In the ongoing effort to limit the non-smoking public's exposure to second-hand  cigarette smoke, municipal governments across the country are coming up with  increasingly strict bans on smoking in public places—even on public streets and…

 You may be sitting at home on the couch scrolling through the TV listings—but rest assured that at that very moment, issues concerning your home are being  discussed in the legislative arena.    At any time, hundreds of thousands o…

Q 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 g…

Q If we purchase a unit (currently we are renting) for use by our building  engineer, are we no longer subject to paying property tax on that unit? We are  getting conflicting advice.    —Tax Exempt in Illinois   A “If a co…

 For seven years, Mira Calton and her husband, Dr. Jayson Calton, owned a  floating home, one of the 165 privately-owned residences on The World, a  644-foot yacht that continuously circumnavigates the globe. Owning a home on  the yacht, w…

 Call it the Ikea-fication of America. It seems that more and more people are  getting interested in design, especially when it comes to their own home. In  decades past, household furniture and decorations didn't vary a whole lot.  Growin…

 More and more, developers and boards are opting to “go green” when embarking on new construction projects or updating an existing property.  Innovations and upgrades include solar roofs, energy efficient lighting and  appliances that use …

 Back in the day when most of us were little kids, playgrounds largely consisted  of swing-sets, teeter-totters, some monkey bars, and maybe a metal slide or  two, along with the requisite basketball hoops and tetherball set-up.    …

Q What are the rules on doing outside alterations to my townhome? I would like to  update some paint and trim but do I have to go before the board to get  approval? It won't be anything distracting or flamboyant but I am not sure if I  ca…

Q My building took on a major project, and residents were assessed a significant  amount, about $20,000. After two years, the project was completed and came in  under budget. The board is now grappling with what to do with the surplus fun…