Category: Association Operations

When it comes to residents’ safety within a condominium community, it’s the tragedies such as pool drownings, fires and floods that make headlines. But the real villains – measured by the number of actual accidents – are the subtle flaws…

In today’s high-tech world, security can look a lot like a sci-fi movie. Golf carts can be equipped with laser systems that will read license plates and check them against a computer list of approved vehicles. Elevators will only travel…

“Survive or thrive,” was the challengeissued to recession-weary exhibitors for the upcoming New England Condominium Expo. The throw-down came during “Expo University,” a recent day-long exhibitor workshop focused on getting the most retu…

Q I live in a top floor apartment of a condo building. There has been a leak from the roof for a few years. The condo has been trying to stop the source of the leak over that time period, but to no avail. They have now hired a roofer, w…

When it comes to the windows in your complex, like most people, you’re probably focused on energy conservation – keeping the air conditioning inside in the summer and the cold air outside in the winter. While you’re probably aware that not…

Saving money by going green sounds great, but who has that initial capital in these tough economic times? The average person can’t afford the luxury of buying solar panels or driving a hybrid car, however, there are many energy-saving cha…

These 12- to 15-pound birds were once migratory animals, but they lost that instinct when they were employed as live decoys by hunters. In the 1930s, live decoys were outlawed and the captive geese were turned loose, multiplying exponential…

Montpelier, Vermont is not a big place. In fact, residents proudly explain that it is the smallest capital city in the United States. They will also patiently point out that, although only a couple hours from French-speaking Quebec, the…

With the arrival of the snowfall season in New England, most community associations are hurriedly pulling out their snow blowers and double checking their plowing contracts. At a few condominiums, however, the arrival of winter is being gr…

A building is, in many ways, like a body.If its residents are the soul, then certainly the mechanical systems that keep it running are at its heart. And just as one cares for one’s body by eating right and exercising, so too must managemen…