Co-op and condo boards cannot afford to forget one of the more curious aspects of running a building in New York City: the city owns most of the sidewalks, but the city isn’t responsible for taking care of most of the sidewalks. Read the article………………………..
HOA Problems That Happen in Winter and How Careful HOA Planning Can Help
Summer may be the most exciting time of year in your community, and it’s certainly the homeowners association’s chance to show off a little bit, reminding residents of all the amenities that make your neighborhood or condo so great. A sparkling pool, newly surfaced tennis courts, colorful flower beds, and full playground speak for themselves, […]
Street Sweeping in HOAs
Most people think parking lot sweeping in homeowners associations or condos is for aesthetic reasons only. In the retail world, empty bottles, paper bags, cigarette butts, and overflowing trash bins can drive the decision of a consumer. The same holds true for a potential homebuyer as they pull into a community parking lot. Read the article………………………..
Who is Responsible for Inside Maintenance?
Our townhome community asks owners to be responsible for the maintenance of items inside the units, such as heating and cooling systems, dryer vents, and plumbing. Since proper maintenance of these systems impacts the health and safety of other owners, how can the board be sure everyone is keeping up? Read the Q&A…………………………..
Ask a real estate pro: Do I really have to fix long pipe behind the wall in my condo?
Q: Is our condominium association responsible for what is behind the walls? We have a pipe running from our air handler to the condenser that they say I am responsible for replacing due to a leak. It is a four-story building, and I’m on the ground floor, so it is a very long line. Read the […]
Condo Water Riser Repair: Why Is It So Expensive?
Nothing is quite as unsettling as water pouring through your ceiling. Where is it coming from? How much is there? And how can you get it to stop? For condo owners and their management teams, plumbing issues are even more complex. Sharing walls and ceilings with other tenants makes the problem more difficult to solve. […]
Tips for Fixing Aging Fences
Fences provide privacy, boost safety and security, and can add just the right aesthetic touch to the landscape. But they also require maintenance, repair, and replacement. Fencing can be an ongoing problem for all associations, especially as communities age. Read the article………………………….
Why Maintenance Tracking is Beneficial to HOAs
Homeowner Association property management can be a daunting task; however, there are ways to make it easier. One of the most efficient ways to make managing an HOA easier is to add maintenance tracking to your program of maintenance. The reason why maintenance tracking is efficient for HOAs is that maintenance tracking allows you to […]
Who is Responsible for Repairs and Maintenance? (NC)
Homeowners often have differing views of their individual homeowner’s associations (HOA). One thing everyone can typically agree on is that one of the primary responsibilities of an HOA is to maintain common areas throughout a neighborhood or development. If a storm trashes a playground, pool or clubhouse, walking trails or pond, the HOA and its […]
Where Should an HOA Board Begin with a Capital Project ?
A capital project is a specific plan for making improvements or adding new features to common areas in your HOA. The decision to proceed with a large project is a commitment to the extra time and funds required to get the job done. For board members, tackling a large scale project is often a daunting […]
Maintenance, Repair and Replacement in HOAs & Condos (Including Hurricane and Casualty) (NC)
Prior to Hurricane Dorian our firm again sent out emergency contact information (emails and cell phone numbers) for all our community association attorneys. The thought behind doing this before significant storms is that in the event of HOA or condo damage, immediate advice may be needed on who is responsible for making and/or paying for necessary repairs. (And, yes, […]
Maintenance, Repair and Replacement in HOAs and Condos (Including Hurricane and Casualty Events) (NC)
Prior to Hurricane Dorian our firm again sent out emergency contact information (emails and cell phone numbers) for all our community association attorneys. The thought behind doing this before significant storms is that in the event of HOA or condo damage, immediate advice may be needed on who is responsible for making and/or paying for […]
How to Win Over a Mega Super-Majority (NY)
The Northgate homeowners’ association in Melville, Long Island, was built in the late 1980s, and the wooden facades on the 20 residential buildings were showing their age. The board knew it had to do something, but it felt paralyzed. Read the article……………………….
