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Working With Professionals

/ Owner - July 6, 2012

Working With Managers and Management Firms

  • Setting Expectations for Your HOA Management Company November 8, 2023
    The best relationships between HOAs and the management companies they employ are based on open communication and clear expectations. There is a lot that goes into maintaining property values. However, if you’re not exactly sure what your management company should be doing for your association, it can be difficult to determine if you’re getting the full value of your service agreement.   Read the article…………………………
  • Reader Questions: Who’s the Boss – Manager or Board? (CA) October 28, 2023
    Q:  I am president of an HOA with management whose performance has been lackluster. Lackluster is characterized by little to no communications unless initiated by the board, not following through with board instructions, and inability to manage our violations process in a steady and predictable manner.   Read the Q&A……………………………..
  • What Is the Role of a Community Association Manager? October 21, 2023
    A community association manager (CAM) performs various tasks depending on the size of the community and its unique needs. Also known as a Homeowner’s association manager, a CAM helps oversee the daily operations of a community association. Here are some responsibilities of community association management specialists:   Read the article……………………………..
  • How to Build a Better Relationship with Your Community Manager March 29, 2023
    Hiring a community manager to help with the day-to-day operations of a homeowners’ association (HOA) can enrich your community while also simplifying your board’s obligations.  A good community manager will help you with important association issues and represent you to other service providers.    Read the article………………………..

Working With Management Archives

Working With Attorneys

  • Unlocking Success: Using Legal Representation Over Collection Agencies for Delinquent Condominium Assessments March 7, 2024
    Community associations in Michigan play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and functionality of shared living spaces. However, when faced with delinquent condominium assessments, these associations often encounter significant challenges in recovering the owed amounts. While some may consider turning to collection agencies as a solution, there are compelling reasons why community associations should select a law firm instead.    Read the article…………………………….
  • Ohio Panel Disqualification Reversal November 28, 2023
    In a dramatic twist echoing the thrill of a courtroom drama, an Ohio appellate court has unleashed a pivotal decision in a high-stakes legal skirmish between a homeowners association and a management company. The court, with a gavel of justice, struck down a lower court’s move to disqualify a defense attorney, a decision reverberating through the halls of legal precedent.    Read the article………………………………
  • Common reasons residents may sue an HOA (CT) October 21, 2023
    Being on a Homeowners’ Association (HOA) board can sometimes feel thankless. Never more so than when you face a lawsuit from one of the residents for whose benefit you are trying to manage the place.    Read the article…………………………………….
  • Litigation in Your Community – Lawsuits Can Have Long-Term Impacts October 6, 2023
    When seeking a place to call home, potential co-op and condo buyers are seeking a place of peace and quiet. No one wants to live in the midst of a tempest. And peace and quiet can be both literal and figurative, of course. The constant din of discord and disagreement caused by endless litigation, for example, can be as distracting and destructive to a property’s reputation as the roar of truck traffic day after day.    Read the article…………………………….

Working With Attorneys Archives



Working With Accountants

  • HOA Homefront: New Year’s resolutions for HOA service providers (CA) January 20, 2023
    This is the fourth and final installment of a series on resolutions for HOA members, which previously addressed directors, homeowners and managers.   Read the article………………………..
  • The High Cost of Terrible Service at your HOA or Condo November 15, 2022
    Have you ever been disappointed with the quality or service of something you have paid for? You aren’t likely to spend your money on that item again. Whether it was poor quality or poor service that caused your disappointment really doesn’t matter. The same is true for your Homeowners Association or condominium.   Read the article………………………..
  • How Condo Boards Can Make Sure the Sponsor Pays His Share (NY) June 9, 2021
    At newly built condos, it’s common for construction problems to crop up. But accounting and record-keeping are equally important, as one of your clients recently discovered. What’s the story?  Read the entire article……………………………….
  • Cutting Costs: When Using Volunteers Does More Harm Than Good (OH) December 22, 2020
    With next year’s budgets in preparation, boards may be looking for ways to cut costs and reduce spending. Often, Board’s will look to their owners to volunteer for a variety of maintenance tasks, from snow shoveling to planting flowers. While minor work can be performed by volunteers with relatively little liability exposure, that is not the case with more significant work.    Read the article………………………………..

Working With Accountants Archives

Working With Insurance Agents

  • How to Choose the Best Condo Association Insurance for Your Community (FL) February 28, 2023
    Condo insurance can be one of the most important yet confusing aspects of managing your Tampa-based condo association. It can be time-consuming and frustrating to ensure all your association’s needs are met, and a policy is chosen that both provides sufficient coverage and remains within budget.   Read the article………………………..
  • The High Cost of Terrible Service at your HOA or Condo November 15, 2022
    Have you ever been disappointed with the quality or service of something you have paid for? You aren’t likely to spend your money on that item again. Whether it was poor quality or poor service that caused your disappointment really doesn’t matter. The same is true for your Homeowners Association or condominium.   Read the article………………………..
  • 16 months after fire razed Thousand Oaks condo building, frustrated residents await repairs (CA) July 25, 2022
    Residents of a Thousand Oaks condominium complex are deeply frustrated that 16 months after a fire ravaged a four-unit building there, it has yet to be repaired.  “It has become extremely difficult for me and the other residents here,” said Mary Troness, who has lived at the approximately 200-unit Wildwood Township community at the corner of Avenida de Los Arboles and La Paloma Circle for close to 40 years.   Read the Q&A……………………………….
  • 2020 Could Make 2021 the Year of Insurance Agency E&O Lawsuits February 16, 2021
    Insurance agents and brokers should prepare for a big agency errors and omissions (E&O) litigation wave to crash their shores in 2021.  Agency E&O claims are a lagging indicator, meaning plaintiffs typically only go after agents and brokers after they exhaust other legal avenues—most often suing insurers—and come up short, according to experts at the 2020 virtual Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) conference.    Read the article…………………………….

