A decade ago, I was elected onto the board of a condo of a fairly young building that was plagued with assessments, lawsuits, and other issues. A previous board member—happy to pass on the troubled torch—came over to hand me a binder as pa…
It’s an all-too-common habit among many condo and HOA board members: assuming that their treasurer or property manager is keeping a close eye on their community’s financial information, they don’t bother familiarizing themselves with their …
The data is in: striking a balance between our personal and professional lives is a key component of happiness and general wellbeing. But how does one do that when one’s job is potentially a 24/7 situation? Take multifamily residential man…
The property management industry and profession have always been dynamic and evolving. Technology has been a key force behind these changes, but shifts in societal dynamics—both complicated and accelerated by the pandemic—changing expectati…
In cities across the country where tall buildings are the norm, Departments of Buildings require façades to be inspected at regular intervals for structural and material soundness. But as with many such regulations, there can be significant…
Glass façades are for many the epitome of contemporary urban architecture and design. Sleek, clean, and modern, they give the impression of an Emerald City of the future, rising above the bricks and mortar of yesterday’s Gotham. Yet with th…
As members of co-op corporations and condominium associations, we often hear the term fiduciary duty bandied about. But what does it really mean to be a fiduciary? Stated simply, the term ‘fiduciary’ means trust. When a person managing the …
CooperatorEvents is thrilled to be back at Navy Pier in Chicago on Thursday, October 17 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for this fall’s Chicagoland Expo, and we think you will be too. If you’ve joined us for previous shows, you know there’s just …
Over the past few years, operating expenses for everything from fuel to labor to the cost of cleaning supplies have been steadily rising —and disrupting co-op and condo association budgets—all over the country. The premiums for properly ins…
Unit owners, board members, and even property managers are often confused about their responsibilities regarding damage inside and outside individual units. This confusion arises for several reasons, primarily because a building’s bylaws us…