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…
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has drastically changed premises liability law in the Commonwealth with the issuance of its July 26, 2010 decision in the case of Papadopoulos v. Target Corporation. The Papadopoulos de…
For many condominiums, roofing systems, siding and pavement represent their largest overall replacement burdens. Because these types of projects often require an association to either exhaust a large chunk of its existing reserves, or re…
As buildings age, small and large maintenance issues arise, and condo boards are called upon to address these situations. The questions frequently revolve around whether to use in-house staff (if the condo employs them) or to hire an o…
Years ago, the only remedy for uneven sidewalks or foundations was what pros in the business call “rip out and replace,” which means tearing out the old pavement slab and pouring a new one – and spending a lot of time and money doing it.…
Edgar Dworsky is the treasurer of a small Somerville, Massachusetts condo complex that was built back in 1987. He loves where he lives except for one, quite large, problem. Water leaks have plagued the complex since it was built. Durin…
Even cavemen knew that fire was dangerous. But, ironically, we have 21st-century people blithely building fires right in the middle of their furnished, wood-filled, carpeted, upholstered and bookcase-jammed condominiums. And they want s…