Page 19 - NJ Cooperator Fall 2020

NJCOOPERATOR.COM THE NEW JERSEY COOPERATOR — FALL 2020 19 ATTENTION BUILDING OWNERS AND MANAGERS Maintenance of any masonry/concrete mid to high rise building is CRUCIAL From parking decks, to balconies, to brick pointing, window caulking, parapet walls, and roof structures, simple maintenance and inspection is IMPERATIVE to keep your investment DRY and STRUCTURALLY SOUND. Water intrusion can cause: • Structural damage • Damage claims from tenants and owners • Mold issues and lawsuits • Safety issues, e.g., falling masonry & Restoration Inc, of Jersey City, NJ, successfully completing over $200,000,000 of restoration work in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. H2O Pro operates only in New Jersey and we pledge to you that if you trust us to oversee exterior repairs to your buildings we will treat them as if they were our own. Choosing the right contractor is extremely important! Who are we? Call Toll Free: 844-774-6776 Small maintenance issues can become large capital projects. We work with you or your architect/engineer, to establish a repair plan that keeps your investment safe and sound without breaking your budget. attorneys lawgapc.com @ www.lawgapc.com NORTHERN NEW JERSEY 973-366-1188 CENTRAL NEW JERSEY 732-514-6601 SOUTHERN SO NEW JERSEY 856-533-2379 NEW YORK 212-374-9790 PENNSYLVANIA 973-366-1188 ATTORNEYS AT LAW ▶ Wills, Trusts and Estate Law ▶ Municipal Law ▶ General Litigation ▶ Commercial Law ▶ Business Startups ▶ Community Association Law ▶ Landlord Tenant Law ▶ Land Use and Zoning Law ▶ Disability Law ▶ Real Estate Law and Closings Experienced attorneys providing the right moves towards achieving your endgame STRONG ADVOCATES LISTEN ATTENTIVELY WORK RELENTLESSLY RESOLVE CONFLICT BRINGING COMMUNITY TO NEW JERSEY www.communityservices.com At Associa, we not only have the local expertise that comes with living, working and playing in the communities we serve every day—we have the national resources to provide top-tier property management, robust financial services and more. Community management isn’t what we do - it’s who we are. Contact us to learn more! 55 Lane Road, Suite 440 Fairfield, NJ 07004 973-773-6262 was conducted online through Zoom. Potential Pitfalls “I think keeping residents engaged has probably been tough,” says Freedland. Considering the documented diaspora of New Yorkers as well as residents of other dense urban areas this spring and sum- mer, “Communicating with sharehold- ers has been a little more challenging,” he continues. ”Most buildings keep lists of email addresses, and continuing the communications by email has been help- ful for day-to-day business. While official notices usually must be mailed, they can be sent by a secondary means in addition, which could be via email as a courtesy.” Shapiro offers an in-person alternative that some of her clients have used suc- cessfully: meeting outdoors, with masks and social distancing strictly enforced. Owners bring their own chairs, the board has ample hand sanitizer on hand, and everyone is respectful of the limitations of the current crisis. It can be difficult to hear others speaking from a distance outside, however, so some residents bring their own megaphones or mics. “You do the best you can and think outside the box to keep stuff going,” says Shapiro. “You can’t just throw up your hands be- cause of COVID and stop functioning. You have to find ways to succeed.” n A J Sidransky is a staff writer for The New Jersey Cooperator, and a published novelist. Balcony Alteration Q A homeowner in a condo asks the board to allow the altera- tion of the balcony enclosure to a taller height. The board and manage- ment company agree and the alteration takes place. Twenty-five years later a new manager says that was improper and the balcony must go back to original stan- dards. Is there a statute of limitations on this balcony? —Seeking Lawful Solution “I am not aware of any Statute of Limitations that is applicable to this cir- cumstance, but there are various issues that may pertain,” says Henry C. Walen- towicz, Esq., of the Clifton-based firm Celentano, Stadtmauer & Walentowicz, LLP. “The defenses of estoppel and laches would be relevant. Even in the context of governmental action, estoppel can apply. In East Orange v. Bd. of Water Com’rs of East Orange, 73 N.J. Super. 440 (Law Div. 1962), affirmed 40 N.J. 334 (1963), the court held that the action of an unauthor- ized agent can be ratified so long as the continued on page 20 Q&A continued from page 5