While residents of condos, co-ops, and HOAs do their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by staying in their homes as much as they can, they rely on the supers, porters, valets, doorpeople, janitorial workers, handymen and -women, securi…
While the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic may have stopped much of our normal economic activity in its tracks, the gradual revival of business and commerce is inspiring some new thinking and new solutions for individual unit owners, …
Whether in a single-family home or an apartment building, every homeowner has experienced that moment: he or she turns on the kitchen light in the middle of the night to see a huge water bug scurry across the counter, or hear the sound of t…
Every municipality has its own schedule and criteria for exterior building inspections and upkeep - but in between official visits, boards, managers, and association staff can and should keep an eye out for some of the telltale signs of str…
Each year, boards are tasked with figuring out the costs associated with all aspects of their community’s operations, including any capital repairs or improvements they plan to undertake in the coming fiscal year, and then making sure the r…
By its very definition, insurance coverage is planned protection against both the expected and the unexpected. Life insurance clearly provides financial security in the event of death, which of course is an eventual certainty. But at the sa…
Whether you reside in, manage, or serve on the board of a co-op, condo, or HOA, examining your building’s energy efficiency from top to bottom, inside and out, will have enormous implications for individual and communal costs, energy conser…
Having an elevator to spare you from trudging up a dozen flights of steps is a valuable amenity - but what happens if you've only got one, and it needs a major repair, or even needs to be replaced entirely? How will upper-floor residents - …
Most board members aren't legal experts - they're volunteers whose concern for their community's well being inspires them to serve - so it's important to be aware of some common legal snares that can lead to both expensive litigation and ba…
It’s a question we’re asked all the time: "Can we use reserves to cover an operating fund shortfall?" Under normal circumstances, our standard response would be an emphatic “No!” -- because reserves are for major repair and replacement proj…