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…
Congratulations. You have been chosen to help lead your community on a small governing council that will determine the major policy decisions affecting everyone who lives in your community. From finances to rules enforcement to selection of…
Along with management fees, insurance premiums represent one of a homeowners association's largest annual expenses - and with good reason. Protection from major financial loss is integral to a civilized society. Without the security of i…
There is a joke that is regularly circulated via e-mail among insurance industry professionals. It goes a little like this: A North Carolina man, having purchased a box of 24 rare and very expensive cigars, insured them against fire. (Ye…
Q Can an owner of a condominium/villa erect a fence 12 feet out onto the common area when the bylaws state only five feet is the responsibility of the owner? Can board members sign an agreement going against the bylaws? Also, the presi…
Q I have lived in a condo for the past three years. I am planning on having my boyfriend move in with me in a few months. Are there any rules or regulations that will prevent that from happening within my condo? —Sublettor i…
Q Certain owners in our building keep some personal belongings (i.e. bikes, baby strollers, skates) in the hallways next to their apartments. Sometimes we have to squeeze by their hallway clutter to get to our own units. Is there any l…
Q I’m a board member of my condo. We have one member of the board who is a real estate broker. He brought an issue to our attention. Our condo is an owner of a very small piece of land that is adjacent to another building near ours. The…
Having a well-lit, well-maintained laundry room in one's building is a definite plus. Residents don't have to traipse out to the overcrowded Laundromat in the dead of winter or in the pouring rain to spend hours waiting for machines when…