Finding the right balance of involvement between HOAs and condo boards and residents can be like maintaining a healthy relationship with a significant other—you want to be compassionate, responsive and attentive, but not too needy, nosy or…
There’s nothing worse than being a unit owner in a building and seeing someone disregard a rule and seemingly getting away with it—particularly if that person is a member of your homeowners association board. Sadly, this scenario isn't w…
An Extra Apartment Q I bought an apartment for my aging father in my building. He has since passed away and I've been renting out the apartment, with board approval. I am one of 3 or 4 people in the building who keep an extra apartm…
With natural disasters causing catastrophic property damages becoming more common, associations must be prepared for unexpected expenses, such as a major roof repair, or the installation of a new heating and cooling system. These major cap…
A cold, wet spring turned quickly into a hot, humid summer rife with thunderstorms and localized flooding. As autumn starts to paint the region’s foliage, community association boards and managers are looking at long-range forecasts and, i…
Any building in New Jersey that is taller than, say, five stories usually has an elevator—and often, new buildings of even three stories have an elevator. If you live in a high rise co-op or condo building on Palisade Avenue in Fort Lee, c…
Every year the cycle repeats itself in numerous co-ops and condo communities from the Gold Coast to the Jersey Shore: as temperatures drop and snow begins to swirl, flocks of empty nesters and others fortunate enough to own a second home i…
With today’s condo and HOA residents much more conscious of their impact on the environment and looking for ways to reduce it, smart boards and property managers are looking to help. Simple tasks like turning down thermostats, shutting off…
There are two ways—and only two ways—to balance a budget: increase revenue or decrease spending. Whether you’re the treasurer of a co-op board or the President of the United States, those are the only two levers at your disposal. Ene…
I'm part of an association, and there's a couple big votes at our upcoming meeting. My question is related to the death of a fellow unit owner; can anyone who may have her proxy vote for her? Is it legal? She was buried very recently. …