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…
Budgets and financial reports provide a crystal-clear picture of how the association is doing. From an investment perspective, they show how unit owners, managers, tenants, building owners, board of trustees, etc., whether the property…
Looking at the balance in an association’s reserve account, a homeowner could easily feel complacent. After all, a quarter-million dollars is a lot of money. Maybe—or maybe not. If the condominium comprises 200 units, is nearin…
Think about this: Nearly two million American workers report having been victims of workplace violence each year and, in the United States, fraud committed by employees costs companies approximately $20 billion annually. Workplace theft…