Just as no household can function without a good, sound budget, neither can a homeowner's association. Creating and maintaining a budget that can guide a condo community through an entire year's worth of finances is one of the most impor…

They say the only two inevitable things in life are death and taxes. Well, for condo and co-op owners you can add a third—maintenance fees. As long as roofs are going to have to be repaired, snow is going to have to be plowed, and g…

According to Hackensack city manager Steve Loiacono, his town is really going places."Real estate values are strong, business—and retail in particular—has been expanding and shows no sign of slowing," he says. "Unemployment is relatively…

Comedian George Carlin got it right—all we want is a little space for our stuff. Ample storage space is a precious commodity, and residents are often left on their own to invent creative ways to store bikes, sports equipment, holiday dec…

Homeowners associations are governed by a private board, generally comprised of residents of the condominium. Just because board members are unpaid volunteers, however, does not exempt them from exposure to lawsuits. Indeed, HOA board me…

In most cases, New Jersey's community and homeowner associations largely govern themselves, with little oversight from the state and no standardized procedures or best practices. But recently there has been some movement from the powers …

While a condominium owner owns his unit, and a shareholder in a cooperative owns shares of a corporation, there are a lot of aspects of their living situations that they can't control. If the elevator doesn't work, or the grass isn't bei…

For most people, the thought of legal fees and litigation costs are enough to cause heightened anxiety and maybe a heart palpitation or two. Consider that same scenario when it comes to board members in charge of the well-being of an ent…

There are new faces, a new two-year session, a new governor and a new General Assembly speaker in Trenton, and these changes may have repercussions for homeowner reforms, housing legislation and other quality-of-life issues. From CE…

Lawsuits should be the last resort for resolving conflicts within community associations. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and other mediation avenues make it possible for community associations to avoid litigation altogether. Nevert…