Project Advice - Have Conflicting Information
I have a one bedroom apartment in a coop building. My neighbor is selling his one bedroom apartment. I would like to buy his apartment and add the bedroom in his apartment into my apartment. I would like then sell the remainder of his apartment as a studio. This way I can have a 2 bedroom apartment without losing too much money. My architect is saying this would involve changing the Cert. of Occupancy of my building and raises the architect and expediting costs by a lot. However I did research on DOB website which states that coop mergers do not require changing Cert. of Occupancy there reducing the fees I need to pay. Does anyone know what the truth is and what the fees for this job should be? Any recommendations for architects/expediters.
jimbodowntown
in Expeditors 13 years and 2 months ago
4
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4 replies
jbharch | 13 years and 2 months ago
I am an architect who has filed many apt. combinations. This doesn’t sound to me like it would require an amended C of O. You are not changing the occupancy or the number of dwelling units and most likely not changing the egress. What specifically is your architect telling you about this project that would require an amended C of O?
mike-the-expeditor | 13 years and 2 months ago
I haven’t seen the plans but I am inclined to agree with the architect. Taking the bedroom and attaching it to your unit will adjust the maximum occupancy of your unit and the one you’re looking to purchase. That’s usually enough to require a revised certificate of occupancy. Brownstoner has a rule against self-promoting posts, but I am an expediter 🙂
elbow | 13 years and 2 months ago
I think the most expensive thing in this scenario may be the filing for reallocation of shares with the attorney general. Also, the DoB allows you to combine apartments without changing the C of O, but once you start with subdividing you would be changing the egress and occupancy, which would require a C of O change.
Putnamdenizen | 13 years and 2 months ago
You’ve spoken to an architect, who probably knows what he is talking about. I, who am not an architect, would think that a merger “might” not need a new c of o – if you kept a fire rated door between the two units. You, however, are suggesting reconfiguring the floorplan of the building by expanding one unit and contracting another. This suggests to me that,,, your architect is right. On a nostalgic note, I remember being at a Thanksgiving dinner in the 140s in Manhattan around 1991\. Our host, who lived in a huge apartment building on Riverside Drive, had “stolen” a couple rooms from a warehoused unit next door by opening a wall, and closing up other doorways.