2011 December
2011 December Vol. 9 No. 12
Focus on...Safety & Security
Community Crime
In condominium communities, sometimes the most heinous crime a manager can
recall is a pair of drunken football fans upending pots of mums and “watering” the foliage. Serious crimes are indeed rare within residential communities but
it may have more to do with surrounding neighborhoods—as realtors say, “location, location, location”—than anything else. In addition, rightly or not, community residents may feel
shielded from criminal activity by the presence of property management.
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Home Secure Home
It’s not surprising that residents are more willing to invest in security for their
home sweet home than they might be for other expenditures. Even in today’s difficult economy, providers say there’s little disagreement about choosing the latest and the greatest system—live or alarmed—that associations can afford.
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Your Security Blanket
It takes more than a watch dog and a dead bolt lock to feel secure these days.
In a multi-housing setting, countless opportunities exist for hopeful crooks to
infiltrate and commit crimes. Often, properties are cased for days, weeks or
months before the crime is committed. How safe are you? Read More
What's Your Background?
Community association staff members are part of residents’ lives. Not only are they vibrant members of the community, they also often have access
to units, mail, and personal information of people who live in the building. It’s crucial, then, that the individuals hired by a community association be
reliable, trustworthy, and dependable, in addition to being adequately trained
to handle sensitive information and personal property.
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What's in the Forecast
Turn on the evening news, and you’ll get a good idea of the main topic on the minds of community association
professionals as calendars flip to a new year: It’s all about the money.
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Look Both Ways
The Roman god Janus had two faces that allowed him to look backward into the
past and forward into the future. When thinking about end-of-the-year
association finances, boards would do well to take a lesson from Janus and look
back at expenses from 2011 and ahead toward obligations in 2012.
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Getting Wired
For many condo properties—even those of recent vintage—existing telecommunications infrastructure may fall woefully short of that found
in the average private home. But with the unique complications that arise when
updating a condominium development, how do managers and boards go about
bringing the latest services to demanding unit owners? Should condo dwellers be
left to their own devices when it comes to obtaining the latest TV and datacom
services? Or would top properties bundle such services with ever-increasing
condo fees? And, if so, which provider to choose?
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Books and Basketball
It’s the birthplace of basketball, Breck shampoo and Webster’s dictionary. But when folks who live in Springfield, Massachusetts consider its biggest claim
to fame, it all comes down to Dr. Seuss.
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Q&A: Financial Reporting
Is a condominium required to produce an annual financial report? If they don't, what is the recourse? What parts of a financial report do the owners have access to? If the management doesn't allow me to see the report, what action can I take? Read More
Q&A: Denying Voting Rights
The board of our condo issued a ruling that any unit owner who is behind in payment of common charges cannot vote at the annual meeting. Our bylaws only say that each owner is entitled to one vote. No mention is made about denying the vote. Doesn't this ruling require a change in the bylaws? This would require a 2/3 vote from the unit owners. The board also now charges delinquent accounts 9% per month or 108% on an annual basis. Is this legal? Read More
