It's been said that choice is the ultimate luxury. Since 1999, New Jersey businesses and residents have had the luxury of choosing which utility company from which to purchase gas, electricity, and heating fuel; but with choice often com…
Summer's here, and most of us couldn't get along without air conditioning, especially when the temperatures reach into the steamy 80s and 90s. Many people know the minimum about their air conditioning systems—if anything goes wrong, they…
In today's uncertain world, insurance costs can pose a hefty burden for homeowner's associations and co-op and condo boards trying to keep budgets balanced and costs lows. One potential solution to that burden may be a risk purchasing gr…
Unless you are in the business, understanding insurance can seem complicated—but for association boards, management companies, shareholders, and unit owners, it's important that everyone is aware of the insurance that is needed and provi…
Imagine that your condominium association calls in a general contractor to do some renovation work on one of the buildings in your development. Or one of the unit owners calls in a contractor of his own to do some work on his kitchen or …
Imagine you sit on a board of directors that makes a mistake or error in judgment that results in a lawsuit. Imagine the case goes to trial, and the judge awards the plaintiff hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. Now imagine that…
The New Jersey Division of Taxation is cracking down and performing more sales/use tax audits of Common Interest Realty Associations (CIRAs) of all types—co-ops, condominium associations, and apartment buildings—than ever before. There a…
Buy a motor home and travel the country. Pay for grandson Johnny's college education. Fix up that old kitchen you've been complaining about for decades. These are things you've been wanting to do for years and years, but, though you've w…
Unexpected repairs are part of owning a home. For owners of single-family houses, the process is simple: Something needs fixing or replacing, and you call a contractor and get the work done. You may not be happy about it, but you accept …
A Budget planning is a key component of any association's operations and preparation, and usually falls on the property manager's shoulders. However, he or she does more than just what the title implies—the manager is a "jack of all trad…