1996 Candidates' Positions on Key Co-op and Condo Issues

An election is an opportunity -- an opportunity for voters to learn about the candidates and where they stand on key issues; a chance to elect good leaders. In this year's election, 207 New York City citizens are candidates for seats in the New York State Senate and Assembly. CNYC wrote to each candidate, inviting them to answer six questions and to make any additional comments they wished.

We began with their positions on property taxes, since the state legislature will have to enact into law the long-term plan for continued fairness to homeowners in cooperatives and condominiums. We wanted to see if they agreed there were inequities in the present tax system and if they would be proponents of fairness and reform. After asking three basic questions, we invited comments on property taxes.

CNYC seeks a separate part in the housing court for co-op and condo issues. We asked where the candidates stood on this issue and invited them to make comments.

A third area of concern to CNYC is conversions. CNYC believes that sponsors have an obligation to complete a conversion by selling units as they become available -- at least until there are sufficient resident owners for the building to function as a true and viable cooperative or condominium.

We also seek stronger conversion requirements to prevent a recurrence of many of the problems that have plagued cooperatives and condominiums in the last several years. The candidates were invited to comment on conversion issues.

As of November 1, 57 individuals have responded to the questionnaire. Their replies and summaries of their comments are in the chart below. Please review the chart. See if the candidates in your district have taken the time to answer CNYC's questionnaire. To reply is to acknowledge that cooperatives and condominiums are a voting force worth addressing.

Now examine the responses -- do you agree with any candidates in your district? Do their responses raise further questions that you want to ask when you meet them on the campaign trail? Your vote is important. Use it wisely in support of candidates who share your views. We hope that this chart will provide helpful guidance.

In the chart, an asterisk (*) indicates an incumbent.

BROOKLYN | BRONX | STATEN ISLAND | MANHATTAN

Queens Candidates

Dist.	Name	Party	1. Should co-ops & condos be taxed in the same way as 1, 2, 3-family homes?	2. Would you support such legislation?	3. Is further tax legislation needed to treat Class 2 & Class 4 more fairly?	Comments on Property Taxes:	4. Would you support a separate part in housing court for co-op/condo cases?	Comments on Housing Court:	5. Would you support increasing % of res. purchasers needed to convert a building?	6. Would you support leg. requiring sponsors to sell units to achieve 50% owner-occupancy?	Comments on Conversions:
QUEENS - Assembly Candidates
AD23	Audrey Pfeffer	D,I,L	Y	Y	Y	Co-sponsored A/10588-A	Y	Sponsored bills -	Y	-	Seems Draconian
AD24	Mark Weprin*	D,I,L	-	Y	Y	Co-sponsored A/10588-A	Y		Y	Y
AD25	Brian McLaughlin*	D,I,L	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y
AD27	Nettie Mayersohn*	D,I,L	Y	Y		Supported A/10588-A	Y		Y	Y	Sponsor of 51% bill
AD30	Joseph Crowley*	D	Y	Y	-		-		Y	Y
AD31	Gregory W. Meeks*	D,L	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y
AD32	Rameshwar Jodha	RTL	N	N	N		Y		Y	-	Need info
AD34	Ivan Lafayette*	D,L	Y	Y	-	Needs turnaround in assessment criteria	Y		Y	Y	Needs A.G. involvement
AD36	Denis J. Butler*	D	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y
AD36	Vincent Tabone	R,C,FRE	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y
AD38	Anthony Seminerio*	D,C,I	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y
QUEENS - State Senate Candidiates
SS10	Alton Waldon, Jr.*	D,L	Y	Y	Y		-	Need to be addressed	Y	Y	Legislation needed with specific protections.
SS12	Ada L. Smith*	D,L	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y

Return to Top

Brooklyn Candidates

Dist.	Name	Party	1. Should co-ops & condos be taxed in the same way as 1, 2, 3-family homes?	2. Would you support such legislation?	3. Is further tax legislation needed to treat Class 2 & Class 4 more fairly?	Comments on Property Taxes:	4. Would you support a separate part in housing court for co-op/condo cases?	Comments on Housing Court:	5. Would you support increasing % of res. purchasers needed to convert a building?	6. Would you support leg. requiring sponsors to sell units to achieve 50% owner-occupancy?	Comments on Conversions:
BROOKLYN - Assembly Candidates
AD42	Richard Hartley	FRE	N	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y
AD43	Leona Williams	FRE	N	N	N	Taxes are too burdensome	Y	Gives tenants fair treatment	Y	Y
AD45	Daniel Feldman*	D	Y	Y	?	Need info	Y		Y	Y
AD45	Aaron Maslow	R,C,I,FRE	Y	Y	-		N		Y	N	Compel disclosure
AD45	Rosalind Zittell	L	N	Y	Y		Y		N	Y
AD46	Jules Polonetsky*	D,L	Y	Y	Y		Y	Will co-sponsor	Y	Y
AD51	Olga Gomez	C	Y	Y	Y		N		Y	Y
AD52	Eileen Dugan*	D,L	Y	Y	N		-	Not necessary	N	Y
AD52	John Johnston	R	Y	Y Undecided		-		Y	Y
AD52	Gerard Sussillo	C	N	N	N		-		N	N
AD56	Ernestine M. Brown	L	Y	Y	Y	Taxes reasonable; need more ownership.	Y	The pits - needs reformation.	Y	Y	Owners have right to do what they feel is best for them.
BROOKLYN - State Senate Candidates
SS17	Thomas Trzcinski	C	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y
SS18	V. Montgomery*	D	Y	Y	-		Y		-	Y
SS18	Andre Ramon Soleil	R,I,L,FRE	Y	Y	Y	No taxes for first 10% of life of mortgage	N		N	Y
SS19	John Sampson	D	N	N	Y		Y		Y	Y
SS20	Marty Markowitz*	D	Y	Y	Y	Tax all homes equally	N	Need justification	Y	Y	Protections needed
SS21	Carl Kruger*	D,L	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y
SS22	Seymour Lachman	D,I,L	Y	Y	?	Need info	Y		Y	Y
SS22	Salvatore Calise	R,C,FRE	N	N	Y	Should be lower	Y		Y	Y
SS23	Vincent Gentile	D,I	Y	Y	Y	Worked for tax fairness	Y		Y	-	Concerned for tenants
SS25	Martin Connor	D,L	Y	Y	Y		N	Need rationale; have questions	Y	Y	Legislation needed to protect non-purchasing tenants
SS25	Robert Flanzer	R,C,FRE	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y

