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Legislative Update - 2021 “There is no distinct American criminal class - except Congress.” - Mark Twain I could find no updates to the condominium act this past Legislative year, which ended on June 30. Some bills were introduced; none passed. However, I did find some other nuggets, not related...

The Misplaced Reservation About Reserves “Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” - Warren Buffett I have written in the past about the need for properly funded reserve accounts. But what happens if a board of directors doesn't properly fund the rese...

Mr. Busy and Peter Rabbit If you live or have lived in a condominium association, nothing gets the dander of owners to rise faster than fights over pets. Some love them; some hate them. Everyone has an opinion. And, of course, most pet complaints come as a result of dog ownership. They poop larg...

Waving the Flag If you want a symbolic gesture, don't burn the flag; wash it. - Norman Thomas Now that the July 4th holiday is behind us a bit, I thought it might be safer to wade into the issue of flag flying at condominium associations. Many owners believe they have the right to fly the Amer...

What's in a Family? Without a family, man, alone in the world, trembles with the cold. Andre Maurois One of the trends in condominium associations is an increase in the number of people living in units. Kids return after college or stay long after high school graduation; like the Brady Bun...

The Compassionate Community True terror is waking up one morning and discovering that your high school class is running the country. - Kurt Vonnegut The graying of America continues. The number of Americans who are over 65 creeps upward. Today that number is about 50 million. It is likely to exp...

Bringing Home the Bacon For years pets in condominiums have been a problem. Too many, too loud, too strange, and too many non-pet owners. But in addition to some inconsiderate owners, one of the primary problem is documents that note only “household pets” are allowed. Sounds so simple, and is ye...

Board Meetings Are Not For All “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 Regardless of how many units are in your association or how many members are on your board ...

Trials and Tribulations Not having been a philosophy major I've never quite figured out the answer to the question, “If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around, does it still create a sound?” I tend to think it does, just one that's not heard. (And who's to say other animals or even trees...

Problem in the Poconos Ahhhh the Poconos of Pennsylvania. The soft rustle of the pine trees on a warm spring night, the smell right after a summer thunderstorm, the soft, powerful, yet soothing sound of a waterfall cascading over timeworn rocks, and the serene lakes stocked with fish and swimmer...

A Better Way To Meet “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 Some of us are old enough to remember when Zoom was simply a kids show on PBS. Now? It's another nou...

Electronic Association Meetings Now and in the Future One of the problems the pandemic has created is how to hold Association meetings, annual or special. A current question in a number of associations is how to hold them when (1) there are state orders against large gatherings, (2) some people ...

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...