Covert rental unit conversions (to coops/condos)?

[sr77]

What prevents a landlord from creating ownership units (i.e., converting them to coop/condo units) in a rental unit building without informing all of the building's tenants, possibly to intentionally exclude the uninformed tenant(s) from the offering?

Example: Landlord puts family members in units as they become available. For one reason or another doesn't try to evict non-family tenants, but wants to create coops/condos only for family members. Code of silence. How would the non-family tenants even know about it?

Thanks.

[TenantNet]

Coop conversion is regulated by the NY Attorney General's office. Owner-Sponsors must produce a 'Black Book' that is given to all tenants, and it must describe the plan completely. Plan can be eviction plans (rarely used) or non-eviction plans. AFAIK the LL can't create condo units for just certain units and not others.

[sr77]

Owner-Sponsors must produce a 'Black Book' that is given to all tenants

Right, but that's just the 'law.' I was referring to circumventing the law by not giving the black book to particular tenants and having a conspiracy of silence among those included in the offering.

Is there a city office that would have records of a building's owner having circulated an offering plan?

Would the atty general's office provide this information upon request?

Thanks.

[TenantNet]

Then you should contact the AG's office. They have all the records.

[sr77]

contact the AG's office. They have all the records.

OK, let's see how that works out.

[TenantNet]

While you're at it, you should get a rent history for as many units in the building as you can. DHCR FOIL rules, however, will restrict that to the tenant in occupancy or an authorized representative. Tenants need to prove their relationship to the unit by including a lease, a Con Ed bill or something similar.

[BubbaJoe123]

1. It would be extremely difficult to create a condo with only some of the units in a building. From a practical sense, you'd have to wrap a condo within a condo (with the "outer" condo consisting of two members, a rental building and the condo). So, structurally, would look like a condop in a way, but much more awkward.
2. I can't imagine why you would WANT to create a condo with only some of the units in a building. What's the rationale for doing something like this again? Even if you could do it, and get away with it? Just do a condo conversion, and keep the units that are still rentals as sponsor units.