Category: Association Operations

Too often a condominium community takes a hard look at its security only after the damage is done. “Our business is an event-driven business,” says Andres Vidales, district manager for ADT Security Services in the Miami/Fort L…

Meet the residents of the fictional Manor Woods condominium. Mrs. Jones loves her unit. She’s been living there for 30 years and while she’s still independent, she walks and talks a little slower than she used to. Next door, David was i…

 It’s often said that safety starts at home—and while many HOAs spend lots of money on sophisticated security and access  control systems to protect residents and property, others opt for lower-tech  solutions to neighborhood security and …

As Hurricane Wilma churned across southeast Florida on October 24, 2005, four maverick residents of a coastal Pompano Beach condominium under a mandatory evacuation order opted to stay. They brought along some booze, broke into the off…

 Despite what film noir and gritty nocturnal crime dramas would have us believe,  sunny venues and beach vistas are as fertile grounds for criminal activity as  dark alleys and deserted piers—especially those typically referred to as “whit…

 Property managers handle a wide array of tasks from the physical to the  administrative. While many of these jobs are outlined in black and white (send  out monthly bills, attend meetings, file paperwork), one important component is  not …

There’s nothing quite like making a first impression. For those living in condominiums or homeowner associations in South Florida, a great deal of creating this important impression is often out of a resident’s hands, so it’s necessary …

 One of my young daughter’s favorite YouTube clips involves an elaborately decorated house, whose  thousands of colored Christmas lights were programmed to flicker, strobe, wave,  and blink to the tune of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s har…

 Are your community’s swimming pool and hot tub VGB-compliant? Do you know what that means?    VGB stands for Virginia Graeme Baker, a seven-year-old girl who drowned in June  of 2002 when she became stuck after being sucked into a …

No matter whether you're traveling light or burdened with an armload of groceries, nobody likes to climb stairs. Recognizing this, mid- and high-rise condo developments frequently count elevators among their amenities of convenience—an…