Page 22 - New Jersey Cooperator February 2019

22 THE NEW JERSEY COOPERATOR —FEBRUARY 2019 NJCOOPERATOR.COM Serving Northern & Central New Jersey For over 18 years, DMG has been providing professional property management services to Condominium Associations, High Rise Condominiums, Luxury High Rise, High Rise Apartments, Townhouse Associations, Townhome Communities, HOA, Cooperatives, Single Family Home Communities and Master-Planned Communities. We work exclusively with properties consisting of 40+ units. Our focus on eliminating common problems that board members and building owners face results in a high degree of customer satisfaction and retention. We make sure the transition to our managed services is a smooth one - ensuring no surprises or headaches for the client. We effectively manage your property with efficient communications and timely execution of all contract work. Let the Dovan Management Group put their experience and professionalism to work for you! Info@DovanManagementGroup.com www.dovanmanagementgroup.com Office: 973.680.9299 • Cell: 908.347.4888 265 Broad St. Suite 8 Bloomfield, New Jersey 07003 can be synchronized to provide remote ac- cess from almost anywhere. You could be in the Caribbean on vacation, and if someone wants to be buzzed in to your building, you can buzz them in through a phone call. That may sound great – and in many ways, it is – but these apps don’t necessarily come with video capability, and that’s the big drawback. You might buzz in someone you didn’t want there. “Old-fashioned buzzer systems are secure,” says Maunsell, “in the respect that you only buzz someone in if you’re in your apartment. With phone entry, you could be anywhere – and that’s less secure.” “Technology isn’t foolproof, but a key is,” says a representative of Brothers Lock & Safe, located in Edison, New Jersey. “Have you ever been in a parking lot when you hit the fob for your car and someone else’s lights go on? Or clicked your garage door opener and your neighbor’s garage door opens?” Similar things can happen with any fob system. You never know when someone else’s fob may open your door. It’s rare, but it could happen. A Word on Price Dahlin says the cost of fob systems is dropping due to the proliferation of tech- nology and increasing demand on the part of residents and building and community managers. “People want this,” he says. A very simple system can cost under $700 to install and get up and running. The cost of entry is lowest for new construction, where a fob system and any other complementary technology system are installed during the build-out of the property. Retrofits of older buildings without any existing technology are more expensive, as retrofits are more la- bor intensive. Such projects may also involve extensive physical changes required to run wires and other equipment and components throughout the property. For buildings and associations looking to retrofit their properties with key fob sys- tems, Maunsell recommends installing a fob system with a unified platform, which is the most complete iteration of the technology. That platform generally includes keyless entry, surveillance and intercom – one pro- gram on one server on one platform. So while we may mourn the days when everyone just left their doors open, we can also rest easier now, knowing that at least some forms of technology may have made us a little safer. n A J Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for The New Jersey Cooperator, and a published novelist. KEY FOBS... continued from page 17 issues affecting community associations in the State of New Jersey. “I have been a member of CAI-NJ since I started in the business nearly 20 years ago,” Nardone said. “Being an active member has benefited my both personally and professionally.” He added: “I’m looking forward to working with my fellow CAI-NJ board members, committees, members and partners as we continue our mission – ‘To enhance the quality of community asso- ciation living, through education, legisla- tive advocacy and professional develop- ment.’” Nardone has managed properties for more than 15 years throughout Northern and Central New Jersey, according to the news statement. Trends Survey: More People Are Leaving NJ Than Moving In It appears that more people are moving out of New Jersey than coming in, accord- ing to a study conducted by a moving com- pany, The Press of Atlantic City reported. Based on United Van Lines’ annual report on migration patterns of its customers, of the over 4,400 New Jersey residents who made an outbound move via the moving company, about ⅔ of them were leaving for another state. New Jersey has the dis- tinction of being one of the states ranked highest in terms of outbound moves, which Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson attributes to high taxes and the cost of living. “You can’t do anything about the weather, but you can most cer- tainly do something about the property tax,” said he said, as quoted in the article. James Hughes, a Rutgers University pro- fessor, explained that many Jersey retir- ees’ decision to leave the Garden State is because they can sell their property and purchase a similar home somewhere else for less and with lower property taxes. Condo News 88-Year-Old Woman Dies After Condo Fire A woman who was injured in a fire last December at her Middletown condo died on January 12, according to her daughter. Patch reported that Lisa Bowden announced via Facebook that her 88-year-old mother, Gladys Bowden, passed away following her injuries from a blaze that occurred on December 15 at Shadow Lake Village, a 55+ condo com- munity. Both Gladys and her husband George Bowden, 91, were taken to a hos- pital in Red Bank for smoke inhalation. A GoFundMe page that was created for Gladys and George said that the couple’s PULSE continued from page 4 MEMBER OF Glen A. Masullo, CMCA, PCAM, President/CEO With over 30 years of experience, PCMS provides the highest quality of service. From full-service site management to financial support, we’ll customize a management program tailored to your community. Site Management 24 Hour Emergency Service Work Order Tracking Vendor Management Leadership Guidance/Training to Board Members Accurate & Timely Monthly Financial Reporting Extraordinary Services. Exceptional People. Email: info@pcmsus.com Website: www.pcmsus.com AAMC Accredited Association Management Company 732.873.1258 484.291.1330 35 Clyde Road, Suite 102, Somerset, NJ 08873 2430 Butler Street, Suite 164, Easton, PA 18402