Working With Insurance Agents Archives

Working With Vendors

  • When to File a Breach of Contract Lawsuit or How Long is Too Long? (CO) February 22, 2024
    The Colorado Supreme Court recently issued a decision that significantly impacts common interest communities’ need to enforce contracts by filing a lawsuit or an arbitration proceeding. This decision affects the timing considerations of when such proceedings must be filed.   Read the article…………………………….
  • Homeowner gets bid but does not follow proper procedure (NV) February 19, 2024
    Q: One of the residents knows a company who provides barrier arm installation and requested we ask the company for a bid, which is totally fine in my opinion.  However, the problem stems from the resident bypassing the board and our management firm and directly contacting the company and not having it send the sealed bid to our management company to open at our meeting. Instead, the resident just passed out the bid to various other homeowners associaiton members.   Read ...
  • New Law Affects Contractor Retainage for Co-ops & Condos: Add Another Item to Boards’ List of Things to Worry About (NY) December 15, 2023
    As if New York co-op and condo communities weren’t under enough pressure from sluggish sales, high interest rates, and the ever-increasing volume of work required to comply with environmental requirements like Local Law 97, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law on November 17 amending Sections 756-a and 756-c of the New York State Prompt Payment Act. This law governs restrictions on retainage and invoicing of final payment by contractors in construction contracts.   Read the article……………………………..
  • Tendering for Condominiums (ON) November 25, 2023
    It is not uncommon that lawyers are asked to review signed contracts from clients after the lengthy tendering process has already been completed. But there are reasons why you may want to involve your lawyer much earlier on in the process and here are the reasons why:   Read the article………………………..

Working With Vendors Archives

Working With the Media

  • Lights, Camera, Lawsuit! Your Property, Common Property, and Intellectual Property August 16, 2023
    Movies and music provide immense amounts of joy and entertainment to people all over the world. Collectively, the movie and music industries are worth upwards of twelve figures in revenue in a single year (for those of you counting the zeros on your hands at home . . . that’s north of $100,000,000,000.00 a year!). Much like you may be protective of your property and your homeowner’s association may be protective of its common property, it is understandable that those ...
  • How to Effectively Handle and Avoid Most Negative News Coverage as an Arizona HOA November 17, 2022
    Whenever you see a story on the news about an HOA, the odds of it being positive are low. As a board member of an HOA in Arizona, your instinct kicks in, and you want to know what they are doing wrong. So, you jump on your laptop, conduct research on HOA Arizona bylaws or PR strategies for board members, but immediately hit a brick wall because you don’t know where to start.   Read the article………………………..
  • Important Takeaways for Community Associations from TV News Report on Rules Enforcement (FL) January 28, 2022
    A report that aired in late November on 7News (WSVN-Fox) in South Florida focused on a local renter in a dispute with her condominium association over her motorcycle. While the property’s rules ban motorcycles, the tenant had apparently been explicitly told she would be allowed to keep and park her motorcycle at the property prior to signing her lease.   Read the entire article……………………………….
  • Homeowners’ group apologizes after calling Alabama child’s sidewalk art ‘unsightly’ April 28, 2020
    A Riverchase mother is speaking out after her young daughter’s encouraging message left in chalk on the sidewalk was met with assertions that they were defacing the neighborhood and lowering property values…….Shortly after this article published, Seaton received an apology call from the president of the association.    Read the article…………………………..

Working With the Media Archives

Dealing With Governments

  • Downtown Denver condo residents say bicycle lane poses safety concerns (CO) March 18, 2024
    Residents in a downtown Denver condominium say the installation of a bicycle lane is causing safety issues for the people living there.  This past August, the city installed a bicycle lane outside of Windsor Condominiums along Larimer Street.  But residents call it a hazard every time they step out their front doorstep.   Read the article…………………………….
  • Free capital reserve studies available for APCHA condo units (CO) March 17, 2024
    The Aspen-Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA) is seeking participants in a free initiative aimed at supporting homeowners’ associations (HOAs) in long-term planning for maintenance and major repairs.  APCHA will fund 100% of the study costs, which amounts to nearly $167,000. The studies will seek to understand the financial health of HOAs in relation to future maintenance needs. Typically, such studies can cost HOAs up to $5,000, with higher costs for those undergoing their initial assessment.   Read the article…………………………….
  • HOA’s have different rules what it means for Police and streets (WA) March 15, 2024
    The city of Liberty Lake is known for its winding paths, street trees and homeowner’s associations. Recently, however, residents of some neighborhoods have been questioning the services they receive from the city, particularly police patrols and traffic enforcement.  Many neighborhoods in Liberty Lake were built by Greenstone Corporation, which set up HOA’s for each neighborhood. Though the rules and services vary, generally the HOA collects assessments to take care of common areas and sets rules that can cover everything from ...
  • Lauderhill leaders address public safety concerns at HOA event (FL) March 15, 2024
    City leaders gathered with department and homeowners association representatives Thursday to discuss a lengthy agenda of issues impacting Lauderhill, including public safety, taxes, code enforcement and storm water management.  “We do this community leaders breakfast about once every three to four months,” Commissioner S. “Ray” Martin said. “The idea is to make sure that we have a good exchange of information, and that you all can go back to your communities and share what’s going on with all of us.”  ...

Dealing With Governments Archives

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