condo

Fiduciary Duty and What it Means for Your HOA Board

Just try saying that five times fast. Not only is it a serious mouthful, it also carries serious legal obligations…

8 years ago

How to Run Concise HOA Board Meetings

Being on a homeowners association board means volunteering your time for best of your whole community. It can be an…

8 years ago

Attorney Tip: Stop the Spread of Smoke Now (NY)

Earlier this year, state Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron awarded a co-op shareholder named Susan Reinhard the staggering sum of…

8 years ago

The Drone Debate: Should Drones Take to the Skies at Your Co-op or Condo? (NY)

Drones. Everyone has heard of them. No one is sure what to make of them. Are they destined to be…

8 years ago

Is Your HOA Reserve Fund Being Managed Properly?

How you handle your HOA reserve funds really makes a difference in the successful running of your association. The quality…

8 years ago

3 Tips to Dodge the Pitfalls of Poor HOA Security

Neighborhoods with HOAs are often very secure places in which to live. However, there are a lot of pitfalls that…

8 years ago

Is Your Community Association Board Making Sound Decision on Your Behalf?

The directors of Florida community association are obligated to discharge their responsibilities to the community in good faith. Board decisions…

8 years ago

Was your condominium properly expanded under the Michigan Condominium Act?

In Michigan, when a developer creates a condominium, the developer is required to record a master deed. Pursuant to MCL…

8 years ago

Litigating Construction Defects in Community Association Property: Part IV

Once all of the necessary parties have been added to the proceeding and some basic discovery has been conducted, the…

8 years ago

A Co-owner Filed Bankruptcy, What Now?

Condominium associations are solely dependent upon the collection of assessments from its members for their survival and to purchase and…

8 years ago

HOA Repairs: Who Is Responsible?

Repairs and maintenance are part of owning any property. However, for homeowners who live in a neighborhood with an HOA,…

8 years ago

Can Condo Associations Bar Political Signs in Common Areas?

A tiny political sign triggered a giant-sized dispute in a Colorado condominium, when the association manager said the sign violated…

8 years ago

A Day in the Life of a Condo Manager

A number of years ago (2005) I wrote and article for the CCI Vancouver newsletter called....A Day in the Life.....which…

8 years ago

Hoarding in Your Condominium: What Every Michigan Association and Property Manager Should Know

As the weather becomes warmer here in Michigan, many homeowners or co-owners undergo the yearly “Spring Cleaning.” Unfortunately, many condominium…

8 years ago

Time For Your Building to Plug Into Electric Car Charging? (NY)

In 2014, more than 10,000 plug-in cars were on the road in New York State. That number is projected to…

8 years ago

Maintaining Roofs: Repairs, Replacement, and Responsibility

A building’s roof serves as the first line of defense against whatever the skies throw at its inhabitants—wind, rain and…

8 years ago

FHA Condo Approval Changes

FHA loans are government-insured housing loans that make it easier for people with low credit, low income or a high…

8 years ago

Fireplace Safety in Your Home and HOA Community

For many, the essence of winter is curling up next to the warmth of a crackling fireplace while enjoying the…

8 years ago

Condo-monium over construction defect fable undone by real Colorado market statistics

There’s only one thing left to do in the controversy over whether Colorado should back off requiring homebuilders to stand…

8 years ago

Core Values and Expectations for HOA Board Members

Board members come together from vastly different backgrounds to focus on the common goal of serving their community. Some are…

8 years ago

The Role and Importance of the Reserve Study in Determining an Appropriate Reserve Fund

A well-run condominium can be thought of as having two components: (1) physical assets, which are the buildings, structures, and…

8 years ago

Marijuana in Communities

We are often asked whether a condominium association may prohibit cigarette smoking in common areas, or in units or single…

8 years ago

3 Social Media Tips for Your HOA

Social media can be a great tool for any association, but only when used correctly. If you never post anything…

8 years ago

The Price of Smoking in Co-ops Just Went Up. Way Up

In a decision that’s sure to fuel the smoking debate in every co-op in the city, a state Supreme Court…

8 years ago

Security Measures in Your HOA: Lights, Camera, Action!

