Since 2000, New Jersey has experienced five federally declared disasters due to flooding. Hurricane Ivan crashed ashore in July 2004 and quickly became a category five hurricane. New Jersey residents were hit with intense rains, causin…
As annual and quarterly budgets come up for review, HOAs across the state are looking to cut costs anywhere and everywhere they can. But how much more “fat” can be trimmed from budgets that already look stripped to the bone? Happily, th…
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…
When owners move into an HOA or condo development, most have a basic idea of who’s responsible for repairs and maintenance in their unit, and who’s responsible for the common areas—even if they don’t bother to read the governing documents…
The economic crisis has affected many individuals, businesses and markets—the real estate and job markets, to name just two particularly nasty examples. Until now, one of the few industries that didn’t seem as deeply impacted was the ins…
Few amenities are as valued and beloved by residents as a private homeowners association’s swimming pool. But pools probably represent the single biggest insurance liability and maintenance expense for associations that have them. …
It sounds like an urban legend—something that supposedly happened to your cousin’s friend’s cousin. A little girl was at a barbecue party at a friend’s house, frolicking in the pool with friends. She swam to the drain at the bottom of th…
Workers’ compensation is insurance that provides cash benefits and/or medical care for workers who are injured or become ill as a direct result of their job. Employers—and, in the case of some co-op and condo boards, corporations th…
All parents crave space for their kids, a place for them to play and romp and run. That’s why more and more families are intent on finding condo communities that offer something for the whole family, from playgrounds to swimming pools to…