The First Department determined plaintiff, an owner of condominium unit, had the right to inspect and make paper and electronic copies of condominium records. The court further ruled that members of the condominium board could not be held personally liable for actions which amounted only to nonfeasance:
Condominium unit owners’ inspection rights are not governed by Business Corporation Law § 624, as condominium associations, unlike cooperative apartment corporations, are generally unincorporated. Rather, Real Property Law § 339-w governs the statutory inspection rights of condominium unit owners, and grants unit owners the right to examine “records . . . of the receipts and expenditures arising from the operation of the property,” as well as “the vouchers authorizing [such] payments,” during “convenient hours of weekdays.” Real Property Law § 339-w further provides: “A written report summarizing such receipts and expenditures shall be rendered by the board of managers to all unit owners at least once annually.” * * *
… [A]lthough defendants are correct that the board does not have an obligation to mail or email to plaintiff copies of monthly financial reports, building invoices, redacted legal invoices, or board meeting minutes, plaintiff’s right to examine these records at the managing agent’s office, during convenient weekday hours, includes the right to create paper copies or electronic copies at her own expense during her inspection. * * *
Here, plaintiff merely alleges that the board did not honor her inspection rights and failed to respond adequately to her complaints of noise emanating from an adjacent apartment. These allegations amount only to mere nonfeasance for which the board members cannot be held individually liable. Plaintiff’s conclusory allegation that the board ignored her noise complaints to retaliate against her for other disputes does not suffice to transform the claim into one for affirmative tortious misconduct. We note, however, that the claims will proceed against the board members in their official capacities. Pomerance v McGrath, 2016 NY Slip Op 06462, 1st Dept 10-4-16
REAL PROPERTY LAW (CONDOMINIUM UNIT OWNER HAS RIGHT TO INSPECT AND MAKE PAPER AND ELECTRONIC COPIES OF CONDOMINIUM RECORDS; CONDOMINIUM BOARD MEMBERS CANNOT BE SUED INDIVIDUALLY FOR NONFEASANCE BUT CAN BE SUED IN THEIR OFFICIAL CAPACITIES)/CONDOMINIUMS (CONDOMINIUM UNIT OWNER HAS RIGHT TO INSPECT AND MAKE PAPER AND ELECTRONIC COPIES OF CONDOMINIUM RECORDS; CONDOMINIUM BOARD MEMBERS CANNOT BE SUED INDIVIDUALLY FOR NONFEASANCE BUT CAN BE SUED IN THEIR OFFICIAL CAPACITIES)