A quandry that homeowner associations face is how implement security measures when a known violent resident exists. The board has…

8 years ago

Why a Loan is (Sometimes) a Good Idea for Your Homeowners Association

Your association board is planning for the big project on the horizon, and is currently reviewing how to finance it.…

8 years ago

A checklist for setting condo budget priorities

Some may think of condo budget review as a yawn fest; however, others may spend hours working out the smallest…

8 years ago

Condos are not houses — questions to ask yourself before trying ‘complex’ living

When you own a house, you are responsible for everything, and everything is on your schedule. You make the rules,…

8 years ago

Tenants Held Liable for Violation of Condo Smoking Rules

In a recent Ontario case, TSCC No. 2032 v. Boudair, tenants of a condominium unit were held responsible for their…

8 years ago

Can a Python Be an Emotional Support Animal?

Can snakes, the animal commonly known for instilling panic upon sight, actually help to ease anxiety? According to snake owner…

8 years ago

Condominium Fire Sprinkler Retrofitting in Florida

In 2003, the Florida Legislature enacted 718.112(2)(l) as a statutory scheme to require the retrofitting of fire sprinklers for residential…

8 years ago

5 Tips for a Successful HOA Neighborhood Watch

Crime is a concern and a risk in any homeowners association. But incorporating certain trusted systems, such as a neighborhood…

8 years ago

How To React to HOA Fraud

This week, we discuss how to react if you do not bulletproof your HOA against embezzlement and discover your HOA…

8 years ago

Boards Don’t Need to Go Nuclear When Dealing With a Bad Apple

It seems that every co-op and condo building has at least one: the bad apple, the shareholder or unit-owner who…

8 years ago

Legal Obligations for HOA Board Members

Many HOA Board members don’t fully understand the legal obligations that come with serving their community. You rarely see one…

8 years ago

Florida Condominium and Homeowner Association: Know Your Governing Documents and Florida Law

Condominium associations and homeowner associations (HOA) are abundant in Florida. These types of associations are typically governed by declarations/covenants and…

8 years ago

Courts Say Condo Boards Can’t Levy “Confiscatory” Penalties

The bylaws of many condominiums authorize the board of managers to impose fines for violations of the rules and regula­tions,…

8 years ago

9 smart tips on how to handle nasty neighbors

Even the most beautiful home in the most serene town can become a nightmare if you live next door to…

8 years ago

You are all Neighbors!

The first thing to remember when living in an association is that you are a neighbor to someone. If nothing…

8 years ago

HOA Board Code of Conduct

As a member of a volunteer homeowner association board, it's important to codify the goals and behaviors an effective director…

8 years ago

What to Ask a Potential Management Company

Every property management company has strengths and weaknesses. Some have a national presence but little understanding of local challenges. Some…

8 years ago

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow (NC)

Many property owners' associations across North Carolina are faced with the annual challenge of clearing snow and ice from the…

8 years ago

Rhode Island Supreme Court gives HOAs priority above mortgage liens

The Supreme Court of Rhode Island supports the homeowner's association “super priority” concept, making The Ocean State part of a…

8 years ago

The Transition Engineering Report: Triggering The Statute of Limitations in Condominium Construction Defect Cases

Earlier this year, the New Jersey Appellate Division reversed a Bergen County trial court decision, which had dismissed a construction…

8 years ago

How HOA Board Members Can Tune in to Meetings Online (CA)

Whether you’re out of town or out of commission, you can still attend the homeowners association board meetings by tuning…

8 years ago

It Is Possible to Ban Bogus Support Dogs (NY)

When the co-op board first learned about the shareholder’s dog – kept in defiance of a long-time pet prohibition –…

8 years ago

Are Your Governing Documents Putting Your Community At Risk?

Many common interest communities have not kept their documents current with changes in the law, changes in their community or…

8 years ago

Preparing for Turnover – What a Developer Should be Mindful Of (FL)

With all of the new construction of condominiums and single family homes, developers should be mindful that the end of…

8 years ago

Why It’s Imporant an HOA Board Pays Attention to the Open Meeting Act

A good number of Board members understand that being a leader within their homeowners association can be a very rewarding…

8 years ago

Noise Complaints: Co-op and Condo Boards’ Worst Headache

Noise complaints are the migraine of the headaches besetting co-op and condo boards. They come without warning, they tend to…

8 years ago