In New Jersey, urban high-rises with sidewalk frontage and suburban HOAs containing walking paths, parking lots, and service roads are reliant on their paved surfaces and therefore need to regularly inspect and maintain their concrete.…
As recently as the 1930’s, only 68 percent of American homes had electricity. By the middle of the last century however, most Americans enjoyed well-lighted homes, and the light had started to spread outdoors as well. Initially, yards a…
When you consider all the different components that a condo association has to deal with, decks are sort of like the Rodney Dangerfield of the list; they rarely get any respect. “Decks are definitely something that people don’…
More often than not, when boards or associations broach the issue of their buildings “going green,” images of bamboo flooring, hemp drapes, or solar panels on the roof suddenly spring to mind. The impression seems to be that in a condo,…
Snowfall can be beautiful in New Jersey, but a long, harsh winter can wreak havoc on a condominium community’s landscaping. As spring begins to peek around winter’s chilly corner, the snow melts away and uncovers the winter wear. From br…
Construction and renovation projects are necessary, but often troublesome—especially when they're occurring next door. For many residents and building owners adjacent to an ongoing project, noise, debris and construction zones diminish …
Safety. Security. These two little words can have a lot of different connotations for those living within, or providing management and other professional services to, a community association. From an engineer’s perspective, thoughts rel…
Organizing and keeping a co-op or condo’s books and other records is, on the surface, not that different than keeping a budget for one’s home. But there are many important differences—filing deadlines, tax requirements, reports…
Typically the sources of terror in horror movies come from ghouls and zombies. Victims in these films find themselves trapped in an abandoned warehouse or haunted mansion with no chance of escape or survival. Moviegoers feel appropriat…
Your co-op or condo unit houses more than your material possessions. The management office also typically contains detailed information about you—including your social security number, credit card number, emergency information, phone nu…