2017 December
Focus on... Building Maintenance/Expo

Aside from yourself, who exactly may live in your condo or co-op unit? While you as the owner might believe you have the sole authority to make that decision, most (if not all) condominium and co-op properties today have policies spelled ou…

It takes a lot of different tools and materials to keep multifamily buildings looking, smelling and functioning at their best. That means that maintenance crews, contractors, snow removal teams and other staff members must rely upon sometim…

Whether living in a crowded high-rise or a sprawling suburban community, when it comes to condos, co-ops and homeowners’ associations, safety is paramount. From management to the board to fellow residents, it falls to everyone to show conce…

Education, awareness, and cooperation between management, boards, and residents can make a huge difference in deterring crime in and around a building. Some basic behavioral adjustments – making sure nobody follows you into the building wit…

Did you hear the one about the Florida family that was about to be kicked out of their HOA because the wife had just had twins? The family already had one child, and the arrival of the twins would put them over the two-kids-per-unit allowed…

Elections are a complicated process. From voting to counting ballots, avoiding even the possibility of fraud...the involvement of Russia…um, wait a minute. We’re getting ahead of ourselves here. In the context of a homeowners’ association o…

According to most experts, current overall crime rates in America’s 30 largest cities are at historic lows. This crime data comes directly from local police departments in those cities – and while these figures are seen as a positive by law…

It’s that time of the year again – the Halloween candy is long gone; the leftovers from that Thanksgiving meal are a distant memory; and Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s are all approaching, complete with sparkly lights and orna…

Q. I purchased my condo unit in 2005 with amenities that included 24-hour security, two pools, a parking lot, and a children’s playground.  This past summer, our board destroyed the children’s playground to create additional parking, and …

Q. We have a board member who goes around to elderly owners to have them fill out proxies so they vote for him. This person also pays for 100 owners to have a dinner at the clubhouse to win votes. He has been doing this for years with no …

Q. What can be done if a unit owner, who has not paid his or her maintenance for a year and owes the association $30,000, has now declared bankruptcy? How does the association get its money?             —Neighbors Seeking Recourse A. …