Blogs

No doubt that many of us have been to a board meeting or two where screaming  breaks out, the decibel level in the room is raised, tempers flare and little gets accomplished as a result.  The overwhelming majority of these shouting matches are non violent, and end up with each side muttering a few curse…

No matter who you plan on voting for in a few weeks, we can probably all agree that this has been the nastiest campaign that most of us have ever witnessed.  The mud slinging won’t stop until the last ballot is counted and we’re certainly none the wiser for it.  It makes you think though…

Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.  It’s certainly an acknowledgement of how hard the American worker works throughout the year and provides a well deserved reward of a day off.  You would certainly think that if paid workers are honored…

Week after week, month after month and now year after year, community associations blame the banks for their financial woes.  There’s no question that banks need to foreclose quicker, pay more to associations when they eventually take back title to a unit, and properly upkeep the property during and after a foreclosure.  This goes without…

Can you tell a third person that it’s OK to drive your neighbor’s car without your neighbor’s consent?  Can you tell a third party that it’s OK to wear your neighbor’s clothes without your neighbor even knowing about it?  If you think these are silly questions, then you have to ask why some associations and…

An aggravated client of mine comes to me this week, complaining that numerous owners have installed washers and dryers over the years without permission from the association, and that as a result, the owners who don’t have washers and dryers object to paying the water bill as part of the common expenses of the condominium…

The common complaint about a Board member is that of the typical “condo commando” who is more or less a drill sergeant, and who tries to run the place like an army barracks, inspecting every nook and cranny and looking to pick a fight with any willing participant.  While that may be the stereotypical portrayal…

The first thing a Board member must do, before learning all the laws, reading your docs and memorizing the rules is to immediately grow a thicker skin.  Often times, Board members hear residents say things like “so where has all our money gone” or “if you knew what you were doing, we wouldn’t need another…

I know what you’re thinking after reading the title of the blog today.  Has Eric lost it?  Is this a serious question?  Obviously, much more important to me is the election of the President of the United States.  The owner of unit 3N vs. the owner of unit 11B simply doesn’t match-up to Obama v.…

To simplify, I like to say that any document that could be, might be or appears to be an official record of the association probably is.  To further simplify, every unit owner in both a condo and an HOA can see all the official records with very few exceptions.  (Even the accounting ledger for your…