When you close your eyes and picture any building, you are quite likely imagining its facade – the outer shell which protects and contains all of the hustle and bustle that goes on within. In a residential property, the facade is what separ…
Home is where the heart is, sure – but it’s also where most of any given owner or shareholder’s money is. For most people, their home represents their single biggest investment. And in a community association, both individual units and the…
Whether it’s a balcony, terrace, patio or roof deck, outdoor space is many an apartment owner’s dream. Desirable – and valuable – as they are, these spaces do present specific maintenance considerations for individual owners, co-op corpora…
Cities are crowded. That’s a simple fact. In the best of circumstances, there’s noise, dirt, dust, and the usual urban pests. Add to that the construction of a new building next to or nearby yours, and annoyance can quickly become overwhelm…
Q. What is the difference between HOA rules and CCRs? —Curious Owner A. “In the world of community associations, CCR stands for covenants, conditions and restrictions,” says attorney Scott F. P…
The ‘big city’ is known for its breakneck pace, as life whirls around the unprepared out-of-towner in an overwhelming swirl. Suburbia, on the other hand, is supposed to be a respite from that intense metropolitan grind – a place to patientl…
It’s been a long time since most people have felt comfortable just leaving their front doors unlocked. For better or worse, security has become the order of the day – and technology follows security needs. Today, that path leads to electr…
In a community association, it falls on the board to put out any fires that ignite among the property’s residents. But what happens when that blaze springs up between the board members themselves? Those who volunteer to serve on their com…
One of the most important factors in the decision to purchase a condominium or co-op is lifestyle. Many who live in residential communities, particularly those in single-family HOAs, choose community living over a single-family home for the…
Volunteerism is arguably the bedrock of co-op and condominium communities. One buys into one or the other with the expectation of participating in the governance and operation of the property. Volunteering for board or committee service, th…