Managing condo service requests (ON)
Managing owner and resident service requests is an integral part of a property manager’s job. However, it can also be overwhelming – within even a modestly sized community, there may be dozens of requests which need to be actioned at times. What’s the best way to stay on top of it all? This article will […]
Condo Maintenance: Who is Responsible for Upkeep and Repairs?
Condominium associations typically are obligated to maintain and repair common areas, but the burden may be shifted to owners when forced by overwhelming conditions. For example, consider the situation faced by this 18-unit, four building condominium complex in Los Angeles. Read the article……………………….
The Importance of Keeping Accurate Maintenance Records During Construction Projects (FL)
In many of the construction defect lawsuits we litigate, one of the main defenses asserted by construction companies is that the association failed to maintain their building, and it is the lack of maintenance that caused the defects – not the work performed by the contractors. It is the responsibility of the association to maintain […]
10 Tips for Pool Management and Maintenance
Summer is an exciting time in any community—kids are out of school, the weather is perfect for barbecues and snow cones, and families are looking for ways to keep cool. That’s where the community pool comes in. As a board member, you want to do everything you can to make sure your homeowners have fun […]
Operation Elevator: A Co-op Board Prepares for Battle (NY)
When the 171-unit co-op at 333 East 66th Street had to modernize both passenger elevators, the board decided to put together a battle plan. “We really went at this like it’s a precision military operation,” says board vice president Ellyn Berk. Read the article…………………
WATER LOSS: HOW TO APPROACH YOUR ASSOCIATION ABOUT WATER LOSS/DAMAGE IN YOUR HOME
Water intrusion and the subsequent damage it can cause (commonly referred to in the insurance industry as “water loss”) can occur at any time. While the rainy season in the greater Puget Sound region tends to strike fear in those with an older roof or less than perfect siding, the truth is, a water loss […]
Can A Condominium Impose Special Assessments For Necessary Or Routine Maintenance? (FL)
Although it is rarely welcomed by the owners, condo associations are permitted by Florida statute to impose special assessments for necessary and routine maintenance. There are a lot of considerations that come into play in deciding whether special assessments for necessary maintenance are required, both procedural and substantive considerations. Read the article……………………..
Ask the HOA Expert: Gutters That Work
Rain gutters are an inconspicuous but necessary building component that homeowner associations deal with. Their need to perform consistently triggers ongoing maintenance and repair to themselves, exterior paint, siding, roofs and trees. Failure to keep the gutter system running smoothly causes overflows, water intrusion, interior damage, structural dryrot and enormously expensive repairs. There is a […]
An Elevator Overhaul Is Both Headache and Opportunity (NY)
Two major elevator upgrades have been mandated by New York City. Elevators must have door-lock monitoring by January 1, 2020 and an extra emergency brake by January 1, 2027. Now is the time for co-op and condo boards to assess the condition of their elevator(s). If an elevator’s age and condition mean a full overhaul […]
Cluster Mailbox Repair in an HOA Community: Who is accountable?
Cluster mailboxes have become increasingly common in HOAs. They are an affordable option for multi-unit complexes and large communities – not to mention that delivering to a cluster box, rather than door-to-door, spares the post office a significant amount of expense in time, gas, and vehicle maintenance. Residents depend on fully-functioning, well-maintained mailboxes to receive […]
Condo Association Preventative Maintenance: A Penny Wise Or a Pound Foolish
Now that community living has become mainstream, it is more essential than ever for the board of directors and the management company to run the operations of the association in a proactive manner. Of course, the term proactive could mean many different things to many different people. Proactive could mean ensuring that the building insurance […]
10 Tips for Field Service Businesses Working With an HOA – Pt 2
Welcome back to the second half of our two-part article on providing your field service business to entire HOA communities at once. HOAs often need regulated and reliable home services to keep their entire neighborhood of homes updated, well-kept, and in-sync with each other on maintenance schedules. HOA communities also often hand around referrals for […]
How Is Maintenance Calculated? Let Us Count the Ways (NY)
New Yorkers paid an average of $1.73 per square foot in co-op maintenance in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to real estate appraisal firm Miller Samuel. So for an 800-square-foot apartment, the monthly maintenance bill was $1,384. But that number can fluctuate wildly, even within a co-op. Here, according to Brick Underground, are the […]
Written Contracts are Important in an HOA?
