Some people say winters in the northeast are not as harsh as they used to be, due to global warming. But experience tells us that winters in New Jersey can still be dangerous, with freezing temperatures and precipitation. Such cold weath…

Every year thousands of tons of paper, metal and glass are recycled in New Jersey—and not just on behalf of state residents. The detritus gets broken down and turned into hundreds of "post-consumer" products, then re-sold and re-used, an…

It seems that suddenly, everyone's talking about green buildings and green construction. But it's really not a new concept. Back in the 1970s and '80s, after the energy crisis made us all aware of the high cost of electricity, energy-eff…

Q What is a conservation easement? Can a condo or HOA vote to place an easement? What are the tax advantages of such a move? —Inquiring Unit Owner A “A conservation easement is an agreement to restrict development of …

Q I live in a top floor apartment of a condo building. There has been a leak from the roof for a few years. The condo has been trying to stop the source of the leak over that time period, to no avail. They have now hired a roofer, who h…

It's bound to happen eventually: calamity befalls your condominium development in the form of windstorm damage, fire, personal injury or the like. The first step most associations take is to call the insurance company and file a claim. Howe…

To those who don't know much about the subject, insurance for condos and HOAs can seem like a fairly simple thing—like car insurance, or life insurance. It's tempting to just trust their broker or agent, and leave it at that. There'…

Many association board members and shareholders alike come to dread the monthly board meeting or annual shareholders meeting - stories abound of meetings dragging on for hours, with participants feeling that they're trapped in a vortex o…

Being a board member in an HOA or community association is a task rooted in civic pride and responsibility not unlike serving on the local school board or town meeting. Some become board members because they want to protect the inve…

Serving the board of your co-op or condo can offer many benefits, but also bring many challenges. As board members also live among residents they serve, community issues are always present. It can turn into a 24/7 job that interferes wit…