Return to Top

Bronx Candidates

Dist.	Name	Party	1. Should co-ops & condos be taxed in the same way as 1, 2, 3-family homes?	2. Would you support such legislation?	3. Is further tax legislation needed to treat Class 2 & Class 4 more fairly?	Comments on Property Taxes:	4. Would you support a separate part in housing court for co-op/condo cases?	Comments on Housing Court:	5. Would you support increasing % of res. purchasers needed to convert a building?	6. Would you support leg. requiring sponsors to sell units to achieve 50% owner-occupancy?	Comments on Conversions:
Bronx - Assembly Candidiates
AD75	William Newmark	C	Y	Y	Y	Too high	Y	Good idea	N	Y	Question is unclear
AD78	Roberto Ramirez*	D,L	N	Y	Y		N		N	-	Not enough information
AD79	Gloria Davis*	D,L	N	N	N		N		N	Y
AD81	Jeffrey Dinowitz*	D,L	Y	Y	Cl 2		Y	Sponsor of this bill	Y	Y	Will sponsor a bill requiring sales
AD81	Carl Lanzano	RTL	Y	Y	Y		N		Y	Y
AD81	Robert Press	I	N	Y Undecided	Y	Court needs review	N		N	N	Present laws sufficient
AD82	Stephen B. Kaufman	D	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y
AD83	James Coleman	I	N	N	Y		Y		Y	Y
BRONX - State Senate Candidates
SS32	Sarah Newmark	C	Y	Y	Y	More equitable treatment	Y	Would be productive	N	Y
SS34	Joseph Palau	I	N	N	N		N		Y	Y

Return to Top

Staten Island Candidates

Dist.	Name	Party	1. Should co-ops & condos be taxed in the same way as 1, 2, 3-family homes?	2. Would you support such legislation?	3. Is further tax legislation needed to treat Class 2 & Class 4 more fairly?	Comments on Property Taxes:	4. Would you support a separate part in housing court for co-op/condo cases?	Comments on Housing Court:	5. Would you support increasing % of res. purchasers needed to convert a building?	6. Would you support leg. requiring sponsors to sell units to achieve 50% owner-occupancy?	Comments on Conversions:
STATEN ISLAND - Assembly Candidate
AD60	Thomas Hamilton	I	Y	Y	Y	Taxes far too high	Y	Greatly needed	Y	Y	Reform urgently needed

Return to Top

Manhattan Candidates

Dist.	Name	Party	1. Should co-ops & condos be taxed in the same way as 1, 2, 3-family homes?	2. Would you support such legislation?	3. Is further tax legislation needed to treat Class 2 & Class 4 more fairly?	Comments on Property Taxes:	4. Would you support a separate part in housing court for co-op/condo cases?	Comments on Housing Court:	5. Would you support increasing % of res. purchasers needed to convert a building?	6. Would you support leg. requiring sponsors to sell units to achieve 50% owner-occupancy?	Comments on Conversions:
MANHATTAN - Assembly Candidates
AD63	Steven Saunders*	D,L	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y
AD64	Richard Gottfried*	D,L	Y	Y	-	Need information	N	Unconvinced, will discuss.	Y	Y
AD66	Deborah Glick*	D,L	Y	Y	-	Need information	N		Y	Y
AD67	Scott M. Stringer*	D,L	Y	Y	Y		Y	Support sep. part; court needs reform	Y	Y
AD69	Edward Sullivan*	D	Y	Y	Y	Graduated inc. tax instead	?		Y	?
MANHATTAN - State Senate Candidates
SS26	Robert Polhemus	I	Y	N	N		N		Y	N
SS27	Catherine Abate*	D,L	Y	Y	Y		Undecided	Have questions	Y	Y	Protect buyers, prevent profiteering
SS28	Francesca Castellanos	I	Y	Y	Y	Need affordable housing	N	Current procedure o.k.	Y		Need more information
SS29	Alphonzo Mosley	I	N	N	Y		Y		Y	Y
SS30	Daniel Mahoney, Jr.	C	Y	Y	Y	Keep taxes low as poss.	-		Y	Y
MANHATTAN - Special Election in the City Council
CC5	Gifford Miller	D,L	Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y