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Election Fraud Every condominium association is required to have an Annual Meeting, hence the name. Not infrequently, I receive a call from someone who says their Association has not had a meeting in years, a warning sign of irregularities at the Association. Eery Board is required to set a date...

Open Carry at the Condo “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” Unites States Constitution, Second Amendment. The Constitution is, of course, federal law, so one might think an outright pr...

'Twas the Night Before Christmas … Condo Version This Column was originally printed a few days before Christmas in 2016, but it never hurts to say Thank You to your management company. Too often Associations think not enough about the work done behind the scenes either by Board members or, more...

Holidays at the Condo Summer is distant memory; fall is slowly fading like the color on the leaves; winter is coming and the Holidays with them, a situation that brings a certain set of issues not usually thought of at condominium associations. It is not unusual for associations to decorate the ...

Whose the Owner? Look around the room during the next Association meeting and ask yourself how much you know about the people that are in the room of “Owners.” How do you actually know that anyone in that room is an Owner? Because they vote? Because they say they are? Because they are married t...

The Sky's the Limit Drones, which are also called “unmanned aerial vehicles” (or “UAVs”) or “unmanned aircraft systems” (or “UASs”), are basically model airplanes built with state-of-the-art technology.  Both airplane and helicopter type drones exist, and some larger drones have eight or more spi...

The 2016 Elections “It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.” - Joseph Stalin It is election time. No, not the national one, the one that matters - the one at your Condominium Associat...

Maintain the Maintenance “Dinosaur Documents.” I love that title, but the credit is not mine. Rather, I found it in the materials provided by an Attorney who gave a speech on this subject at the Community Association Institute conference in New Orleans last January.1 What follows is a mix of the...

Condo World Cash is Green “There's no sadder sight than a young pessimist.” Mark Twain Politics aside, there is a movement afoot to make Condo World a bit more environmentally friendly. This movement can be considered perfect for condominium associations as it can address the concerns and ...

Dinosaur Documents “Dinosaur Documents.” I love that title, but the credit is not mine. Rather, I found it in the materials provided by an Attorney who gave a speech on this subject at the Community Association Institute conference in New Orleans last January.1 What follows is a mix of the infor...

Legislative Update - Part II “We may not imagine how our lives could be more frustrating and complex, but Congress can.” - Cullen Hightower For those who missed, or fell asleep before finishing, the last column, this one is Part II of legislative changes to the Condominium Act that went into ef...

Legislative Update - Part I 'I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts'.  Will Rogers After a near two year process, the New Hampshire Legislature agreed on a bill which Governor Hassan signed on June 24, 2016, making it a law effective August 1, 2016. As with most pi...

The Problem with Insurance Claims “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” – Latin proverb dating back to the 13th century, probably written by the world's first insurance agent. Condominium associations are communities. What is good for one is to be good for all. Assessments are generally...

Kids, Condos and Pools “Kids are the future, just not always the future we envision.” - Me. “Condominium” is not an old Latin word for “quiet” or “kids free.” Unfortunately, too many associations think this is the correct translation. So they make rules that directly or indirectly bar children ...

Condominium Contractors - The Great Quest Frequently condominium association members have little to no experience in such routine work around associations such as landscaping, wood rot repair, brick re-pointing, painting, roofing, plumbing and electrical work. What to do? Hire a contractor. But...

The Financial Hole of Associations "I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I buy something." — Jackie Mason The comedian Jackie Mason could have been talking about life in a condominium association. It is not unusual during spring for one or more members of a condominium as...

SPRING THINGS A couple of thoughts for spring that are worth of mentioning, but can be addressed in less than a column. Critters I was recently walking around the property of an Association with some Board members. They are good people. Like most Boards they want and try to balance the needs of...

High Times at the Condo Association It's almost spring. That means it's almost time to be sitting outside on your deck, having a drink with friends, laughing, looking up at the stars, breathing deeply the fresh clean air … and hacking because a neighbor is smoking. Now, truth be told, I love a g...

THE STORY OF MOLD The very word makes some shiver, others cringe, and make condominium Boards fret about ruining the maintenance budget. However, Boards should not overreact. Mold has been around long before condominiums existed and even before humans. We evolved with it; it hasn't killed us yet...

A Touchy Subject As I have noted in previous columns, condominium boards have the sole duty of maintaining and increasing the value of the Units. This includes setting a budget that makes the Common Area look nice; has sufficient funds to address maintenance issues such as wood rot; and has a pro...

The Numbers Game It will be spring soon. Grass will grow, windows will open, we will step outside and breath in the air deeply, and we will greet the sun by turning our faces upwards and allowing its rays to warm our faces and souls after yet another New England Winter. And taxes will be due. E...

Windows (and Doors) of Opportunity “People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” Rogers Hornsby. As established by the Condominium Act, Unit doors and windows are a Unit Owner's responsibility. But frequently th...

Condo World The Ice Dam Cometh After the gifts are opened, the food has been cooked and savored, and, the relatives have left, or you've left them, for better or worse it's time to get ready for winter. Sadly, in Condo World, one of the major concerns of homeowners in condominium associations th...

It's an Annual Thing It's near the end of the year. In most condominium associations, that means it's time for the Annual Meeting. Annual Meetings are important because despite what many believe, the only time an Owner is entitled to appear is at an Association Meeting, not a Board meeting, and ...

Rentals at the Condo (Part Two) Or, how to bring possible chaos, calamity and concern to your Association. “An empty house is better than a bad tenant.” - Irish Proverb One of the latest movements in landlord/tenant relationships is the rise in the use of a home, including a condominium, for th...