2011 September
Focus on... Energy & The Environment

Energy Conservation Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
2011 September Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Being “green” and recycling has been to many a beneficial trend nationwide in recent years. Logically, there is little push-back when the facts are presented. The U.S. is the number one trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 poun…

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Energy Conservation Eco-Friendly Pest Control
2011 September Eco-Friendly Pest Control

 Jena Ball couldn't sleep—the noise was deafening and keeping her awake night after night. The racket  wasn't coming from the next door neighbors, but instead was emanating from  inside her condo wall. "It was bizarre," says Ball.   …

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Energy Conservation Sick Building Syndrome
2011 September Sick Building Syndrome

 The term Sick Building Syndrome was first used in the late 1970’s after a mysterious outbreak of pneumonia occurred among people attending an  American Legion convention in a well known Philadelphia hotel. Thirty four  deaths were reporte…

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Energy Conservation Saving Energy
2011 September Saving Energy

When you live in South Florida, you quickly understand the value of energy-efficient air conditioners; especially after you receive your first utility bill. But lowering those bills doesn’t have to come from simply shutting off the air …

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Energy Conservation Valued Volunteers
2011 September Valued Volunteers

Living in a condominium community means working together. Cooperation and a spirit of volunteerism are visible every day in community gatherings, board meetings, even in the scheduling of time on the tennis courts. The men and women wh…

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Energy Conservation Helping Hoarders Clean Up
2011 September Helping Hoarders Clean Up

Sue“ is a retired professional who is well-to-do, rarely eats at home and has lived in her condo for decades. While everything seems perfect from the outside, Sue is the keeper of a dirty little secret. When the unit above her…

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Energy Conservation Aiming for Green
2011 September Aiming for Green

 It seems that nearly everything is going “green” these days. Whether it’s the special green issue of a popular consumer magazine, an advertisement for a  fuel-efficient hybrid car or a push toward environmentally-friendly building  materi…

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Energy Conservation Florida's 2011 Legislative Roundup
2011 September Florida's 2011 Legislative Roundup

 One of the most apt descriptions of politics theorizes that it’s really all about who gets what, when, and how. With the 2010 elections having  delivered Republicans supermajorities—veto proof power—in both of Florida’s Legislative chambe…

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Neighborhoods Miami Beach
2011 September Miami Beach

Miami Beach has been called the “American Riviera,” “America's Playground” and the “Billion Dollar Sandbar.” Rising along the Atlantic Ocean on a barrier island, Miami Beach is separated from the city of Miami by Biscayne Bay. The city o…

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Energy Conservation Q&A: Jettisoning a Bad Board?
2011 September Q&A: Jettisoning a Bad Board?

b>Q We are a group of majority unit owners in a condominium having problems removing  the board of managers – who are not complying with the bylaws. We, as the majority owners, have signed  a petition to vote them out. We did everything nec…

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Energy Conservation Q&A: Non-Paying Board President
2011 September Q&A: Non-Paying Board President

Q Can a condominium owner be elected president if they have a lien on their condo due to not paying some of their maintenance fees due to the condo?Is this a conflict of interest? —Concerned Condo Owner A “As a result …

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Energy Conservation Q&A: Strictly Confidential
2011 September Q&A: Strictly Confidential

Q When a management agent of a condominium receives a complaint from a homeowner  about another homeowner, is management allowed to tell the homeowner the name  of the complaint? Is this ethical and is there a real estate rule about how  …

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