Q. My question is on the ethics of awarding contracts to relatives or those vendors who are getting preferential treatment because they are familiar to board members. What happens when a board president creates a landscape contract specif…
The building blocks of all homeowner’s associations are the community's respective bylaws, administrative documents and house rules. Equally important are legal documents that define critical information and other action items, such as ter…
The South Florida Cooperator’s Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo offers board members and managers an opportunity to earn educational credit, gather free advice from legal experts, and meet face-to-face with more than 300 professionals from every co…
Gone are the days when a treadmill and a set of dumbbells in a fluorescent-lit basement room passed for athletic amenities in condo buildings and HOAs. Today, the size and scope of sporty offerings—be it basketball courts, pools or saunas—…
Q Our association recently hired a new management company. An announcement was sent to the homeowners announcing the change. A new board initiated this action with no input from the homeowners and no discussion. I have specifically reques…
When you’re up to your earlobes in alligators, it’s hard to recall that your initial objective was to drain the swamp. —Old Florida Proverb A long-standing annual rite in the Florida Legislature is passage of an omnibus shared-owners…
Keeping lawns, trees, bushes and flowers healthy and attractive is a big goal for nearly all condos and HOAs—and meeting this goal means that effective landscaping management is essential. Aside from the sun, soil rich in nutrients, and a …
Q When must the board for a homeowners’ association provide the reserve schedules to the members? Can this information be provided at the annual meeting, or does it need to be included with the pre-meeting notice? —Confused in Clearwat…
By 2010, the Community Associations Institute (CAI), a national organization providing resources for planned unit developments and homeowners associations, estimated that 24.8 million American homes, and 62 million residents are currently …
It's a truism that's been phrased many ways by many wise people: “A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.” That's the case in any number of situations, but it's especially applicable to the administration…