Question: I am a Board member of our Association, and am responsible for landscaping, grounds maintenance and security. Over the years, our Association has had a number of contractors who render service to us — whether this be in the form of snow removal, landscaping services, or trash removal. Some Board members are not happy […]
3 Options if You Need to Make a Big Repair NOW in Your Association
As a general practice, what does an HOA board do if there’s a problem in the association that exists right now, but not enough money in the reserves to fix it? Is issuing a special assessment the way to go, or can the board use other funds in the reserves? In other words, the problem […]
Preparing for the Deep Freeze of Winter in Ohio Community Associations
The warm and beautiful Summer days of Ohio have come and gone for yet another year. The leaves have changed colors and the temperature is dropping rapidly. This can mean only one thing – freezing temperatures and that dreaded white stuff will soon be here. As we prepare ourselves mentally for the departure of the […]
Frozen Pipes and Finger Pointing (CO)
A wise person once said: “Never make snow angels in a dog park”. That is good advice. Another piece of good advice is to be prepared, this winter season, for frozen pipes and finger-pointing. When the temperatures plummet, condominiums and townhomes often experience frozen pipes and resulting water leaks. When that happens, everyone starts pointing […]
Focus on These 4 Areas for Fall Maintenance Inspections
The leaves are starting to change. Here in Toronto, I saw some reds and yellows on the trees during the first week of September, and that means that summer is almost over and fall is well on its way. Your main job as a homeowner during the fall season is to make sure your home […]
Maintain Now to Prevent Future Liability
Summer is a great time in Florida. It means warmer weather, outdoor grilling, family vacations, lounging by the pool, and tans. It also means increased humidity, mosquitos, sun burn, and more need for air conditioning. For Associations it is a time not for relaxing but for checking their properties and continuing with their maintenance and […]
Boards Need to Figure Out What’s Around the Next Curve (NY)
When tackling major capital projects, co-op and condo boards need to remember that timing is everything. If they don’t have the money in hand, they can’t do the work. How do they avoid getting ambushed by what lies around the next curve? Read the article………………
Organizing Window Replacement in Associations: Money Saving Tips
Windows play a key role in the integrity of your building and should be maintained actively as part of the complete building system. Saving money through reduced energy usage and reducing maintenance is the goal of the association at large as well as individual unit owners. Ideally windows should be replaced collectively so as not […]
Water Damage Claims in Your Condo Association
Many condominium associations face problems due to a misunderstanding of how their association’s policies of insurance operate and should be utilized—especially in connection with property damage emanating from broken pipes or plumbing fixtures. Those problems include, among others: (a) denying owners the benefit of the insurance coverage to which they are entitled; (b) having the […]
When there’s water damage in a co-op or condo, who pays for the repairs?
If you’re facing a water damage issue in your apartment, who ends up paying will depend on where the water is coming from, and in some cases, who caused the leak, says Steven Wagner, a co-op and condo attorney with Wagner Berkow LLP and a longtime board member of his own 420-unit Manhattan co-op. It […]
Pool Maintenance In Your HOA
The climate in many northern states offers limited access to outdoor pool facilities, generally from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Many elements such as weather, temperature, rain, sunshine, oils, lotions, sweat, etc., have an influence on water clarity and purity. It is important that regular inspections of the water and mechanical equipment be performed and […]
How to Plan and Pay for a Major HOA/Condo Reconstruction Project
A major HOA/Condo reconstruction project requires careful consideration and research. Before the shoveling of any dirt comes two key elements crucial to a successful project: A strong understanding of the HOA finances and a thorough understanding of available finance options. Specific details and specifications of the project. The two elements stress the importance of a) […]
When Construction Occurs Next Door, Your Board Needs to Get Involved Early!
