As more and more of our daily lives become more intertwined with online entertainment and services, internet access has become a home utility along with electricity and running water. Boards can take for granted that every resident in their…
When you close your eyes and picture any building, you are quite likely imagining its facade – the outer shell which protects and contains all of the hustle and bustle that goes on within. In a residential property, the facade is what separ…
Home is where the heart is, sure – but it’s also where most of where any given owner or shareholder’s money is. For most people, their home represents their single biggest investment. And in a community association, both individual units an…
Whether it’s a balcony, terrace, patio or roof deck, outdoor space is many an apartment owner’s dream. Desirable – and valuable – as they are, these spaces do present specific maintenance considerations for individual owners, co-op corpora…
Cities are crowded. That’s a simple fact. In the best of circumstances, there’s noise, dirt, dust, and the usual urban pests. Add to that the construction of a new building next to or nearby yours, and annoyance can quickly become overwhelm…
Q. We live in a 64 unit condo in Massachusetts and feel that the board of trustees is not following their fiduciary responsibilities. The treasurer resides out of state, and has all maintenance invoices sent to her monthly. She is, theref…
Q. Can a condominium association charge all unit owners the same fees? MGL Chapter 183A Sections 5(a) and 6(a)(1) seem to require the association to determine the percentage of undivided interest for each unit and to access fees in accord…
The 'big city' is known for its breakneck pace, as life whirls around the unprepared out-of-towner in an overwhelming swirl. Suburbia, on the other hand, is supposed to be a respite from that intense metropolitan grind – a place to patientl…
In a community association, it falls on the board to put out any fires that ignite among the property’s residents. But what happens when that blaze springs up between the board members themselves? Those who volunteer to serve on their com…
One of the most important factors in the decision to purchase a condominium or co-op is lifestyle. Many who live in residential communities, particularly those in single-family HOAs, choose community living over a single-family home for the…