Stretching south from Orlando, the Everglades are vital to sustaining Florida’s sensitive ecosystem. To this end, proper water management is critical to maintaining equilibrium for residents, vegetation and wildlife. In a climate like s…
In a community association, it falls to the board to put out any fires that ignite among the property’s residents. But what happens when the blaze springs up between the board members themselves? Those who volunteer to serve on their comm…
Even before the pandemic, amenities and service previously associated with the hospitality industry had infiltrated the residential property sector. Now, as much of the world has grown accustomed to working remotely, commercial and office e…
It's no secret that HOA board members are often forced to balance the interests of individual residents against those of the community as a whole—and that can make prioritizing projects and community budgets a tricky task indeed. The re…
Q I live in a 3-floor, 4-room,30-unit condo, mostly 50-plus, with the only family with children (ages two and three) living on the third floor above me.For the past year there has been an excessive amount of constant running; playing on…
The invention and adaptation of vertical transportation – otherwise known as the elevator – in the 1850s changed the face of architecture, space design, and apartment living forever. Unfortunately, like any mechanical system, every so often…
Running the day-to-day business of a condo development or an HOA of any size—be it a sprawling, multi-building community, or a single self-contained building—requires not just a functional board but a team of competent outside professional…
The word community, like many words in the English language, has more than one interpretation. A community can be identified as a geographical location—a physical infrastructure of streets, parks and buildings, defined by tangible brick an…
In an upscale lakeside community near Orlando, the pace of home sales unaccountably accelerated in 2009. At first, the new owners paid their assessments and fees. Then some of the homes were rented to subtenants, and others changed hands a…
Although it may sometimes feel as if our pets have the run of the land, humans are still the masters of their own domains. In order to maintain this status quo—especially in a communal environment such as a condominium, cooperative or homeo…
From Miami’s lavish suburbs to Fort Lauderdale’s vibrant downtown to West Palm’s glamorous beachscapes, indeed South Florida is a gorgeous metropolis; vistas of turquoise water merge with miles of white sand, all under a consistently blue …
Most people go about their days paying little attention to the labor performed by those who make their lives easier. From transit workers to service employees to government officials, how often does one stop to thank the people making every…
The economy cratered—to use a term in popular parlance at that time—in September 2008, with the collapse of too-big-to-fail Lehman Brothers. While the measures undertaken by the federal government and the Federal Reserve averted complet…
“Get it in writing,” is a time-honored axiom. For Florida condominium associations, cooperatives and homeowners’ association it is more than advice, it is the law. A primary responsibility of all association boards is to hold regular, a…
Among the many hazards that can threaten any multifamily building, fire ranks right at the top. Local news is replete with stories about the property loss, structural damage, and even death that a fire can cause. While horrific in small pro…
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…
One of the most apt descriptions of politics theorizes that it’s really all about who gets what, when, and how. With the 2010 elections having delivered Republicans supermajorities—veto proof power—in both of Florida’s Legislative chambe…
In South Africa, it’s called a “sectional title.” In Quebec, it’s a copropriété divise or “divided co-property.” In Italy, they call it “condominio,” derived from Latin. Regardless of location, a condominium—commonly referred to as “condo”…
Q Previous to the current management company, the board would review the minutes after each meeting and then distribute to all owners. The new management company states that the minutes cannot be distributed until they have been approv…
Q I have lived in a unit for the past three years. I am planning on having my boyfriend move in with me in a few months. Are there any community or state rules or regulations that will prevent this from happening? I own the unit but wo…