2013 July
Focus on... Budget & Finance

Finance Stronger Than the Storm
2013 July Stronger Than the Storm

 The feel of the sand and the sun; the smell of sunscreen, and the view from the  boardwalk carry a huge importance for New Jerseyans and the Garden State's  economy. Last year's Superstorm Sandy almost completely destroyed many of the  se…

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Finance Watch Your Language
2013 July Watch Your Language

 The vast majority of both one-time projects and long-term service contracts  involving vendors and service providers and their condominium or HOA clients go  smoothly and either conclude or continue without incident. However, a small  per…

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Finance Coping With Arrears
2013 July Coping With Arrears

 The foundation of any properly run condo association or co-op building rests on  residents paying their monthly maintenance fees on time and in full, with no  delays or delinquencies. However, thanks to the lingering effects of the ebbing…

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Finance Follow the Money
2013 July Follow the Money

 If you want to find out about the history of a town, region or country, head to  a museum or look it up on the Internet. If you want to find out about your  family’s history, look at your photo album, whether it’s in a book or online. And…

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Management Crowd Control
2013 July Crowd Control

 Out of nowhere, someone is regularly using the parking space you have had for  years. And strangers are appearing regularly in your building’s hallways, though you’re not sure where they belong or if they should even be there. Strangely, …

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Board Operations It Just Takes a Minute
2013 July It Just Takes a Minute

 While a lot of the day-to-day business of running a condo building or HOA  happens in the management office or on-site at the level of maintenance and  staff management, meetings—board-only and resident alike—are the forum where important…

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Board Operations The Importance of Being Transparent
2013 July The Importance of Being Transparent

 A key to success and functionality in any relationship is clear, consistent  communication. In a residential community, part of achieving functionality is  managing the information in the governing documents and records which detail  the …

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Design Making New Things Old
2013 July Making New Things Old

 It's a sad fact that the artisans and craftspeople who created some of the most  beautiful, distinctive interior and exterior architectural elements for the  tri-state area's residential buildings are an endangered species. The  prolifera…

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Q&A Q&A: Imposing Term Limits
2013 July Q&A: Imposing Term Limits

Q I am the president of a condominium association in Trenton. One of the board  members suggested we put a term limit on board members. Currently we do not  have such a provision in our bylaws. How would be go about making an amendment?  …

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Q&A Q&A: Builder Acts as a Financier
2013 July Q&A: Builder Acts as a Financier

Q We live in a condominium that has a builder-controlled board. In the past, when we had a deficit, the builder covered it so we were able to  start the year without a deficit. When we had a surplus, the builder was given credit for the s…

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