Q I am the president of an association in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. We have been under the impression that if an owner is delinquent in paying a monthly fee that an automatic lien is created on the property, thus preventing such owner …
Q I am three months behind in my homeowner's association payments. Can the condominium foreclose on my unit? My mortgage payments are up to date, and I called my lender who said no, they cannot foreclose. What do you say? I wrote a let…
Q We have an owner, with an interested buyer who is an inheritor in a trust, and wishes to purchase the unit with only the name of the trust on the deed. Is this sound policy for us to allow the deed to only show a trust’s name? What ki…
Budgets and financial reports provide a crystal-clear picture of how the association is doing. From an investment perspective, they show how unit owners, managers, tenants, building owners, board of trustees, etc., whether the property…
Q I am looking for information regarding service contractors (i.e., cable, Internet) needing to set up a prior appointment to access the equipment that is installed on owner's terraces. Does the unit owner have to be at home to let the…
While new condominium construction is often viewed as premium real estate, the old adage “all that glitters isn’t gold,” holds true in many cases. Some condominium owners, sadly, have found that builders may have cut corners on workmans…
As they gaze across azure seas, past palm trees and swimming pools on a tropical coastline, prospective buyers on HGTV’s “House Hunters” show always ask about the fees. Unlike most would-be residents, though, they might not bat an eye a…
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 …
Q I have a bit of a tricky issue. I am the trustee of a self-managed triple-decker condo in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. The owner of the second floor has become ill and as a result, has not been at home, and consequently has not paid …
There’s nothing worse than dealing with someone who has let their power go to their head, and when you’re talking about a co-op or condo board member who starts to act above everyone in the community, huge problems can arise. …