2012 September
Focus on... Energy & The Environment

Energy Conservation Help with Going Green
2012 September Help with Going Green

 With the green movement in full swing across the country, it is not surprising  that incorporating energy-saving efficient measures has trickled into  condominium development and management. Today, many buildings in New England  pride the…

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Energy Conservation Green Pioneers
2012 September Green Pioneers

 The Pinehills in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is comprised of 3,000 condominiums,  custom homes, townhomes, cottage homes and luxury rental apartments on 3,000  acres of land. It might sound like that’s a lot of building that can wreak havoc …

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Energy Conservation Garbage In, Garbage Out
2012 September Garbage In, Garbage Out

Not so long ago, trash was nothing more than “used up stuff” and there was little of it. Our grandparents made use of burn-barrels and bottle dumps in the back yard. But that was before packaging became a major business in and of itself…

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Energy Conservation The Top Ten Hot (and Cool) Tips
2012 September The Top Ten Hot (and Cool) Tips

Saving energy does a lot more than just reduce a building’s carbon footprint and toxic emissions—going green can save a building some green too. The steps a co-op or condo building can take to reduce energy consumption and save money ran…

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Maintenance The Ice Squad
2012 September The Ice Squad

 Two winters ago, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overturned 125 years  of legal precedent and announced a new rule of law, making property owners  legally responsible for the removal of snow and ice from their property.  (Papadop…

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Management Under New Management
2012 September Under New Management

For the most part, people are afraid of change, and that’s why they are more likely to stick with what they have and what they know, rather than explore new possibilities. That’s definitely the case with condo communities in re…

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Board Operations Board Members for Life
2012 September Board Members for Life

It is one of life’s eternal questions: is it possible to have too much of a good thing? That question certainly can apply to the matter of long-serving board members, those individuals who get elected and re-elected term after term. And…

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Finance The Nuclear Option
2012 September The Nuclear Option

 The great majority of co-op and condo residents pay their monthly maintenance  fees on time and in full with no problem. People do fall behind on payments  sometimes, of course — a temporary cash flow issue or other short-term financial h…

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Q&A: Renter's Rights
2012 September Q&A: Renter's Rights

Q We currently have a renter that was sneaked in by the owner. What is the proper way of addressing this and what are our legal rights? Can there be fines made to the owner? How can the unscreened renter be removed? —Illegal Subl…

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Q&A: Amending our Declaration
2012 September Q&A: Amending our Declaration

Q What options are available for amending our condominium declaration? Our condominium association has often recommended and even voted in favor of making amendments to the declaration but these are not followed through on. The general…

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