Page 22 - New England Condominium June 2019

22 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -JUNE 2019 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM Located Throughout New England Servicing the Northeast, Free Estimates Fully Insured, Certified by NADCA 1-800-442-8368 customerservice@ductandvent.com www.ductandvent.com Duct & Vent Cleaning of America, Inc. CONDOMINIUM MARKETPLACE “ e Directory to Everything You Need” MARCUS ERRICO EMMER & BROOKS, P.C. Representing Over 4,000 Condominium Associations... One Association at a Time 45 Braintree Hill Park, Suite 107 Braintree, MA 02184 (781) 843-5000/Braintree (508) 791-2120/Worcester (401) 351-2221/Rhode Island www.meeb.com | law@meeb.com MEEB_NEC_June14.qxp:Layout 1 5/19/14 12 ACCOUNTANTS Goodman, Shapiro & Lombardi, LLC Concentrating in condominium and real estate law in MA & RI www.goshlaw.com (877)-241-1600 NECondoClassifiedAd7-7-17woNH.indd 1 7/7/2017 1:09:16 PM Flynn Law Group 185 Devonshire St., Suite 401 • Boston, MA 02110 617-988-0633 “Quality Representation at Reasonable Rates - $150/Hr.” Contact Attorney Frank Flynn Frank@fl ynnlaw-ne.com www.fl ynnlaw-ne.com ATTORNEYS ATTORNEYS Accounting • Auditing • Taxes • Consulting Worcester 67 Millbrook Street 508-797-5200 Grafton 80 Worcester Street 508-839-0020 Holden 795 Main Street 508-829-5544 M Love Associates, & LLC Certified Public Accountants Serving Condominium Associations mlove 2.25 x 2.5 condo association color 9.19.2017.indd 1 9/19/17 12:59 PM Merrill & McGeary 100 State Street, Suite 200 Boston, MA 02109 617-523-1760 • Fax 617-523-4893 Contact: Mike Merrill, Esq. mmerrill@merrillmcgeary.com DUCT/DRYER VENT CLEANING BANKING/LENDERS INDOOR AIR QUALITY • VENTILATION • DUCT CLEANING AIR DUCT & DRYER VENT CLEANING 800-893-1117 www.continentalcleanair.com Property Managers • Multi Units • Associations • Condos Continental clean:Layout 1 12/22/09 1 David A. Levy, CPA, P.C. Certified Public Accountants 20 Freeman Place Needham, MA 02492 Tel: (617) 566-3645 (866) 842-0108 Fax: (866) 681-2377 www.DALCPAPC.net DAL CPA See Our Display Ad on Page 20 BetterVent is a NEW kind of Indoor Dryer Vent. www.adr-products.com 1-888-609-5512 Condominium and Real Estate Law Phone: (781) 817-4900 Direct: (781) 817-4603 Fax: (781) 817-4910 We may be dressed up, but we aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty. www.lawmtm.com See Our Display Ad on Page 13 Solving your problems today & strengthening your association for tomorrow. 6 Lyberty Way, Suite 201 Westford, MA 01886 (978)496-2000 www.perkinslawpc.com See Our Display Ad on Page 19 See Our Display Ad on Back Cover according to a CAI press release. Many of Conversion Ordinance, according to the these time-tested best practices are show- cased on this site oft en including free, down- loadable documents for readers. “Today marks the release of a ground- breaking digital news site devoted to the article focused on an apartment complex that community association marketplace,” says displaced its tenants in order to convert their Th omas M. Skiba, CAE, CAI’s chief executive units into pricy condominiums, without offi cer. “Th is is a testament to how much the off ering them even a stipend for relocation. community association model has evolved in recent years. Th e concept has grown up, amendments that “protect property owners’ become well-established and an increasingly rights to sell to family members before ten- successful form of community governance ants and prevent conversions that cause ten- and an essential component of the U.S. hous- ing market.” Skiba says CAI recognized an increasing need to educate, train, and provide the latest news and resources to the millions of poten- tial homebuyers, homeowners, and renters its rules for funding repairs to crumbling living in these communities. According to foundations at condominium properties. CAI, the best community associations have Connecticut homes, including condos, knowledgeable governing boards, highly- engaged residents, and educated and trained due to the possible presence of a naturally professional managers leading their commu- nities. “We know that most community associa- tions function very well, thanks to the skills 2015, has been linked to thousands of foun- and dedication of homeowner leaders, com- munity managers, and others who provide professional services to associations. We also “evidence now indicates that the average gap know that all communities do not operate as between what CFSIC will pay for as allow- well as they should,” says Skiba. “We’re never able concrete costs and the total cost of con- happy when we see a community in the news struction is currently approximately 20% of for the wrong reasons, but it’s reassuring to the value of the construction’s total cost. As a know that struggling communities are the result of our analysis, the evidence is also now exception to the rule. Th rough this new digi- tal platform, CAI will continue to work with tion platforms places an economic hardship our members and other stakeholders to help on condo owners that is disproportionate to Americans build and sustain better commu- nities.” Law & Legislation U.S. House Votes Flood Program Extension In May, the U.S. House of Representatives one common foundation platform, where the passed a bill to extend the National Flood foundation itself is otherwise eligible for claim Insurance Program (NFIP) through Sept. 30, consideration according to CFSIC’s stan- the end of the fi scal year. Th e bill, passed by dards, a cap of 4 X $70,000, or $280,000, will voice vote in the lower chamber, advanced as apply. Once the enabling legislation changes the program was set to expire at the end of (which we expect it will) to permit CFSIC to the month, according to a report in Th e Hill . Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who chairs more than four units, the numbers will grow the House Financial Services Committee, exponentially. A foundation supporting six said that Congress has passed 10 short-term eligible units would be capped at $420,000; extensions since the multiyear authorization eight units would be at $560,000.” expired in 2017. “My bill, which I have co- authored with Ranking Member \\\[Patrick\\\] Superintendent Michael Maglaras, “is McHenry (R-N.C.) would extend the pro- gram to Sept. 30, because we recognize that homeowners with impaired foundations; but the NFIP is critical to ensuring access to this change to the cap applies only to condo- fl ood insurance coverage across this country. miniums.” More information can be found at Th is extension will aff ord the ranking mem- ber and I time to complete our work on a long-term, bipartisan compromise.” Th e Hill also reported that the Senate sig- naled that it is closing in on a deal on disaster relief, but it remains unclear whether it will include an extension of the NFIP. Somerville Revisits Condo Law Th e city of Somerville, Massachusetts, has updated its 30-year-old Condominium Somerville Journal . An article last spring in the Boston Globe, which had sharply criti- cized the decades-old law for being outdated, apparently helped spur the revision. Th at Th e recent update to the law includes ant displacement,” the Journal reported. CFSIC Changes Condo Foundation Funding Th e Connecticut Foundation Solutions Indemnity Company recently changed have faced expensive repairs in recent years occurring iron sulfi de, pyrrhotite, in their concrete foundations. Th e concrete from a Wallingford quarry, used between 1983 and dation failures. In a recent statement, CFSIC said that clear that the cap applying to condo founda- that of homeowners who actually own their foundations. “Eff ective May 15, 2019, CFSIC will per- mit a cap of $70,000 per eligible condo unit. If, for example, four condo units are sited on underwrite foundation platforms containing Th e updated rule, according to CFSIC designed to level the playing fi eld among all www.crumblingfoundations.org. n PULSE continued from page 21 Please submit Pulse items to Pat Gale at patgale@yrinc.com