There’s probably not a condo, HOA or co-op board that doesn’t worry about money at some point or another, which is why staying on top of the latest money-saving opportunities is vital for any building or community to be successful. One of …
With video/audio conferencing available, I'm wondering if association meetings can be held via telephone conferencing. I'm wondering if there are any parameters for this, or if there are any legal restrictions. Where can I find the guidelin…
Q I just bought a townhome in southern Florida. I'm just waiting for all the paperwork to go through. In the meantime, I wonder what kind of homeowner's insurance I should consider to protect my new home. I've heard that part of the month…
The headline of a recent Walpole, Massachusetts newspaper article read: “Fight between Walpole selectmen cuts meeting short.” The first sentence of the article stated, “Selectmen came to verbal blows on Tuesday night, prompting other b…
Say you’re in bed, and you hear what sounds like the shower going. It's late, and you're tired, so you pay it no mind. You wake up at 4 a.m. to get a glass of water and find half the rooms in your apartment flooded— you forgot to turn the …
You can’t underestimate the value of insurance. In a simple analogy, operating a business—or the day-to-day business of a co-op or condo—without adequate insurance coverage is a lot like skydiving without a parachute. Needless to say, it’s…
When is a flood not a flood? That’s a serious question for Central and Western Florida’s residential communities. Even if they have flood insurance and aren’t located directly on the water, damage caused by heavy rains and backed-up sewers…
I reside in a 44 unit cooperative in Lighthouse Point, Florida. We have 15 docks that are common property owned by the cooperative. Our bylaws specifically state that they are property of the cooperative, cannot be sold and must be returned…
Q Our association recently hired a new management company. An announcement was sent to the homeowners announcing the change. A new board initiated this action with no input from homeowners and no discussion. I have specifically requested …
In an upscale lakeside community near Orlando, the pace of home sales unaccountably accelerated in 2009. At first, the new owners paid their assessments and fees. Then some of the homes were rented to subtenants, and others changed hands a…