From the outside, the structure of a condo, co-op or townhouse building may appear to be monolithic; just pieces of brick, steel, vinyl or wood, punctuated with some glass here and there. That’s an oversimplification, however. A multifamily…
Even among otherwise conscientious, community-minded condo, HOA, and co-op residents, the idea of running for and serving on their board often ranks somewhere between taxes and dental work on their list of things to look forward to. It conj…
Whether you live in a high-rise building or a spread-out condo association, you probably take having reliable, adequate heat in the winter months for granted. But heating a multifamily community is not so easy as simply turning a dial. Ther…
In recent years, concern over accelerating climate change has put increasing emphasis on ‘going green.’ This broad trend encompasses everything from what we eat to what we wear, to how we build our homes, and how we clean them. With the glo…
It’s that time of the year again—the Halloween candy is long gone, Thanksgiving turkeys are being ordered, and Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve are all approaching, complete with sparkly lights and ornaments, as well as a pa…
Q. One of the board members in our condominium is not an owner of his unit—the deed is in his wife’s name as sole owner. Our condo docs, including the bylaws, seem to me to be clear regarding directors: they must be owner-members as shown…
In early 2020, our firm was hired to prepare a reserve study for an unremarkable 136-unit, 12-story condominium in south Florida. It was the kind of association you could drive right by without noticing, not much different from all the othe…
Where there are people, there is detritus. It’s an age-old reality—so much so that even the remains of our ancient trash are often the basis upon which archeologists develop theories about vanished civilizations. While we can’t say what fut…
We hear about them all the time. Whole movies are made about them. Those nosey, controlling, downright hostile neighbors who can make your life miserable. Having one down the hall or next door is bad enough—imagine what happens when they e…
Buying into a residential community like a co-op, condominium, or HOA can be a bit like selecting the political system you’d like to live under. Governance styles can range from an Athenian democracy where every member of the community is i…