Many New Jersey HOAs were originally built with grading and drainage that for the most part pitched away from buildings, toward a roadway, rear lawn area swale, or sheet flow drainage area, ultimately collecting in a storm water retent…
One of the most important things to understand as a member of a condo or HOA is how responsibility for maintaining and repairing various building systems is divided between individual unit owners and the association at large. …
They eat a lot and cause a mess. They overstay their welcome and can become aggressive when challenged. No, they’re not your no-account relatives—they’re resident Canada geese. These 12- to 15-pound birds were once migratory an…
There may be a distinct charm to weathered clapboard and rustic-looking wooden siding, but from a practical perspective, that pleasing patina is really the sign of decay and deterioration. For an HOA board, it’s also the sign of major e…
Ever since Romeo and Juliet made them famous, balconies have been popular additions to our homes and living spaces. For condominium and HOA communities, balconies can add visual zest, as well as a few more feet of living space that all…
A building is, in many ways, like a body. If its residents are the soul, then certainly the mechanical systems that keep it running are at its heart. And just as one cares for one’s body by eating right and exercising, management must c…
If something’s broken, you fix it. If it’s worn out, you replace it. It sounds like a simple equation, but when it comes to capital improvements or renovation projects in cash-strapped times, it can be a case of easier said than done. …
Q Our management company just changed hands. The building records were shipped to the co-op, placed in a room across from the laundry and the rumor is that only the superintendent has the key. The other night when the new manager cam…
Q We are a 38-unit condo complex. We have had trouble finding owners to serve as board. Can we require owners to serve at least one term on the condo board during the time that they are owners of a unit? Can we permit them to pay a …
Q Can the president of a co-op board be in business with the management company’s owner without divulging it to the shareholders or other board members? The board members were recently notified that the owner is one of the board of d…