Nothing remained in the New Jersey townhome after the owner, exasperated and struggling, financially picked up and left. And took everything with him. “Not only did he walk away, but he gutted his house,” says Joseph J. Balzamo, a presid…
Few volunteer jobs are as big and involving as serving as a board member for a co-op or condo. In some cases, it means helping to run a multimillion-dollar corporation in one’s spare time. It means managing the place one lives—along wit…
One of the trickier problems to deal with when you live in a co-op or condo is dealing with board members who sometimes let the power go to their heads. Even though they are entrusted with a great deal of responsibility in the smooth r…
Communication—there is probably no single concept more important to fostering and maintaining the relationship between homeowners, board members, property managers and professional service providers within the industry than clear, effec…
Think about this—nearly two million American workers report having been victims of workplace violence each year and, in the United States, fraud committed by employees cost companies approximately $20 billion annually. Workplace theft t…
A co-op or condo community’s annual meeting is just business, though these gatherings can sometimes be the site of personal acrimony, or feuding between residents. But annual meetings needn’t be a source of friction, and can serve as a …
You can’t operate a condominium or co-op without a myriad of services, which is why a well-run home association or building requires that it has strong vendor relationships. That means getting supplies and services smoothly and at the …
This in an anxious time in which to sit on the board of directors. With defaults and foreclosures accounting for some 20 percent or more of the units at some condominiums, frustration among board and association members is off the char…
The relationship between boards and management is by its nature complex. The two sides rely upon one another to ensure the smooth oversight of their co-op and condo communities. Both are dedicated to doing everything possible to create …
It doesn’t matter if you are managing a towering high-rise or a sprawling suburban association, co-op and condo boards usually have their fair share of problems to be solved and emergencies to be defused. Talk to enough people who have …