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…
2012 October
Focus on... Association Operations
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…
Many co-op and condo owners want to get involved in their community but they soon find out that being on the board is no picnic. Soon neighbors are pestering them asking for feuds to be settled, decisions that affect all resident’s liv…
Being elected to the board of directors of a condominium association or cooperative comes with a great deal of power, and with that power also comes a great deal of responsibility. Whether they serve a condominium association or cooper…
When it comes to running board elections in a condo or co-op community, the biggest concern among those involved is making sure the elections are fair and balanced and nobody has a reason to cry foul. Elections can be heated as it is, …
Anyone who lives in a city—or across a river from one—that is a popular tourist destination has likely played host to a procession of family, friends, friends-of-family, and other assorted houseguests over the years. To address this (an…
Unless it's a thoughtful gift or a party in their honor, nobody likes surprises. That's especially true when it comes to sudden, serious, or non-negotiable repairs to a condo building or HOA. A community must have enough money saved to …
In December 2008, the National Bureau of Economic Research announced that the United States was in a recession that had started back in December 2007. The official announcement was old news for most Americans. Most financially…
Heating and cooling systems within condominium developments are called upon to provide safe, consistent energy to residents. The people who bring you heat, air cooling and refrigeration know that, and want to find what works—and what do…
Q My question is about being elected to the board of a condo association in New Jersey. We have a building management company hired by our board. Can the management company executive be elected to the board? Does the executive have any …
Q I live in a 51-unit condo complex in Essex County, New Jersey. The association is attempting to get a loan for needed repairs of at least $200,000, however three attempts were denied due to a delinquency in condo dues totaling $35,000…