By Jim Servin
Home is a sanctuary, a place for relaxation and renewal. True wellness cannot be achieved in an environment that is under siege, as is the case for individuals embroiled in tenant disputes. “If you live and work in New York City, life can be so frenetic—everything is go, go, go. All you want to do when you get home is stop, put your feet up, and have a martini,” says Steven Sladkus, a real estate attorney and partner at Schwartz Sladkus Reich Greenberg Atlas LLP. “Achieving peace at home is so important, especially living in the city.”
But any number of issues can threaten equilibrium, from neighbor disturbances to building pet and smoking violations. In his 30 years as one of Manhattan’s top-rated real estate attorneys (he’s been recognized by Super Lawyers from 2010 to the present), and a former co-chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Committee for Condominiums and Cooperatives, Sladkus has seen it all: “You have people smuggling e-bikes into their buildings after they’ve been banned,” he says. “People smoking cigars on their balconies, bothering other apartments on the floor. Dogs yipping day and night. People blaring televisions, disturbing neighbors with heavy bass through the walls and of course, the occasional streaker.”
That’s when Sladkus goes to battle for clients in court. But he’d rather resolve problems earlier on, before they are raised at apartment owner meetings. “If a board thinks there’s going to be some sort of dissension, get out in front of the issues beforehand,” says Sladkus. “Boards will call me to have a town hall meeting in advance, or have me send out a detailed newsletter update: ‘We’re looking forward to seeing you in three weeks. Here are some key issues we’re dealing with. Just wanted to keep you in the know.’ Transparency by a board is key to maintaining tranquility in a building.”
Schwartz Sladkus Reich Greenberg Atlas also offers representation in trusts and estates, matrimonial, health care, and corporate matters. As a real estate litigator, Sladkus says he’s involved in “real estate deals, and disputes within the several hundred co-ops and condominiums we represent.” Noise issues are a specialty: “I deal with sound disputes all over the city, all the time, every day of the week.”
Take the tenant who complained about “terrible noise” from an upstairs neighbor. Investigation showed that the neighbor had disregarded the co-op’s 80 percent floor-covering rule. “The woman upstairs said that she needed a reasonable accommodation to disregard the rule, because she’s allergic to fabric in carpet.” A compromise was reached; the neighbor volunteered to cover her floor with AstroTurf. “She liked it,” says Sladkus. “If she’s happy, I’m happy.”
The best approach to disputes, says Sladkus, is common courtesy. “A good part of the law is being practical and thoughtful,” he says. “If you want to achieve peace, you may have to bend a bit. That’s not to say you should have your rights stomped on by anybody. But if you can solve an issue by talking it out, you’re saving time, money, angst and sometimes even sleepless nights.”
The busy advocate achieves balance with breathing exercises. “Every once in a while, I close my door and put the Calm app on my iPhone,” Sladkus says. It also helps that he lives in an apartment with extra-solid construction. “My building is an old electrical factory, converted to co-ops in the late 1970s,” he says. “It’s got 2-foot-thick concrete slabs between the floors.” ssrga.com