Years ago, when I babysat for a young boy, I watched him create a multi-story building out of empty cardboard boxes. The lad then ran around his proud creation, flexing his muscles and crowing, “My house is indy-structible!” (He then pr…
New Jersey’s condo communities and homeowner associations might vary in their architectural styles, but over time every exterior—from suburban vinyl siding to turn-of-the-century urban brick—experiences exterior wear due to the elements …
When condo-dwellers think “catastrophe,” it’s usually something dramatic, like a fire or huge storm laying waste to their HOA. There’s another, far more insidious enemy of urban and suburban condo buildings, however: H2O. Water damage m…
Q I am the president of a co-op. We had a full time employee as our property manager. I stress the words: full time. My predecessor had a son, who was allowed to go into business with our full time manager. Their company was a building ma…
Q Our cooperative board has approved a buyer for one of our units. The seller and prospective buyer have already gone to contract. There are presently a number of board members who have second thoughts about approving the buyer and would …
Q I am on the Board of Directors of a 336-unit condominium in New Jersey. My question is in reference to the Contractors’ Registration Act Title 56: 8-138. It requires contractors to register with the state if they are doing residential w…
Q I live in a co-op with 41 units in Ocean City, New Jersey, and would be interested in knowing what the New Jersey co-op law is in regards to the number of shares that are proportionate to the size of the apartment occupied. Presently, t…
On September 7, 1927, 19-year-old Philo T. Farnsworth created the first television system that could not only display, but also transmit signals between separate rooms. Now more than 80 years later, another historic date in broadcast tra…
Over the past 20 years, most of our country’s larger cities have become safer places than they were in previous decades. But despite these positive changes, most Americans—both urban and suburban—are acutely aware of security: how much t…
Falling bricks. Rickety scaffolding. An errant nail and an unsuspecting foot. Things can go wrong in renovation and restoration projects no matter what the size and scale of the work at hand. Whether the job is tackling a new façade on …