It’s likely that at some point during your community’s lifespan, new construction will occur nearby and the impact on your residents will vary both short and long-term depending on the steps your Board takes early in the process. Sometimes new construction is welcomed enthusiastically by the members of an established community but more often than […]
Minimizing Disruption During Construction Season
As spring warms the cold air and coaxes leaves back onto the trees, spring and summer projects will start to be on the minds of many HOAs across the country. Projects mean construction, which can sometimes bring a feeling of dread to homeowners. These projects are crucial to maintain the beauty and functionality of your […]
Roof Maintenance: Taking Care of Your Building From the Top Down
A residential property could have triple-reinforced titanium steel walls, and it still wouldn’t be worth a darn without a sturdy roof. It’s through the roof and rooftop features that many problematic elements can enter a building, from wind to rain to ice to debris. And because of that, the roof must be adequately fortified and […]
Cold Weather Painting
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, things fall behind schedule or the weather changes and we’re faced with having to paint during the early months of the year, when temperatures are not always ideal. Your community may have already faced this, or maybe you will in the near future, so we wanted to take a moment […]
The Gray Area of Liability When Building Systems Fail (NY)
A pipe bursts. An apartment floods. The resident files a damage claim against the co-op or condo board, contending that the flood was caused by the board’s failure to provide necessary maintenance of building systems. The board should not simply write a check for the damages. Instead, it should check the declaration, offering plan or […]
Preparing your HOA Landscaping and Amenities for Spring
Spring is on the way and it is time to make sure that your HOA common areas are ready for the season. Soon, flowers will be budding, the leaves will be returning, and significantly more people will be enjoying your outdoor amenities. In this post, we’ll go over some of the things you’ll need to […]
What to Inspect During a Spring Maintenance Inspection
As winter comes to a close, there’s no better time to inspect your community than during sunny spring days. The board or council and the building maintenance committee are encouraged to take advantage of spring inspections to give themselves a jump start on their community upkeep and prepare for the rest of the year by […]
5 Renovation Rules to Implement in Your HOA
Whether homeowners are wishing to renovate their homes in order to sell the property, or whether they are wanting to improve the home for their own use, renovations can be a source of conflict within the community. Noise, dust, and the unsightliness of construction can irk other homeowners and cause rising tensions. The best way […]
How To Ensure Streets Are Maintained In Your HOA
HOAs are responsible for a variety of tasks within a community of homes, villas, apartments, or even condos. One of the responsibilities that an HOA will face within a community is to ensure that the roads are appropriately maintained throughout the neighborhood or development. This includes the maintenance that is required, over time, on the […]
Snow Removal in Community Associations: Why Having a Plan is Important
Mother Nature is often unpredictable, especially when it comes to snow. For community associations, having a snow removal plan in place before the first flurry hits the ground is just smart and good business. Many members will believe their street is a top priority when in fact, the main road takes top priority. Clear communication […]
The Ultimate Board Cheat Sheet to Completing an RFP
Interviewing a management company is no doubt important – finding a true partner beyond the facts and figures matters for a mutually beneficial working relationship. But before any company can confidently say how they can best serve your community, they need to know and understand as much as possible. That’s why writing a detailed request […]
When a Project Manager is Needed
I have never seen a Condo Declaration that required a project manager for any maintenance or repair. But if I were to look, I would look at the maintenance provisions, the authority of the board provisions and the damage and destruction provision. The damage and destruction provision often provides the OPTION of hiring architects and […]