Depending upon whom you ask, the uniformity of condominium exteriors seen in New England (and elsewhere) is a matter of developers playing it safe and/or saving money. Visitors to a condominium community expect to see a light, monochromati…
Turn on the evening news, and you’ll get a good idea of the main topic on the minds of community association professionals as calendars flip to a new year: It’s all about the money. Like it or not, financial considerations affe…
Two important shifts in U.S. demographics are playing a role in planning the future of condominium communities. First, the nation’s population, including that of New England, is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. Second, peo…
Being elected to the condo board inserts a divisive quality into one’s relationship with their neighbors. While still a unit owner, subject to the same rules, regulations and responsibilities, a board member has made a commitment to the…
In dayswhen amusement parks were focused on leisure rather than heart-stopping rides, features like halls of mirrors, fun houses and animated fortune tellers were standard fare. Drop a coin in the slot, and the mechanical prognosticator…
Decisions, decisions, decisions. Board members have to make them all the time, from how money should be spent on repairs to what contractors should be hired. Making decisions might seem easy, but deciding between two courses of…
Dear current board members and management team, As a newly seated board member I wanted to let you know that I am a little unclear as to what my role and specific responsibilities involve. Having never served on a condo board I …
Being on a committee is no easy task. In fact, it can be downright frustrating. A three-month commitment can stretch into six months; meetings can go on forever; committee members may drift off topic; and precious, limited time can be …
For most people, “foaming at the mouth” is just an expression. Attorney Ellen Hirsch de Haan has encountered the real thing – and not at an animal shelter, but at a condominium owners’ meeting. A former president who recently h…
It’s been a roller-coaster ride wild enough to churn even the sturdiest of stomachs: Unemployment is up, property values down, bankruptcies rising, sales dipping and then lurching upward again. For many community associations,…