When it comes to running board elections in a condo or co-op community, the biggest concern among those involved is making sure the elections are fair and balanced and nobody has a reason to cry foul. Elections can be heated as it is, …
Being elected to the board of directors of a condominium association or cooperative comes with a great deal of power, and with that power also comes a great deal of responsibility. Whether they serve a condominium association or cooper…
Many co-op and condo owners want to get involved in their community but they soon find out that being on the board is no picnic. Soon neighbors are pestering them asking for feuds to be settled, decisions that affect all resident’s liv…
Nothing remained in the New Jersey townhome after the owner, exasperated and struggling, financially picked up and left. And took everything with him. “Not only did he walk away, but he gutted his house,” says Joseph J. Balzamo, a presid…
Few volunteer jobs are as big and involving as serving as a board member for a co-op or condo. In some cases, it means helping to run a multimillion-dollar corporation in one’s spare time. It means managing the place one lives—along wit…
Q We are a small, self-managed association that has a complicated problem that needs to be solved. The problem concerns the 25th garage and the association’s inability to obtain this particular garage. The original architect built 24 ga…
Q Is there a law allowing us to conduct a meeting without a quorum reached? We need more than 50 percent of the vote and certain shareholders refuse to attend meetings. We don't have a co-op board and cannot elect one. The old board mem…
There is little or no question that secondhand smoke is a carcinogen which poses a serious cancer risk and can cause other health problems to persons who are exposed to it. Indeed the 2010 U.S. Surgeon General’s report states unequivoca…
Heating and cooling systems within condominium developments are called upon to provide safe, consistent energy to residents. The people who bring you heat, air cooling and refrigeration know that, and want to find what works—and what do…
“We have 500 condo accounts and I can count on one or two hands the number of the ones that are not having issues with arrears,” reports Karen Sackstein, CPA, whose accounting firm, The Condo Queens, is based in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. “…