Page 5 - New England Condominium June 2021

L L R ........ As the nation starts to regain a semblance of normalcy with COVID-19 vaccinations on the rise and restrictions beginning to ease, legislative dockets have filled with bills and proposals that have ramifications for the co-op, condo, and HOA sector. Here are some of the biggies that boards, managers, and residents should be aware of, no matter where your particular community is located. L . B ....... Co-op and condo living is subject to lots of rules—some of which come directly from state laws, some from the building or association’s own bylaws, and some from its house rules. Every state has statutes that govern the operation of residential communities; every community also has its own set of governing documents, which are almost univer- sally subject to those state laws—and sometimes go even further than state regulations in delineating what owners and shareholders can and can’t do on the property. W W Y L C ........ For many, the function and relationship between the board of directors of a co-op or con- dominium community and their attorney is more or less opaque. Who does the attorney represent? Individual owners or shareholders can’t contact the community’s counsel for legal advice; if they need counsel, they must find one outside the community’s legal arrangements. So the community’s attorney isn’t there as a resource for residents. How about the board members? Technically, the answer is no there as well. NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -JUNE 2021 5 Yale Robbins Publisher Henry Robbins Executive Vice President Joanna DiPaola Associate Publisher Hannah Fons Senior Editor Darcey Gerstein Associate Editor Pat Gale Associate Editor Shirly Korchak Art Director Anne Anastasi Production Manager Alan J. Sidransky Staff Writer Alyce Hill Director of Sales Copyright 2021 by New England Condominium Magazine LLC, dba Community Association Publishing.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. New England Condominium is published monthly in New York, New York by New England Condominium Magazine LLC, dba Community Association Publishing, 205 Lexington Ave., 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016. 508-753-4630. ISSN 1550-946X. Periodical postage paid at New York, New York and additional mailing o ces. Subscriptions are available free by request to condominium and homeowner associations. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to New England Condominium Magazine, 205 Lexington Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016. FREE Subscriptions for Board Members, Trustees, Property Managers and Real Estate Decision Makers. To Subscribe, please visit us at: newenglandcondo.com/subscribe TABLE OF CONTENTS A Property Management Company You Can Trust At J. Butler Property Management, LLC., we measure our success in terms of client satisfaction and take a long-term view of every relationship. www.jbutlerpropertymgmt.com 978.694.9004 James R. Butler IV Executive Manager • Family owned and managed Massachusetts based property management company • Blends management expertise with open communication between the board, unit owners and managing agent, making for a healthier property • Superior cost cutting strategies and vendor pricing • Community website, work order system, online payments • An in-house maintenance team that is able to reduce costs and offer an unparalleled level of service P ...... Q A...... 2.808 9.702