Category: Association Operations

For a crystal-clear picture of how an association is doing, there are few better lenses than the community's budgets and financial reports. From an investment perspective, they show the association board, property managers, the unit ow…

 In the tough economic environment that has hit our nation over the past few  years, many condo owners have faced job loss, pay cuts or just financial  uncertainty. Unfortunately, the signs of the times sometimes leads to an owner  not pay…

True story: a condominium community’s board of directors spent almost $50,000 in legal fees and court costs to evict a corpulent canine that exceeded the weight limit for residents’ dogs...by three whole pounds. In another comm…

 With more than 8,000 miles of shoreline and 1,300 miles of sand, Florida is a  beach lover’s paradise. From the sugar-white expanses of the panhandle to the shell-lined  sands of Sanibel and the rocky coastal beaches of the Keys, you are …

 Unless it's a thoughtful gift or a party in their honor, nobody likes surprises.  That's especially true when it comes to sudden, serious, or non-negotiable  repairs to a condo building or HOA. A community must have enough money saved to …

Thanks to its tropical climate, erratic weather changes are nothing new to Southern Florida residents. There are cold fronts from November through March, and if that’s not enough, the hurricane season is kind enough to coincide with the…

Florida does not have the harsh winters of the north, where thawing and freezing take their toll on concrete. But corrosion of concrete is an issue in South Florida, and homeowner associations need to ensure that the concrete making up …

As recently as the 1930’s, only 68 percent of American homes had electricity. By the middle of the last century however, most Americans enjoyed well-lighted homes, and the light had started to spread outdoors as well. Initially, yards a…

During the building boom of the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s, condominium developments all across the country were trying to give their units a little edge. Some added upgraded cabinetry and flooring. Others included high-end appliances…

Whether it is redesigning light fixtures in a common space or replacing a roof, repair jobs and capital improvement projects are like death and taxes: they're inevitable. Though an HOA's property manager most often handles the hiring of…