Exteriors of buildings aren’t always smooth brick walls. There are all sorts of indentations and protrusions, from terraces to stonework to cornices. There are also items that are not part of the building, but are affixed to it, like scaffo…

Building amenities, like elevators, are often taken for granted, but elevators are for more than just avoiding a workout and creating awkward silences between neighbors; they accommodate residents unable to climb stairs and are critical for…

If you think about it, a multifamily building isn’t that much different than the human body. Both house important complex operating systems and organs. Both take in fuel and produce waste, and both require regular check-ups and a good maint…

Q I own 2 units in a Florida co-op that has 250 units. The resort has rental sales in excess of $500,000 annually. Our last audit was done over ten years ago and with the new law regarding audits I understand that there MUST be an audi…

In most instances, the board or management team of a condo or HOA is equipped to handle the wide variety of issues that arise day-to-day, from a leaky roof to dealing with municipal bureaucracy. There are other, bigger issues—things like e…

When you live in a multifamily building, however, peace and quiet can be hard to come by. From the guy upstairs who gargles loudly at precisely 6:47 a.m. every morning to the neighbor with the yapping Chihuahua—at some point the soundtrack…

It happens in business, government, and industry every day: employees learn the rules of a new job, and very shortly thereafter, they start taking shortcuts to circumvent them. Rarely is this done with malicious intent. More often, it is s…

The building blocks of all homeowner’s associations are the community's respective bylaws, administrative documents and house rules. Equally important are legal documents that define critical information and other action items, such as ter…

Q We live in a small tract called Mayfield, which consists of 51 houses, each of them being approximately 1,200 square feet to around 1,500 square feet. We originally bought our home in 1992; it was the first lot in the development. We…

Q In our association in Florida, as it is in many others, I’m sure, we are having an awful time getting people to serve on the board. We have a small condo association and it is difficult, if not impossible, to attract and retain good …