Running a community association can be – and often is – stressful enough without the added issue of people in a position of power in the community using that position for personal gain in the form of kickbacks. Whether the offender is a sup…
Co-op, condo and HOA communities are a property manager’s bread and butter. Ensuring that their client buildings and associations run smoothly everyday provides managers with both purpose and pay. Therefore, it stands to reason that a dedi…
Community associations are microcosms of democracy, run by an elected board of volunteers trusted to make good decisions on behalf of the community as a whole. Boards make the call on every large and small issue for their constituency. So i…
Q. I have written several complaint letters to the board and the manager regarding a noisy neighbor. They did send a letter to the homeowner about a year ago, but the problem persists. Although I continue to write letters, nothing is bei…
Living in a community association can sometimes be – or at least feel – complicated. For most people, their home is their biggest single investment, and the value of that individual investment depends a lot on the cooperation of neighbors, …
Residents in co-op, condo and HOA communities are frequently quite busy. Boards consist of elected volunteers who nearly always have other jobs and lives. So while a professional management company can relieve much of the day-to-day operati…
On May 22nd, the 11th annual New England Condominium Expo returned to Boston’s Seaport World Trade Center for another full day of education, networking, and professional enrichment and opportunity for New England’s residential real estate c…
The board of a building or community association has a fiduciary duty to uphold its community’s governing documents, act in good faith, and advance the interests of the community at large. Occasionally, boards fail to carry out this duty – …
There are few things upon which most people agree, but a general dislike for paying more today for something that cost less yesterday is pretty universal. This goes for taxes, consumer goods, healthcare, and of course for monthly maintenanc…
Many co-op shareholders and condo unit owners arrive in their respective communities after a history of living as renters. Often they carry with them certain ingrained assumptions and expectations from having lived under a landlord. These a…