Edgar Dworsky is the treasurer of a small condo complex in Somerville, Massachusetts that was built back in 1987. He loves where he lives except for one rather large problem. Water leaks have plagued the complex since it was built. Dur…
Even cavemen knew that fire was dangerous—and they lived in flame-proof caves. But here in the 21st century, people blithely build roaring fires right in the middle of their furnished, wood-filled, carpeted, upholstered and bookcase-jam…
Q We have a condo board which allegedly ignores, breaks, and applies bylaws inconsistently. They also make up bylaws, have not monitored our insurance policies for at least two years and have not taken action on a couple of safety i…
Q Is there an upper limit to how much money can be accumulated in the reserve account to avoid income taxes? —Financially Inquisitive A “The quick answer is no,” says Annette Murray, a CPA with accounting fir…
New Jerseyans have the most of everything. The highest population density, the densest system of highways and railroads, the most major shopping malls in a 25-mile radius, the most TV reality shows, and even the highest concentration o…
When Mohammed Hameeduddin was elected Mayor of Teaneck last July, he became the first Muslim mayor in Bergen County history. He won that seat by edging out Deputy Mayor Lizette Parker, who had hoped to make similar history by becoming …
While calamities like fires, floods, and tornadoes can happen almost anywhere and impact anybody, thankfully most condo and HOA residents will never have to deal with such a major emergency. That doesn't mean that boards, managers, sta…
The job of a co-op or condo board member seems pretty straightforward: have meetings, take votes on this or that item of business, approve checks, keep an eye on the budget, and so forth. That’s the administrative part of the …
Board members find themselves acting as referees so often, some may feel like they're wearing black-and-white striped shirts. Maybe they're mired in the middle of a conflict between homeowners because one group of gardening enthusiasts…
That being said, there are times when information can and should be more tightly controlled, and when non-board shareholders actually don't have the legal right to certain information. Knowing when to include and when to exclud…