Is condominium living everything you hoped it would be? Do your board meetings run smoothly, without disruption and dissent? Are your bylaws and rules being followed, or are residents ignoring them? Condominiums have become increasin…
Local real estate professionals contend that the market for condominiums is on a slow and, generally steady, uptick all over New England, but the place to sell a condo right now is definitely Boston, with an inventory that cannot meet dema…
Q In this day and age, must notices of rule violations be sent by certified mail? Can they be sent via priority/tracking mail? Can they be sent by email? Must complaints by others to a rules committee always be placed on standardized form…
While keeping the records of the association is not the most fascinating part of serving on a board of trustees, it is in some ways the most important. In fact, the flow of paperwork is the lifeblood of the community. The association…
In the increasingly-paperless world of modern banking, there are fewer hands writing checks and processing transactions. With no need to physically deal with cash and checks, this should mean fewer mistakes — and better security. Does this…
One gated community in Sanford, Florida was struggling with security issues. In a one-year time period, from January 1, 2011 through February 26, 2012, police were called to The Retreat at Twin Lakes more than 400 times. Reports show that …
Q My condo association has a bylaw that limits the size and number of pets. About a year ago, a person moved in with a large puppy that has grown to be a very large dog. I reported it to the management and they did some investigating—then…
If you’re on a board in a New England condo or HOA, now is the time that you should be talking about making any of the major improvements that you’ve discussed or considered over the past few years. Even if you have a plan in place to do a…
In an episode of the television classic, “Seinfeld,” George Costanza’s father (played by Jerry Stiller) invents “Festivus—for the rest of us” to mold all the holidays into one event. Attorney Frank Lombardi of the law firm of Goodman, Shap…
Notice of Violation and Fines Q We send violation notices and the owners just throw it in the trash. We would prefer to threaten fines rather than legal proceedings. Specifically, on issues such as leasing units without board approv…