Dennis Greenstein Quoted in The New York Times
“A Laundry Room Down the Drain”

Dennis Greenstein was quoted in the real estate Q&A column of The New York Times on Sunday, July 31, 2009. The letter writer wanted to know if it was legal for their condominium board to close the building's laundry room without any notice and with no plans to reopen it. According to the writer, they do not know what the board plans to do with the empty space and feels it is unfair that their monthly common charges have gone up, while the common space has been reduced.

Dennis responded to the writer that generally the board of managers of a condominium has the authority to make decisions regarding the operation of the property. He suggested that "The bylaws of the condominium should be reviewed to determine whether the board has the authority to control or change the use of the common elements." Dennis also noted, "If the decision of the board is made in good faith, the business-judgment rule will likely apply and the courts will not second-guess the acts of the board." He concluded, "The simplest remedy is for the aggrieved unit owners to vote their displeasure at the next election of the board."