While Flint, Michigan may have been the highest profile case of water being contaminated with lead in recent years, lead is an issue that water systems across the country have to navigate and monitor closely. Earlier in the year, there wer…
Few things in life are as precious yet underappreciated as clean air. We take it for granted. Breathe in, breathe out—we rarely even notice the action. Ensuring that the air we breathe is clean, fresh and safe is one of the myriad respons…
Sustainability is the watchword these days. All over the country, businesses and residences are being encouraged to go green, and condominiums, cooperatives and homeowners’ associations are no exception. But not all condos/co-ops/HOAs are…
Q. My co-op building has a main entrance and a service entrance. Without any notice to the tenants, the management decided to put an alarm on the service entrance door, and they changed the lock so we can no longer use this entrance. Th…
Q. Recently, our condo issued a ruling that any unit owner who is in arrears on their common charges cannot vote at the annual meeting. Our bylaws only say that each owner is entitled to one vote. No mention is ever made about denying the…
Q. In the summer, we usually have social gatherings among the residents of our condo. Our board of directors has approved over $1,000 for the cost of our monthly community barbecues. I assume, rightly or wrongly, that using the monthly ma…
Even with proper risk management best practices, it’s impossible to completely avoid all types of insurance claims from happening. At heart, a claim is like any other business dealing—a negotiation. Your ability to convincingly argue your p…
Just as the ways in which we socialize have changed in recent years, so too have the spaces in which that socializing has traditionally been done. Common spaces and amenities in multifamily buildings and condo associations have evolved to s…
No matter what the size of their portfolio, a property manager must wear a great many professional hats: human resources pro, administrator, mediator, organizer, social director, project manager, sounding board—sometimes even therapist. I…
A cooperative, condominium or homeowner's association is more likely than not governed by a ragtag band of brave volunteers. Oftentimes, these folks have outside jobs that have little to do with maintaining a residential real estate propert…