Ideally, building or HOA boards and their managing agents or property managers work as a team, collaborating to carry out the administrative duties and make the decisions that keep their communities running from day to day. Management cont…
Many if not most boards of trustees get along famously. There are boards that have had the same members for decades and run their communities without a hitch. But sometimes boards don’t get along so well. We frequently get calls from…
Speak to any volunteer-run organization, whether it is a town board, the soccer association, a church’s childcare program or the school PTO, and the same complaint resounds: “We don’t have enough people stepping up to serve.” Condominium h…
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you: It’s the golden rule taught to children, but it bears repeating for adults considering board positions with condominium associations. Anyone in a board position is bound by fiduciary…
Q In 2008, the board of trustees of my building took out a loan to fix the roof after a hurricane. It is my understanding that it was a 5-year loan with a balloon and they had to refinance it in 2013 and the loan now is extended to 2017. …
Pests are a part of life. Wherever there are people, vermin of one kind or another are sure to follow. This is particularly true in urban environments like Boston, Providence and New Haven, where rodent and roach sightings come with the te…
While natural disasters causing catastrophic property damages are on the rise, associations also have to be prepared for other unexpected pitfalls such as a roof repair and replacement project or the installation of a new heating and cooli…
Saving energy: it’s good for the environment and it’s good for your wallet. Researching your options can be overwhelming, though, because there’s a lot of information out there on clean energy, incentives, and paybacks. Where’s a con…
In a residential community, the rules are the rules—unless they are faulty, not in compliance with the law, or simply not enforced. When a developer creates a multi-family community, he usually isn’t overly concerned with how that communit…
Recycling has become an entrenched part of solid waste management for communities everywhere, and condo managers report that, in general, unit owners have been steadily moving into compliance. Often though, it’s difficult to find a t…