How to catch a thieving Property Management company in NYC?

My building has had to levy a heavy assessment fee 4 years ago on all unit owners in order to comply with Local Law 11. Now my property management company is telling us that we will need to do it again because the exterior needs some work, again to comply with Local Law 11. Something is fishy here: the repair was almost identical to the ones we did 4 years ago. We think that the property management paid his brother, who happens to own a general contractor business, to do the work last time and the work was shoddy. We also believed the property management company was cohooting with the board president. The board president was getting free renovations done in her house every year for the last 10 years.

How can we catch a thief like that ? We know that the Property Management company keeps 2 sets of books and we also know that the board president, who happens to own a 'controller outsourcing' type of company, may also be helping him cover this up. Will it help if we hire a forensic accountant ? or shall we get an attorney to file a legal action against the PM company ? There have been several cases in the news recently where the PM company was caught stealing from all its clients. So this is probably not an uncommon thing in NYC.

Yes, the best way to address this is to hire a third-party forensic accounting firm. If their findings state wrongful doing from the PM, then you can take the legal direction and take them to court and file a judgement. Now, it would be a good idea if you can show proof that there are relations between the entity (GC, PM and Board). This will help your case to establish some type of platform for your case. Make sure you also read your management agreement fully, and understands the responsibility of both the PM and Ownership.

It is sad things like this take place. Simply ensure you that you understand your rights and the laws. Good luck!

Sincerely,
Pedro