In today’s economic climate, budget woes abound and pretty much dominate the legislative landscape in New Jersey and elsewhere. With Republican Governor Chris Christie trying to stem the tide of a monumental $10.7 billion budget deficit…
The late 1990s saw a surge of nationwide smoking restrictions put into effect. With varying amounts of resistance and controversy, workplaces, shops, theaters, restaurants and bars in a growing number of states—including New Jersey—all …
The current recession has impacted New Jersey's condo and HOA communities in many profound ways. Boards and managers have been forced to address the challenge posed by multiple units in arrears, bank foreclosures, and projects put on i…
Every condo development and HOA has a board of directors in charge of governing the community’s finances, physical maintenance and other day-to-day business. The board is not just a group that runs the association, however—it is also a …
Few things can be as upsetting as discovering that the funds that fuel a building or association have been mishandled—or worse yet, stolen. For residents, fraud undermines their sense of trust in the men and women who oversee and manage…
As the leaders of their community and guardians of their residents' investment and quality of life, HOA board members have a lot of responsibility, and access to a great deal of personal—sometimes sensitive—information about their neighbo…
For board members, the time spent serving their association and fellow residents can be among the most strenuous yet rewarding periods in their lives. For years, they make decisions that affect their community in the present and may co…
For most people, “foaming at the mouth” is just a figure of speech. Attorney Ellen Hirsch de Haan, a managing partner in the Tampa Bay, Florida office of Becker & Poliakoff PA, has encountered the real thing—and not at an animal shelter,…
In many parts of North America, people will soon enjoy one of nature’s finest shows. The changing colors of fall foliage make for a beautiful display, but too-early changes in leaf-color can be a sign that your tree is stressed and is s…