Q Can a condo board legally prohibit any political activity by its residents? Most condo documents say that “the association shall not engage in any political activity.” The board usually interprets it to mean that there shall be no p…
The concept of "condominium living" has changed quite a bit since the term was first coined a generation ago. Since the 1960s and ‘70s, when condominium home ownership became a widely available, viable alternative to single-fa…
Lobbies, corridors and common areas are the public face an HOA or condo community shows to the world. Shabby, threadbare, or painfully dated common areas can hurt overall property values and send the wrong message about how a community…
Tennis courts, event spaces and private swimming pools are practically standard issue when it comes to suburban homeowners associations and condominium communities. While the residents who enjoy these amenities as part of their ownersh…
In addition to depressing home prices, the current housing crisis has put a tremendous strain on the sixty million Americans who live in shared ownership communities (SOC) such as condominiums, co-ops and HOAs. While these shared owner…
As today’s cash-strapped homeowners forego vacations in favor of sticking closer to home (the so-called "staycation") the idea of creating a relaxing, secluded getaway outside their back door is gaining popularity. Even in a spacious HO…
One of the most important things to understand as a member of a condo or HOA is how responsibility for maintaining and repairing various building systems is divided between individual unit owners and the association at large. …
Many directors serving on the boards of co-op corporations and condominium communities assume that once they have secured the appropriate coverage for their properties, their problems are largely over. Unfortunately, problems in the in…
Consider the (fictional) couple, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. They love their co-op apartment in a comfortable, convenient neighborhood in Hoboken, and have lived there for the last seven years, moving in when Mr. Smith took an editing job with…
Q “Our 200-unit condo association has seven delinquencies. Six of these cases have been delinquent for over a year. Liens are in place, and all are in the hands of our attorney for collection. Most are mortgaged past fair market value…