One of the most difficult issues for board members and residents of co-ops, condominiums and HOAs is that of arrearages. The problem poses practical, procedural and ethical issues, and can ultimately lead to legal repercussions. There are p…
For many reasons, common-interest communities such as co-ops, condominiums, and HOAs prefer that the people living in the community’s units be the actual owners of those units – rather than renters, or subtenants, or relatives of the owners…
Everyone loves the turning of the seasons, what with leaves changing and snow falling and pools opening and the like. But Mother Nature has little concern for the comfort of humans, so fluctuating temperatures bring the need for residential…
Q. Can a condo board suddenly decide to sell pool memberships to friends of owners and friends of boat owners? We have a marina with a liberal guest policy, but selling memberships to outside people is not beneficial to owners. Is it lega…
Q. Can a board member who has served on one board for many years serve on another board that is in the same HOA association? I don’t want to cause a problem with this member, but it does mean they would be casting votes on two associatio…
Q. As a condo board member for 15 years, we recently had an issue with a recently deceased owner’s family who pulled up the carpeting in the late owner’s ground-floor unit and found termites (which we are addressing), and cracks in the c…
A push for fair and democratic board elections in New Jersey got a major boost this past July when Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation that would codify a fair process for electing board members. The passage of the law also signals to al…
Here’s a scenario: It’s mid-December. The board has assembled for their last meeting of the year. The managing agent brings great news: due to several unforeseen factors, including the past year’s mild winter and savings resulting from c…
Supers, building managers, maintenance persons, custodial staff, groundskeeping personnel, porters, doormen, concierges—depending on the size of a community, the staff roster for a condo, co-op, or HOA can be pretty long. The truth is, in t…
Most people go about their days paying little attention to the labor performed by those who make their lives easier. From transit workers to service employees to government officials, how often does one stop to thank the people making every…