co-op issues

[persephone]

I'm contemplating living in a co-op. I would be living with family but not listed on the lease. My question is - the board is coming with an increase to the rent, which means more than $200.00. They're also coming with an increased fee on each air conditioner one has in apartment windows. There are a bunch of other fees that the building board is coming up with for 2005. They're all happening at the same time. A lot of the people who live in the building are elderly and on a fixed income and have lived there for decades after raising family. My cousin, who is listed on the lease, is disabled and can't be pulling the heavy airconditioner in and out every six months. Can a co-op just up and raise its fees everywhere, not caring where one's income is coming from? Is there a way to negotiate or is it a lost cause?

[Anna]

Basically, if the co-op bylaws and/or proprietary lease allow it, the maintenance (no 'rent' in co-ops) can be raised at any time by the board, sometimes by a majority of the shareholders. If the shareholders don't like the way the board runs the bldg, they should elect a new board. A limited-income co-op would be more likely to have caps on the annual increase in the maintenance than a market-rate co-op.

[Downtown]

Does your cousin own this apt, or renting from the owner.
If he owns then Anna is correct...look at the by-laws to see if there is any regulations/cap on raising maintenance fee(s). Certainly, your cousin and other owners should write to the board protesting the increase(s) as a hardship on fixed income.
If you are renting and have a lease then no increase can be passed on until the new lease.