Ahhh, lawsuits. People suing people. Companies suing companies. People suing companies. Residents suing boards. A quick surf of the Internet and you can find many instances across the country where condo boards are sued. You can also find …
Flood” might as well be synonymous with “dread.” Or “mess.” Or “insurance hassle.” Think back to the devastating footage after Hurricane Sandy, and you may have a number of questions about flood zones and flood insurance. Knowing the…
It goes without saying that individuals and associations alike need to be properly covered by insurance; that’s just common sense. But the wide variety of choices can make obtaining that coverage a daunting process. To help boards and HOAs…
The headline of a recent Walpole, Massachusetts newspaper article reads: “Fight between Walpole selectmen cuts meeting short.” The first sentence of the article stated, “Selectmen came to verbal blows on Tuesday night, prompting other boar…
You may love your condo community. You may even love your neighbors and the members of your board of trustees. But there are few people who can say that they love their monthly board meetings or annual condo owner meetings. That’s because …
Q I recently bought a new unit in an HOA. I set up a fence in my backyard that management and the board says is too high, but the original developer’s original fences are as tall as the ones I installed. Most of the units still have this …
Having a disinterested, apathetic board is a problem in some buildings, though a board that oversteps the boundaries of its power or invades the privacy of residents also can cause hassles. But an informed board should be less apt to go be…
In an episode of the television classic, “Seinfeld,” George Costanza’s father (played by Jerry Stiller) invents “Festivus—for the rest of us” to mold all the holidays into one event. Attorney Frank Lombardi of the law firm of Goodman, Shap…
Property management, in the broadest of terms, is defined as the operation, control and oversight of real estate. Most property managers would agree that this particular definition is just a starting point. There are many facets to t…
In Bolton, Massachusetts, a condo resident owned a truck with commercial license plates and, when it wasn’t in use, he wanted to park it on the property. The previous board gave him approval to do so, but when it came time to produce proof…