Mary and Tom own a condominium in upstate New York, where they live with their three young children. The couple's otherwise idyllic suburban enclave has been shaken with recent allegations that their association's current board of directors…
Since the board of a building or community association is usually comprised of a collective group of unique individuals with their own perspective and opinions, no two boards are ever the same. However, there are certain overall, un…
When it comes to questions of home and hearth, even the best of friends may argue. So it should come as no shock when co-op and condo associations, boards and residents fall into disagreements. It's what's done to settle or hopefully pre…
David Allen Stockman, former director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, may have had the federal budget in mind when he said that, "None of us really understands what's going on with all of these numbers." But he might just as…
Getting on a condo or co-op board requires a significant investment—both in time and sweat equity. As president of my co-op board, I can attest firsthand to the labors involved. Rarely does a day pass that I don't receive a call from a s…
There are many ways to lose talented, knowledgeable and caring volunteer officers from the board of community associations: Don't protect them from personal liability for the decisions they make by foregoing directors and officers l…
Owning a condo or being a member of a homeowner association is a something many New Jersey residents know a thing or two about. In 2004, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) estimated that 970,000 existing co-ops and condos were so…
A giant shrub trimmed to resemble a stock car? Shutters painted an eye-shattering fuschia? Eight not-so-tiny reindeer blitzing across the roof? Some people's idea of design heaven is almost certainly someone else's idea of aesthetic purg…
Anyone who has spent time serving on the board of his or her co-op or condo knows that it is a job that no one can do alone. Even if you have the most conscientious group of board members, the job is too time-consuming for a group of vol…
Community associations, whether a homeowners' association, property owners' association, cooperative, timeshare/interval association or commercial association are legal entities that are governed by bylaws and applicable statutory and gover…