We have all read the headlines of tragic deck collapses over the years. The causes of these tragedies are typically either from inferior design, construction or even more worrying, from failures due to age and wear that went unnoticed.…

The ferocity of the current recession has touched nearly every aspect of life, from fears about job loss to concerns about health care to homeowners’ worries about foreclosure. With shrinking budgets and worrisome bottom lines, condo co…

Few amenities are as valued and beloved by residents as a private homeowners association’s swimming pool. But pools probably represent the single biggest insurance liability and maintenance expense for associations that have them. …

While more space, cleaner air, and a more relaxed lifestyle may be upsides to suburban living, the ‘burbs are also often synonymous with sprawl—mile after mile of strip-malls, big-box stores, identical office parks, chain restaurants, a…

Q I am a shareholder in a co-op building. The building has a main entrance and a service entrance. Management, without any notice to the tenants, decided to put an alarm on the service entrance door, and they changed the lock so we ca…

Q Our co-op building, built in the early 1960’s, has a big open roof, accessible only by staircase. We want to add a removable, elevated deck, plants, and furniture to the roof. We have met with an elevator company to see if a platfo…

 While it’s not a word listed with Merriam-Webster, hardscaping is as critical to outdoor  aesthetics and function as its softer and more oft-mentioned cousin,  landscaping. Whereas the latter deals with appropriate weaving and placement o…

There are only two kinds of unit owners in any given condominium: those who live there and those who do not. Resident owners often take measures to tax absentee owners with additional fees, or establish policies to diminish landlord own…

The snow is finally starting to melt after what has seemed like an extra long winter. Of course, that means the grass is thankfully starting to peek through and reintroduce itself. And with this reintroduction comes a required spring c…

In the realms of resource management and environmental concerns, coal, oil, and carbon dioxide get a lot of press—yet water is one of our most precious, most wasted, and least talked about commodities. One of the biggest culprits when i…