This publication spends a lot of time exploring and explaining the duties and purpose of multifamily boards—the benefits and drawbacks of serving on them, and even the difficulty that many buildings and communities have with motivating owne…
A community’s governing documents, including its bylaws and house rules, are like a country’s constitution and laws. They are–or at least they should be–‘living’ documents that, like our state and national laws and constitution, occasionall…
Each multifamily building or association establishes a set of rules and regulations that residents and their guests must follow to uphold a safe and harmonious community. Often these address pet, noise and odor regulations, trash disposal, …
‘Better to have and not need, than need and not have.’ This adage applies to umbrellas, insurance, and good attorneys. Condominiums, community associations, and co-op boards are volunteers, and rely on their legal counsel to navigate legal …
Everyone wants to be a good neighbor—at least that’s what we’d like to believe. But, living in spaces where many people share walls, halls, and common areas can (and unfortunately does) lead to occasional conflict. That’s the unintended bu…
When a condo or co-op resident runs for a seat on their board, the decision to do so generally comes from a desire to ‘step up’ and participate in the governance of the place they call home, and the building or association community as a wh…
Talk to anyone familiar with common-interest community governance anywhere in the country, and they will tell you the same thing: apathy is rampant among residents of co-ops, condos, and HOAs. Not only is it difficult to get owners and shar…
In multifamily residential communities, where neighbors share common space, amenities, and maintenance—if not actual walls—establishing and maintaining boundaries can be a bit tricky. Physical boundaries are often breached by things like …
In the world of single-family homes, property owners can do pretty much whatever they want when it comes to the look of their place. They can paint their house bright purple, for instance. Or display Christmas or Halloween decorations that …
Groucho Marx once famously said, “I wouldn’t belong to any club that would have me as a member.” Not so for many in the world of co-ops, condos, and HOAs. Shared communities often (if not usually) have an application process required for p…