Q: “If a unit owner is deceased, what are the inheritance rights of a relative, for example, let’s say, siblings, to moving in and taking possession of an apartment?”
A: “There are several issues that have to be examined to determine who succeeds to the rights of a free market cooperative apartment,” says Stephen M. Lasser, an attorney shareholder in the Manhattan office of the law firm Stark & Stark. “The first step is examining the deceased owner’s stock certificate to determine if anyone else has an ownership interest in the stock (and appurtenant proprietary lease). Download PDF