Everyone knows the old phrase about April showers bringing May flowers, but what the saying doesn’t tell you is that the rain in April can also bring a lot of damage to your gutter system. Hard rain and blustery wind are always around o…
When a condo’s fencing, decking or siding wear out and need replacement, smart condos are looking well beyond “apple-for-apple” replacement materials. Wood siding, a favorite for decades, is frequently being replaced by vinyl …
When the days finally lengthen and the mornings lose that bitter chill, it’s time to assess the damage wrought by another New England winter. For the board members and the property manager of a community association, that wintertime dam…
Virtually unheard of for decades, bedbugs are now making a fierce comeback around the country, including New England. “The problem is astronomical. Every phone call is about bedbugs,” says Galvin Murphy, president of Yankee Pest Control …
Good information and clear communication are crucial for anyone involved with the administration of a condominium or homeowners association—crucial not just to thriving, but surviving in today’s challenging economic times. Finding that i…
Q A resident needs to have a chair rail installed so she can access her second floor apartment in our condo building, built in the 1950s. Who pays for the chair rail and the installation, the resident or the condo association? — …
Q A few years back, the prior board passed a motion to charge all future unit owners with dogs a $50 fee per month because of an existing dog that would occasionally defecate in the building. There was no analysis conducted to determin…
Ah, the return of spring and our feathered friends who make this season so special! Time to break out another bag of seed and fill up the bird feeder as the year-round bird population is joined by the returning migrants. Or is it? If y…
Everyone agrees that condominiums need to be painted regularly. But ask what color should be used, and you could get as many answers as there are people living in the building. Aesthetic continuity can be extremely important to…
Spring beckons, with the promise of all those blossoms bursting with color from early flowering bulbs. If only it were that simple. Spring beckons, all too often, with fungus on the lawns, desiccated yews, branches dangling fro…