In multifamily residential communities, where neighbors share common space, amenities, and maintenance—if not actual walls—establishing and maintaining boundaries can be a bit tricky. Physical boundaries are often breached by things like …
Cooperative corporations and condo associations are collectives of shareholders and owners, respectively. Both are governed by a board, the members of which are typically elected by those same shareholders and owners. Immediately followin…
Shared residential communities such as condos, co-ops, and HOAs are modern examples of classic Athenian democracy: citizens governing themselves through active participation in governance. The key to that governance is the regularity of ele…
When seeking a place to call home, potential co-op and condo buyers are seeking a place of peace and quiet. No one wants to live in the midst of a tempest. And peace and quiet can be both literal and figurative, of course. The constant din …
Multifamily communities are governed by laws that range from local ordinances to federal housing statutes. Not only is there a long list of codes, deadlines, inspections, filings, and regulations to follow, but these important items and dat…
Striking a healthy balance between the governance and the management of a condo or co-op community can be a challenge. While it’s the board that governs, it’s management that executes…at least that’s how it’s supposed to be in theory. That …
Whether your community is a condo, HOA, or co-op, if you take on the responsibility of serving on the board, you also take on a portion of collective responsibility—and with the assumption of that responsibility comes a measure of liability…
Serving on the board of directors of a condo, co-op, or HOA can be a daunting undertaking, but there are numerous resources available to get new members up to speed and to inform seasoned members of the latest products, services, laws, and …
There are plenty of reasons why many condo, co-op, and HOA residents would rather cross the street than talk about serving on their board. Maybe it’s the time demand—or maybe they have concerns about liability. Maybe it’s good old-fashioned…
When the average American taxpayer (or tax-dodger, one supposes) hears the word “audit,” they’re likely struck with a feeling somewhere between annoyance and terror—usually because being audited means that something has been found amiss in …