Often, the best, most successful boards and communities share the same combination of habits and traits; all the while, the worst, most fleeting share the same, as well. Case in point: there isn’t tremendous mystery in what actions make ce…
Dealing with service vendors is a necessity for any condo development, as there are always going to be things that need to be repaired, replaced, serviced, cleaned or renovated. New England communities do not differ greatly from the …
Social media is the means of fostering a community digitally and sharing information among like-minded people. Or is it? Yes and no. For condo associations in New England, the trend seems to be websites, private groups, and web…
In densely-packed urban environments and sprawling suburban developments, people can often feel isolated despite living in close proximity to their neighbors. While high-rise residential buildings put many people and families literally on …
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…
Say you’re in bed, and you hear what sounds like the shower going. It’s late, and you’re tired, so you pay it no mind. You wake up at 4 a.m. to get a glass of water and find half the rooms in your apartment flooded— you forgot to turn the …
The experts who advise condo associations on insurance matters admit that the basic policies are pretty standardized and often seem to be all the same. Trustees may tend to gloss over the details and assume that anything important relative…