2012 June
Focus on... Law & Legislation

Fourth New England Condo Expo
2012 June Fourth New England Condo Expo

 New England Condominium’s Condo Expo was the place to be on May 22, as thousands of community  association board members, homeowners and industry professionals gathered at  Boston’s Seaport World Trade Center to meet vendors, get free adv…

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Law & Legislation 2012 Legislative Roundup
2012 June 2012 Legislative Roundup

Legislative activity in regards to condominium law varies widely among the six New England states this year, although a few common themes are evident. The concept of state licensing, with standards for property managers seems to be gai…

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Law & Legislation Suit Happens
2012 June Suit Happens

Imagine your own family, if you will—each person with his or her unique personality, attitude, experience and background. It’s inevitable that occasionally you might clash with sister Susie, brother Bob or even an uncle or an aunt. In a…

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Law & Legislation Not A Laughing Matter
2012 June Not A Laughing Matter

 A recent Massachusetts condo dispute over the proper disposal of pet waste is  the latest high-profile example of frivolous condo litigation—a long-running and costly problem for many HOAs. The incident eventually  escalated to the point …

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Real Estate Trends The Debate Rages On
2012 June The Debate Rages On

 Concern over health and an evolving legal landscape has prompted a number of  condo and co-op boards in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, as well as communities  across New England to ban cigarette smoking in individual smoking units. This  …

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Management Hiring Good Help
2012 June Hiring Good Help

 Think about this: Nearly two million American workers report having been victims  of workplace violence each year and, in the United States, fraud committed by  employees costs companies approximately $20 billion annually. Workplace theft…

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Real Estate Trends Something Old into Something New...
2012 June Something Old into Something New...

 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 136 million tons  of construction and demolition waste was generated in 1996. That's the last  time these figures were made available, and the numbers have almost certainly  ri…

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Q&A: Eligible Board and Voting Rights
2012 June Q&A: Eligible Board and Voting Rights

Q My question is about being elected to the board of a condo association in  Quincy, MA. We have a building management company hired by our board. Can the  management company executive be elected to the board? And does this executive  hav…

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Q&A: Amending Our Bylaws and Board
2012 June Q&A: Amending Our Bylaws and Board

Q Our board used to be nine members in the beginning but we made an amendment to reduce the size to seven members. Now we want to increase it to nine again because seven is not enough. Do we have to make another amendment? —A…

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