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Board/Owner Relations
Board Resource Guide: Better Meetings = Better HOAs
Many association board members and shareholders alike come to dread the monthly board meeting or annual shareholders meeting - stories abound of meetings dragging on for hours, with participants feeling that they're trapped in a vortex of wasted time. Read More
Board Resource Guide: Being on a Board is a Thankless Task
Being a board member in an HOA or community association is a task rooted in civic pride and responsibility not unlike serving on the local school board or town meeting. Some become board members because they want to protect the investment they've made in their home by helping to oversee management of their community. Read More
Board Resource Guide: Co-op and Condo Board Etiquette
Serving the board of your co-op or condo can offer many benefits, but also bring many challenges. As board members also live among residents they serve, community issues are always present. It can turn into a 24/7 job that interferes with personal time, and when neighbors don't respect boundaries, being on the board can become more of a hassle than it's worth. Read More
Building Community Within HOAs
One irony of modern life is that being in close proximity to your neighbors doesn't necessarily make you closer to your neighbors. At best, people might know just a handful of neighbors in their community. Many of us lead hectic lives, and justify our lack of community involvement by saying we just have too little time. Time is an issue, no doubt about it, but there are good reasons to add a little involvement to your "to-do" list. Indeed, connecting and socializing with your neighbors can be much more useful than it appears. Read More
Board Resource Guide: How Are Board Members Trained?
Congratulations. You have been chosen to help lead your community on a small governing council that will determine the major policy decisions affecting everyone who lives in your community. From finances to rules enforcement to selection of personnel and services, your voice will be a major factor in the way things are done. Although an unpaid office, being on the board of a community association can be a position of esteem, responsibility and leadership. Are you ready for this? Read More
Announcing the New Jersey Cooperator's Premier Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo
For most people, after a long winter, warm weather cannot come soon enough. But, if you are a trustee in a community association or a property manager, spring means more than barbecues and patio furniture—it means tough decisions and expensive building repairs. Fortunately for New Jersey trustees, there's an event that can make those tough decisions a little easier on you and your wallet. On Wednesday, May 14, The New Jersey Cooperator is holding its premier Annual Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo, an event that offers valuable information and services to the condominium, townhouse and HOA communities. Read More
New Jersey Admissions Policies
In New York, co-op boards typically reserve the right to approve or reject prospective purchasers. They ask for extensive financial background data such as tax returns and bank statements, as well as personal, professional, and prior landlord references. Generally a prospective purchaser will also have to attend an in-person interview with the board, who will then determine whether the building will allow the sale to the candidate. Interestingly, while co-ops are not allowed to discriminate against an applicant illegally, the law does not require them to give the reason for their rejection if they opt to throw out an application. Read More
Dealing with an Unresponsive Board
Requests that go unanswered, records that cannot be found, meetings that happen behind closed doors, an opaque veil of non-communication. Unresponsive boards are the bane of HOA members—they seem to operate behind an iron curtain of inaccessibility, and over time their behavior and policies can lead to both shareholder apathy and eventual resentment. Shortcomings like these can make a board seem like it is not serving the needs of the unit owners, whether the issue is a matter of bad policy or just a difference of opinion. Read More
Rules of the House
Every condo and co-op community has rules and regulations by which residents and their guests must abide. For the most part, these rules are pretty straightforward: no smoking in common areas, no pets, no skateboarding in the courtyard, and so forth. Sometimes, however, the board of a homeowners association will try to implement a rule that is either unenforceable or oversteps its powers—or a board may try to level penalties against rule-breakers that are either unrealistic or legally unsound. Read More
Dealing with Difficult Residents
As a member of board, you've volunteered your
time to serve your building or homeowner's association with the best
interest of your community in mind. But as every board member knows, even
with the best of intentions, your board may face opposition from your
fellow shareholders or homeowners—some legitimate, some decidedly
less so. So knowing how to work with non-board members and how to handle
conflict within your association are essential elements in building and
maintaining a strong community. Read More
