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…
It takes a lot to run a successful building—there are employees to hire, services to contract, boards to elect, new residents to review, general technical maintenance to take care of, and all the rest on that ever-present "to do" list with …
We all know that accidents happen, but in today's litigious environment, an accident or injury occurring on the grounds of your condo or townhouse community can lead to thousands of dollars in legal fees, court costs, and potential judgm…
Double taxation is a term often referred to by residents of private communities to describe having to pay property taxes to their town in addition to the monthly maintenance fees they pay to their community association for services like …
Homeowners move into a community association for a variety of reasons. Some people seek carefree, maintenance-free living, where all responsibility for home care, recreation, or community activities is handled efficiently and promptly by…
New condo owners get a lot of papers and documents during the purchasing process, and among the most important they receive are the community's Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&R), the bylaws, administrative guideline…
Condominium associations, homeowners association (HOA), and co-op boards generally hold regular board meetings to get input from residents, resolve problems within the community, develop budgets for the upcoming year and handle any issue…
For most New Jersey residents, autumn is the idyllic season for taking long strolls and watching leaves erupt with vibrant colors. For wildlife, however, it's the best time to rummage for food, seek out winter housing and set up breeding…