Even before the pandemic and social unrest of the last few years, interpersonal conflict and even outright hostility were challenges that every board and manager in a co-op or condo would eventually have to deal with.  Whether the result o…

I am often asked by the board members and property managers of my condominium and community association clients to attend open board meetings. I enjoy attending open board meetings because they provide an opportunity to observe how these as…

While the goal of any HOA board meeting is to determine the rules, regulations and property updates that best serve the interests of all the residents of a community, these meetings are often viewed as boring, long winded, and sometimes div…

After two years of disruption, isolation, and loss, it appears that the pandemic is finally on the wane. And while the ultimate psychosocial and physical impact of the pandemic remains far-reaching and to a great extent unknown, everyone ha…

In early 2020, our firm was hired to prepare a reserve study for an unremarkable 136-unit, 12-story condominium in south Florida. It was the kind of association you could drive right by without noticing, not much different from all the othe…

In our current environment of steeply rising costs, it’s more important than ever to safeguard your reserves to ensure that your association has sufficient funds available for immediate and future capital projects. Unfortunately, many assoc…

Where there are people, there is detritus. It’s an age-old reality—so much so that even the remains of our ancient trash are often the basis upon which archeologists develop theories about vanished civilizations. While we can’t say what fut…

We hear about them all the time. Whole movies are made about them. Those nosey, controlling, downright hostile neighbors who can make your life miserable. Having  one down the hall or next door is bad enough—imagine what happens when they e…

Buying into a residential community like a co-op, condominium, or HOA can be a bit like selecting the political system you’d like to live under. Governance styles can range from an Athenian democracy where every member of the community is i…

With the focus on climate change and how to fight it constantly sharpening, residential communities are seeking ways to reduce their contribution to the problem, commonly known as their carbon footprint. Carbon reduction is necessary both t…