Baseball legend Yogi Berra once said, “You’ve got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going because you might not get there.” He might not have said it perfectly, but dear old Yogi had the right idea. Without knowing where y…
There are two ways, and only two ways, to balance a budget: increase revenue or decrease spending. Whether you’re the treasurer of a co-op board or the President of the United States, those are the only two levers at your disposal. Energy …
Charging for Photocopies Q Our Declaration of Trust states that the books, accounts and records of the trustees shall be open to inspection by one or more of the trustees and the unit owners at all reasonable times. Since the…
Branford, a shoreline town located on Long Island Sound in New Haven County, has the best of both worlds, proximity to the ocean and the mountainous ridges of Central Connecticut. Once renowned as a summer resort community where the we…
Freelance photographer Jocelyn A. lives in a charming, post-war brick townhouse community of over 1,600 units and a $3 million annual budget. She receives a monthly newsletter with over 20 pages of everything to keep residents i…
Surprise. Surprise. The major storm events we’ve experienced in New England may give condo owners and trustees a very good reason to look at the insurance coverage for all of their association properties. While protection for major inci…
All professional contractors and service providers are required by law to carry insurance to cover their activities. Any condo building should also carry its own insurance to cover accidents or other incidents on the property—this could…
When you decide to run for a board, you’re usually thinking about all the great changes you’re going to make to your building community, along with all the time and effort that you’re prepared to sacrifice for the good of your home. …
Q I am the secretary of a recently formed condo association board in a mid-sized building. Due to circumstances I'm sure are common, what money we have is barely sufficient to manage the status quo, including contributions to the reser…
It’s a sad fact that the artisans and craftspeople who created some of the most beautiful, distinctive interior and exterior architectural elements for residential buildings are an endangered species. The proliferation of sleek, glass-…