Freelance photographer Jocelyn A. lives in a charming, post-war brick townhouse community of over 1,600 units and a $3 million annual budget. She receives a monthly newsletter with over 20 pages of everything to keep residents i…
Read any of the major business publications or websites and you’re bound to find articles on the importance of delegating. It’s one of the most fundamental skills for a successful business owner to have. A simple Internet search finds sc…
While essential to the successful operation of all cooperatives or condominiums, governing documents are often only glossed over by otherwise well-intentioned board members, residents and property managers leading to potential pitfalls.…
Everybody sometimes disagrees with the decisions of the condo or HOA board. Maybe the choice to rearrange the garbage receptacles out front seems ridiculous, or the ongoing clattering of machinery on the roof is driving the top-floor r…
Anyone who’s clocked lots of hours at association meetings has a story or two about high passion and heated arguments—but a police detail at an annual meeting? “If someone’s just too disruptive,” reports Henry Goodman of the Dedham, Mass…
Most people assume that as soon as they buy their first home, they will finally have the freedom to paint their decks purple, to hang fluorescent window treatments and colorful sconces, or litter their lawns with political or yard sale…
Election season typically starts around Labor Day, when we start to be bombarded with reminders to cast our ballots to choose who we want to be in charge of our city, town, state and country. It ends on Election Day in November, when th…
Being elected to the board of a co-op or a condo comes with a great deal of power, and with that power also comes a great deal of responsibility. Whether they serve a co-op or condo community, trustees and board members, in their posit…
This past year, many condominium associations enjoyed a double dose of good fortune: a milder winter with less snow removal and salting, resulting in a little extra money left in the coffers by spring. The question then becomes: What t…
Fallout and repercussions from the unprecedented bust in the real estate and mortgage industries are still dogging condo associations all over the country. Within community associations, owners continue to default on both fees …