Q: A candidate for the president of the board of my Park Slope, Brooklyn, condo has a past felony conviction. I believe that some states do not allow people convicted of felonies to run for seats on condo boards. What are the rules in New York? Can this person legally run for a seat on the board?

A: Some states, like Florida, bar people who have been convicted of felonies from serving on association boards. But New York is not among them, according to Lisa A. Smith, a real estate lawyer and a partner in the New York City office of the law firm Smith, Gambrell and Russell.

Your condo bylaws may address the issue when describing board member qualifications. But even if the bylaws are silent on the matter, the board should notify all unit owners before the election if the candidate was convicted of a serious crime, like a felony sex offense, sharing only facts available in the public record. Otherwise, the board could be held liable if the person later goes on to commit a crime in the building.