Skip to main content

Co-op City Times 02/01/2025

Page 1

Vol. 60 No. 5

February 1, 2025

$1.25

Read us online: issuu.com/cctimes • Follow us on social media: IG/X/Threads @coopcitytimes • @coopcitytimes.bsky.social

Completed Window Guard Form Due Feb. 15 By now, shareholders should have received the annual Window Guard form, Lead Paint and Fire Safety Notices in the mail. The annual Window Guard form must be completed following the directions included in the mailing, and can be returned by phone, fax, mail or email. The deadline to return the completed form is Saturday, February 15, 2025. The city’s Window Guard law was enacted to help prevent incidences of young children being injured or killed in falls from unguarded windows. It requires owners or managers of multiple dwellings (buildings with 3 or more apartments) to provide and properly install or repair approved window guards on all windows in apartments where a child(ren) 10 years or younger resides or visits, although anyone, for whatever reason, may request window guards, even if there are no young children in the apartment. “The window guard form is required by law to be completed annually in all high-rise apartment buildings,” said CSO Director Vanessa Aldea. “Even if the information from the previous year did not change, a form has to be submitted. This is not only for shareholders with children; it is required for all shareholders to complete.” According to the law, residents are obligated to respond fully to questions on the annual notice informing Management if children 10 years or younger reside in the apartment. They must also allow Management access into their apartment to install window guards on all windows in the apartment and they must not remove the window guards once they are installed or make any changes to the window guards. 7KH :LQGRZ *XDUG IRUP DVNV LI D FKLOG ¿YH \HDUV RU \RXQJHU OLYHV RU YLVLWV WKH DSDUWPHQW UHJXODUO\ if a child 10 years or younger lives in the apartment and if so, are window guards installed, need to be installed or repaired; and thirdly, even if no child 10 years or younger lives in the unit, would the occupant like window guards installed or, if they are already installed, are repairs needed. The form then asks for the shareholder’s name, full address, signature, date and contact phone number. (Continued on page 2)

What’s Inside: 1) Directors’ Corner, see pg.4 2) Co-op Creatives, see pg.4

%HZDUH RI 1HZ 606 &RQJHVWLRQ 3ULFLQJ 6FDP BY BRANDON ORTIZ

Scammers are looking to take advantage of the recently implemented Central Business District Tolling Program by scaring drivers into paying phony fares. In this latest trend, scammers are pretending to be toll collectors and using SMS text messages to lure unsuspecting drivers into clicking on a malicious OLQN 7KH PHVVDJHV ZLOO RIWHQ LQFOXGH D ELOO IURP D ¿FWLWLRXV WROO FROOHFWLRQ DJHQF\ DQG D OLQN WR SD\ WKH ¿QH HOHFWURQLFDOO\ $QRWKHU WDFWLF VFDPPHUV ZLOO use is trying to scare the individual into action by including language in the PHVVDJH VXFK DV ³WR DYRLG D ¿QH´ RU ³LQ RUGHU WR NHHS \RXU OLFHQVH ´ ( =3DVV WKH RI¿FLDO DJHQF\ LQ FKDUJH RI WKH WROO FROOHFWLRQ SURYLGHG VRPH guidance for drivers to avoid falling victim to congestion pricing related SMS scams. “We advise you not to access the website contained within the message if you should receive one. E-ZPass New York will never ask for a customer’s Date RI %LUWK 6RFLDO 6HFXULW\ 1XPEHU RU RWKHU SHUVRQDOO\ LGHQWL¿DEOH LQIRUPDWLRQ Real communications from E-ZPass New York will only refer customers to the IROORZLQJ RI¿FLDO ZHEVLWHV (=3DVV1< FRP DQG 7ROOV%\0DLO1< FRP ´ ,QGLYLGXDOV ZKR UHFHLYH D VFDP WH[W PHVVDJH FDQ ¿OH D FRPSODLQW ZLWK WKH FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center online at www.ic3.gov. SMS text scams are also called “smishing,” which comes from a combination of SMS (short message service) and phishing. Generally, phishing attacks are attempts by criminals to trick an individual into voluntarily giving up their private data by clicking on a link. Phishing attacks mainly target login credentials or credit card information. Smishing is a subset of phishing as the objective is the same in stealing sensitive data, albeit instead of an email, smishing involves SMS messaging to send the (Continued on page 2)

Congressman Latimer Holds Local “Inauguration” at Dreiser Auditorium

Photo by Tamira King

Congressman George Latimer of the 16th Congressional District held a community “inauguration” at the Dreiser Center on Saturday, Jan. 27, which was attended by US Senator Charles Schumer, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, State Senator Jamaal Bailey, State Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, members of the Riverbay Board and shareholders, among others. The Congressman provided attendees with pocket-sized copies of the (Continued on page 5)

,QFRPH $I¿GDYLW ,QIRUPDWLRQ 6HVVLRQV 6KDUHKROGHUV DUH UHPLQGHG WKDW WKH DQQXDO ,QFRPH $I¿GDYLW SHULRG EHgins in April. The virtual ,QIRUPDWLRQ 6HVVLRQV currently being held each month on Zoom until March are for shareholders to familiarize themselves with the GLJLWDO ,QFRPH $I¿GDYLW SURFHVV VKRXOG WKH\ FKRRVH WR WDNH DGYDQWDJH RI WKLV ¿OLQJ RSWLRQ 7KRVH ZLWK TXHVWLRQV FDQ DOVR XVH WKH ,QIRUPDWLRQ 6HVsions to get answers. These virtual ,QIRUPDWLRQ 6HVVLRQV are different from the +HOS 6HVsions that are facilitated by the Riverbay Finance department during the ,QFRPH $I¿GDYLW ¿OLQJ SHULRG ZKLFK EHJLQV LQ $SULO DQG ZKHUH )LQDQFH VWDII DVVLVW VKDUHKROGHUV WR ¿OO RXW WKH $I¿GDYLW DQG QRWDULHV DUH DYDLODEOH WR notarize the form. See next week’s Co-op City Times for a report on the Jan. 28th Information Session and a recap of the questions asked by shareholders and the related responses.

New York Introduces Free Online Tax Filing Service BY BRANDON ORTIZ

:LWK WD[ ¿OLQJ VHDVRQ DURXQG WKH FRUQHU 1HZ <RUNHUV VKRXOG EH DZDUH RI D QHZ IUHH ¿OLQJ VHUYLFH DGPLQLVWHUHG E\ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV ,QWHUQDO 5HYHQXH Service (IRS) and New York State. Governor Kathy Hochul introduced the service, called IRS Direct File, on -DQXDU\ 'LUHFW )LOH DOORZV HOLJLEOH 1HZ <RUNHUV WR ¿OH ERWK WKHLU federal and state taxes completely for free online. Direct File 2025 is currently available for New Yorkers, and interested individuals can visit tax.ny.gov/pit/ H¿OH GLUHFW ¿OH WR OHDUQ PRUH DERXW VSHFL¿F HOLJLELOLW\ UHTXLUHPHQWV /RJLVWLFDOO\ ³HOLJLEOH 1HZ <RUN WD[SD\HUV FDQ XVH ,56 'LUHFW )LOH WR ¿OH their federal return, then seamlessly export their information into New York State Direct File to complete their New York State return,” according to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. (Continued on page 4) New Yorkers earning up to $200,000 or


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook