The most important aspect of managing a building is keeping it, its residents, and their property safe. In days past, 'safety technology' consisted mostly of well-lit exits, the installation of panic bars and glow-in-the-dark stripping on e…
One of the benefits of transitioning from renter to homeowner is the knowledge that your space is sacred and belongs only to us. But, when it comes to association living, sometimes unit owners have to give building staff or managers access …
From sprawling town home developments to high-rises to quaint four-unit residences, New Jersey is flush with condo communities. It's no surprise then that the state is also no stranger to tough guidelines for multi-family residences. The on…
New Jersey is home to more than 1.2 million seniors age 65 and older and about a third of them suffer from some kind of disability, according to the latest census. In a state like New Jersey, where anything can happen—from fire, to extreme …
The synopsis for the 2013 horror film The Purge is pretty extreme: in the future, society implements a 12-hour period called “the purge,” wherein any and all crime is legalized. Always wanted to vandalize your boss’s car? Thinking about sho…
Whether you live in a suburb or in the heart of the city, life is expensive. Sometimes it can feel as though everybody from the barista at your favorite coffee shop to the kid who bags your groceries is trying to nickel-and-dime you half to…
The contractors who helped dig out the region’s condo properties last winter agree on one thing: the associations that were ‘rescued’ first were the ones with solid vendor relationships. It’s better to look earlier rather than later, says…
Whether one resides in a Hoboken high-rise or in a more spread-out HOA, security—for both property and physical safety—is an important issue. Who can come in, at what times, how long they can stay, and how freely they can move about the pro…
Q. I have some questions about what would constitute a conflict of interest. One of the managers of our community recently hired his brother-in-law to do work on the property, and I don’t think proper procedures for the hiring and contrac…
Q. We have a small condo board and community. Do you think it’s necessary and legal to make our board members sign a confidentiality agreement even if it’s not required by our bylaws?” —Confidential in Clifton A. “T…