2017 October
Focus on... Board Operations

Board Operations Problem Boards
2017 October Problem Boards

A condominium, cooperative, or homeowners’ association elects a board for a specific purpose: to manage the community’s day-to-day business, oversee special projects, and draft and uphold the rules and regulations that keep life orderly and…

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Board Operations Board Transparency
2017 October Board Transparency

Community living—the very basis of co-op, condo and HOA life—is based on the idea of trust. In a community of potentially hundreds or thousands of residents, every resident can’t be involved in the making of every decision. Too many cooks c…

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Board Operations Supporting Your Staff
2017 October Supporting Your Staff

Most people go about their days paying little attention to the labor performed by those who make their lives easier. From transit workers to service employees to government officials, how often does one stop to thank the people making every…

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Board Operations The Roles of Building Staff
2017 October The Roles of Building Staff

Supers, building managers, maintenance persons, custodial staff, groundskeeping personnel, porters, doormen, concierges—depending on the size of a community, the staff roster for a condo, co-op, or HOA can be pretty long. The truth is, in t…

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Finance Appropriate Use of Common Funds
2017 October Appropriate Use of Common Funds

Here’s a scenario:  It’s mid-December.  The board has assembled for their last meeting of the year.  The managing agent brings great news: due to several unforeseen factors, including the past year’s mild winter and savings resulting from c…

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Law & Legislation New Election  Requirements
2017 October New Election Requirements

A push for fair and democratic board elections in New Jersey got a major boost this past July when Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation that would codify a fair process for electing board members. The passage of the law also signals to al…

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Q&A Q&A: First-Floor Condo Built on Pads
2017 October Q&A: First-Floor Condo Built on Pads

Q. As a condo board member for 15 years, we recently had an issue with a recently deceased owner’s family who pulled up the carpeting in the late owner’s ground-floor unit and  found termites (which we are addressing), and cracks in the c…

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Q&A Q&A: Being on Two Boards
2017 October Q&A: Being on Two Boards

Q. Can a board member who has served on one board for many years serve on another board that is in the same HOA association?  I don’t want to cause a problem with this member, but it does mean they would be casting votes on two associatio…

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Q&A Q&A: Abusing Pool Member Privileges
2017 October Q&A: Abusing Pool Member Privileges

Q. Can a condo board suddenly decide to sell pool memberships to friends of owners and friends of boat owners? We have a marina with a liberal guest policy, but selling memberships to outside people is not beneficial to owners. Is it lega…

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