2015 July
Focus on... Budget & Finance

Finance Money Talks
2015 July Money Talks

Imagine sitting down with your significant other to pay the monthly bills. You both put your checks into a joint account and know how much there is to take care of expenses, or so you think. Out of his wallet your husband pulls out receipt…

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Finance Dealing with Code Violations
2015 July Dealing with Code Violations

Remember that “better to be safe than sorry” adage? It applies to condo associations with regard to building code violations. Not only does it apply, it’s an understatement. No association wants to or intends to violate building code…

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Finance Don’t Raid the Cookie Jar
2015 July Don’t Raid the Cookie Jar

Sometimes the future seems like it’s an awfully long way away. If a roof is going to last 30 years, why should we worry about it today? Same with that shiny new boiler or that flat, crack-free pavement just poured two summers ago. Eventual…

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Law & Legislation Going Overboard
2015 July Going Overboard

Condos and homeowner associations have made headlines over the years for passing all kinds of overreaching and downright silly rules and regulations—everything from forbidding the flying of the American flag to having prohibitions about ha…

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Q&A Q&A: Null and Void
2015 July Q&A: Null and Void

Null and Void Q I am a unit owner in a condominium. According to the bylaws and rules of our condominium, the board of managers should consist of five members, but for the last five or more years, there have only been two people.…

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Finance Amenities Need or Burden?
2015 July Amenities Need or Burden?

The amenities found at New England’s condominium communities can run the gamut from glamorous to the merely mundane. Some of the larger communities are virtual resorts with enough real estate—and revenue—to offer riding stables, golf cours…

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Board Operations We Don’t Hear You
2015 July We Don’t Hear You

Communication is vital to running a successful condo complex or co-op building. So what happens when dwellers complain that board members are not listening and—even worse —ignoring their problems? Well, you can bet it will not foster…

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Board Operations Running the Show at Board Meetings
2015 July Running the Show at Board Meetings

When it comes to the subject of meetings—specifically monthly board of trustee meetings or annual owner meetings in condos, co-ops, and HOAs—there seem to be no neutral opinions. A few folks actually like these exchanges, but most dread th…

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