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The Coming Kidnapping of Condominium Associations Let's be clear. Your computer, where you store your condominium association's records, or the association's computer system, will get hacked. Make no mistake about it. To pretend otherwise would be a mistake. For example, I guarantee almost all o...

Rental Programs “the rent here may be low but i believe we have it on very hard terms --sense & sensibility” ― Jane Austen Most of the columns that I have written over the past six years have been relevant to most condominium associations, such as the problems with ice dams, how to hire contrac...

Here it Comes - Winter Tips, Part II - Ice Dams Before the holidays I wrote a column about Winter Tips, primarily about what to insert into your association's snow removal contract, and promised more thoughts. So, let's talk about ice dams, one of very few phrases in condominium law with such a ...

Another Chance for Us to get it Right. If there were any time to reassess, it is after the problems of 2020, with evictions, joblessness, financial constraints, and the mothballing of visits to friends, neighbors, families, and restaurants. Those of us who are older used to think of Zoom as a PB...

Holiday Hopes, Happiness an (a bit of) Humor “It's all fun and games until Santa checks the naughty list.” It's been a rough time this year for many in the world and likely in your condo association. Some may have lost jobs, lost income, lost a friend or family member, or become sick themselves....

Here It Comes With the longer, darker days come the longer, darker moods of winter. Whether we love it, like it, endure it, or hate it, winter is coming. Oh sure, it starts out nice. The first snowfall for most brings a smile to the face as snow gently settles on the ground and brings back memor...

Meetings During the Pandemic and Other Reminders The second wave appears to be upon us. Now that summer has receded like the tide, people are returning to living and socializing inside and in close quarters, where all viruses have a greater chance of spreading. Without a vaccine, sufficient spa...

Bigger is not Always Better I was wrong. My bride of 27 years and my daughter of 16 years, both of whom I adore, would tell you that happens more often than not. They say they still love me despite my many mistakes, and I hope you will not think lesser of me for my error. Late last spring, I no...

Keeping your Money Safe “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.” ― Mahatma Gandhi Very few associations suffer the devastating effect of having someone (e.g. a board member, officer, or a manager) steal the Association's money. But it happens. One propert...

Freedom of Speech and Political Signs in Condominiums “If you're not going to insult someone, you don't need the First Amendment - Larry Flynt (Yes, that Larry Flynt.) Let me start with a clear, unequivocal statement. Owners in community associations, be they part of a condominium association o...

Saving for a Rainy Day - Part II Last time I explained the duty of boards of directors to fund reserves properly for long-term capital repairs like paving, roofing and siding. As simple as that sounds, and as simple to accomplish, it's surprising so many associations don't have a proper reserve ...

Saving for a Rainy Day - Part I "Save money, and money will save you.” Author unknown Every once in a while I get a question from a member of a board of directors asking if it is a requirement that a condominium association properly fund its reserve account. I pause. I remind myself what they ar...

“Oh, the Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!” - The Grinch I don't hate Christmas. Far from it. But the Grinch's comments would be applicable in almost all condominium associations. Someone, somewhere, at some time, in some condominium unit WILL contact its board of directors to complain about noise from...

To Tow or not to Tow - Part II If a member of your board of directors suggests towing, be careful. Occasionally, you have the board member who always wants to tow vehicles to “send a message.” I always wonder what message it sends in a community association if the Board is actively looking for v...

To Tow or not to Tow - Part I People do the darnedest things with cars. They park on the grass; they take the space or spaces of other Units; they take up three or four spaces when assigned two spaces; they fail to move for the plow. The list can be long. When these types of things occur, usua...

Some Light Thoughts “You do not lead by hitting people over the head -- that's assault, not leadership.” - Dwight Eisenhower It has been a bit of a bad time for many lately with the pandemic limiting activities for some and having much more extreme effects on other families in condos and elsewhe...

The Rainy Day is Coming As a Board you've come to the long dawning realization that you can't put off replacing the rot around windows, the failing roofs, the cracked and pothole filled parking lot and other needed repairs that have turned your once lovely association into something closer to a ...

It's Getting Worse It's getting worse, not better. And I don't mean Covid-19. I mean the interactions with owners. I get it. These are frustrating, scary, even dangerous, Covid-19 times. Either people know someone sick, worry about getting sick, are out of work, know someone who is, or if worki...

The Petri Dish that is a Condominium Association There is a movement afoot to open up condominiums. Open up the pool; open up the clubhouse; open up the workout room. Simply put, don't do it. Some around the country have claimed they will sue if they can't gain access to the pool/clubhouse/gym....

Pandemic Meetings at the Condo “If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be ‘meetings.'” ― Dave Barry Despite the nugget of truth in Mr. Barry's comment, the New Hampshire Condominium Act requ...

Coronavirus Condos This is not the best of times in the world right now. But it is not the end of the world, either, as my Mother wondered aloud to me. And there are many things condominium boards of directors can do to help its fellow owners and to mitigate. The virus knows no boundaries, of c...

Noise or Nuisance? “Oh, the Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!” - The Grinch It is the rare condominium association whose board of directors has not had some complaints about noise from a unit, either above, below, next door, outside or all of these. It could be the loud television at 1:00 a.m., ...

Defibs and Dogs A couple of things that aren't quite long enough for a column each, but important enough to ponder. Defibrilltors. Just when you think you've seen it all, something new comes along. Apparently, some over-55 associations around the nation have been having discussions about having...

Who's Robert And Why Does He Get to Make All The Rules- Part II A few weeks go I wrote about the difficulty of properly abiding by Roberts Rules of Order, probably in any meeting, but certainly in condominium association meetings. In response to the column, I received a number of comments, rangi...

Who's Robert And Why Does He Get to Make All The Rules- Part II Last time I wrote about the difficulty of properly abiding by Roberts Rules of Order, probably in any meeting, but certainly in condominium association meetings. In response to the column, I received a number of comments, ranging fr...