There’s an old adage that goes along the lines of, “You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your relatives.” That’s true of the people you serve with on your co-op or condo board. Board politics, like all politics, can get uncomfortab…
A democracy fares best when it is proportionally representative of its constituents. For all intents and purposes, the board of a condominium, cooperative, or homeowners’ association is a democratically-elected entity, and as such, one coul…
The key to any healthy relationship is good communication. That holds especially true for the sometimes-delicate dialogues that take place among residents, shareholders, board members, and managers in co-ops and condos of all sizes and conf…
Changing management companies can be a complex process -- but it doesn't have to be an ordeal. By making sure that your community's important documents and information are transferred from the outgoing firm to the incoming one in a timely, …
Living in and running a co-op or condo can be stressful. And it's understandable that both the board of an association and those to whom it serves can find themselves overwhelmed, not only with vital information pertaining to their day-to…
For many reasons, common-interest communities such as co-ops, condominiums, and HOAs prefer that the people living in the community’s units be the actual owners of those units – rather than renters, or subtenants, or relatives of the owners…
One of the most difficult issues for board members and residents of co-ops, condominiums, and HOAs is that of arrearages. The problem poses practical, procedural and ethical issues, and can ultimately lead to legal repercussions. There are …
Regardless of whether you live in a large co-op community with hundreds of units, a small self-managed co-op with a dozen, or a townhome condominium with just a few, board meetings can be both a chore and a headache. From shareholders or ow…
Attractive communal gathering spaces are one of the many perks often found in co-op and condo living – both in the city and in more suburban communities. Rooftop patios, resident libraries, screening rooms, clubhouses – these amenities are …
Supers, building managers, maintenance persons, custodial staff, groundskeeping personnel, porters, doormen, concierges—depending on the size of a community, the staff roster for a condo, co-op, or HOA can be pretty long. The truth is, in t…