Being elected to the condo board inserts a divisive quality into one’s relationship with their neighbors. While still a unit owner, subject to the same rules, regulations and responsibilities, a board member has made a commitment to the…
Decisions, decisions, decisions. Board members have to make them all the time, from how money should be spent on repairs to what contractors should be hired. Making decisions might seem easy, but deciding between two courses of…
Q Do professionals such as attorneys and managers under contract to my condominium have any obligation to see that the boardoperates under the guidelines of the Rhode Island State Condominium Act and our condominium documents? …
Dear current board members and management team, As a newly seated board member I wanted to let you know that I am a little unclear as to what my role and specific responsibilities involve. Having never served on a condo board I …
For most people, “foaming at the mouth” is just an expression. Attorney Ellen Hirsch de Haan has encountered the real thing – and not at an animal shelter, but at a condominium owners’ meeting. A former president who recently h…
It’s an unfortunate fact of condominium life: Board members’ responsibilities and their personal agendas intermingle more often than they should. After all, it’s part of human nature to want the best for us or our loved ones. Fa…
Since the board of a community association is usually composed of a collective group of unique individuals with their own perspective and opinions, no two boards are ever the same. However, there are certain overall, universal qualities…
Jack has heard talk that the board has voted to continue a contract with the poorly-run lawn care company the association has contracted with for years. Rumor has it that damage was done to a window by a careless worker and a complaint h…
Who Passes the Annual Budget? Q Does our condominium board of directors need to have our next annual budget passed by the condominium owners or can they pass it themselves? –Following Protocol A “In most s…
The old adage is that it takes a village to raise a child. Think about that—it takes many people, working together, to do what’s right for just one child. It’s about teamwork. The same philosophy can be applied to running a successfu…