserlg.com/contact/.

07/22/2026

The rule shields legitimate decisions.

It does not shield illegal ones.

Decisions that discriminate on the basis of a protected class or that deny a required reasonable accommodation, such as for an assistance animal, are governed by federal, New York State and New York City fair-housing and human-rights laws, not by business-judgment deference. These are among the most common and most expensive sources of board liability, and they often arise from a well-meaning board simply applying a rule the wrong way.

The fix is almost always to pause and get guidance before the board acts.

We help boards navigate exactly these situations, and we run a free Fair Housing seminar for co-op boards.
Contact the Lasser Law Group: (212) 292-3075, https://lasserlg.com/contact/.

07/15/2026

In Levandusky (1990), a co-op board issued a stop-work order on a shareholder’s renovation. The shareholder sued. New York’s highest court refused to second-guess the board and established the Business Judgment Rule as the standard for reviewing board decisions.

In Pullman (2003), a co-op terminated a shareholder’s tenancy for objectionable conduct after a shareholder vote. The court deferred again, because the board followed its governing documents and acted in good faith.

The lesson: even a board’s most serious decisions are well protected — when authority, proper procedure, and good faith all line up.

Want to know what these cases mean for your board? Contact the Lasser Law Group: (212) 292-3075, https://lasserlg.com/contact/.

Address

633 Third Avenue, Suite 1301
New York, NY
10017

Website

http://LasserLg.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Lasser Law Group, PLLC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Lasser Law Group, PLLC:

Featured

Amazing Homes For Sale & Rent In Riverdale, N
360 West 125th Street, Suite #11

Want your business to be the top-listed Realtor/realty Service in New York?