Trees and other green landscaping elements are some of your association's most valuable assets. In addition to providing all-important curb appeal, trees and shrubs provide privacy, act as windscreens, and prevent soil erosion. Taking …
Category: Owner Relations
2010 Feb
Renters in Condos
The current recession has impacted New Jersey's condo and HOA communities in many profound ways. Boards and managers have been forced to address the challenge posed by multiple units in arrears, bank foreclosures, and projects put on i…
2010 Feb
Board Elections
Every condo development and HOA has a board of directors in charge of governing the community’s finances, physical maintenance and other day-to-day business. The board is not just a group that runs the association, however—it is also a …
2010 Feb
Where the Dollars are
Few things can be as upsetting as discovering that the funds that fuel a building or association have been mishandled—or worse yet, stolen. For residents, fraud undermines their sense of trust in the men and women who oversee and manage…
2010 Feb
Board Members and Privacy
As the leaders of their community and guardians of their residents' investment and quality of life, HOA board members have a lot of responsibility, and access to a great deal of personal—sometimes sensitive—information about their neighbo…
2010 Feb
Civilian Again
For board members, the time spent serving their association and fellow residents can be among the most strenuous yet rewarding periods in their lives. For years, they make decisions that affect their community in the present and may co…
2010 Feb
Anger Management
For most people, “foaming at the mouth” is just a figure of speech. Attorney Ellen Hirsch de Haan, a managing partner in the Tampa Bay, Florida office of Becker & Poliakoff PA, has encountered the real thing—and not at an animal shelter,…
2009 Feb
A Look at Enforcing House Rules
It’s a time-worn pattern that plays out in workplaces, classrooms, and residential buildings everywhere: rules are set, and enforced strictly for awhile. Over time however, enforcement wanes a little—the rules are bent, then broken. Even…
2009 Feb
Top Complaints of Board Members and Residents
Even in the most well-run, harmonious building or association, problems occasionally arise. Sometimes it’s a truculent resident who seems determined to alienate and annoy everybody within a half-mile radius, sometimes it’s a managing ag…
2009 Feb
Bringing in a New Board
When it comes to running a building or community association, all board members are not created equal—at least not when it comes to administrative ability and skill. Some bring experience in construction or backgrounds in law, finance, …