Not so long ago, trash was nothing more than “used up stuff” and there was little of it. Our grandparents made use of burn-barrels and bottle dumps in the back yard. But that was before packaging became a major business in and of itself…
The Pinehills in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is comprised of 3,000 condominiums, custom homes, townhomes, cottage homes and luxury rental apartments on 3,000 acres of land. It might sound like that’s a lot of building that can wreak havoc …
With the green movement in full swing across the country, it is not surprising that incorporating energy-saving efficient measures has trickled into condominium development and management. Today, many buildings in New England pride the…
Noise is a key quality-of-life problem for almost anyone living in a densely-packed urban environment. It’s the bane of many a condo-dweller’s existence, and over the years engineers, architects, and designers have tried any number of w…
Blizzards. Ice Storms. Hurricanes. New Englanders are used to being buffeted by Mother Nature. But increasingly, it seems, the impact of such storms has lingered long after the weather front blows through, with hundreds or thousands of…
In an online forum, Sharon complains about her upstairs neighbor and begs for advice. Her neighbor had installed a washing machine in her unit, even though there was one already downstairs for the residents of her six-unit building to …
I think there’s this mindset when they buy a condo that they’re not responsible for anything,” says Robert Masse of W.T. Phelan Insurance. As a quarter-century veteran of condo insurance, the Arlington, Massachusetts-based Masse has ofte…
Too often, association boards—and condo residents—discover serious coverage gaps in their insurance policies in the face of a claim. And often, the gap occurs when neither group wants to pay a high deductible. In recent years,…
When fraud is discovered in the context of community associations, or any non-profit, it usually takes shape as embezzlement over many years by a trusted member or employee. Insurance companies that defend non-profit clients from fraud…
As summer thunderstorms buffet condo properties throughout New England, less-than weather-tight windows, doors, and roofs may begin to make themselves known. And though condo boards never enjoy addressing the perennial problem of weath…