For some, one of the downsides of living in a condominium or homeowner association has always been close proximity to your neighbors. This can especially become a problem when your neighbors are loud and inconsiderate. But what if the rowdy family “next door” is a feral cat colony? What are your options when feline squatters settle in your community?

As winter comes to an end, associations are beginning to prepare for the warm weather spring and summer will bring. One item on everyone’s preparation list is ensuring the community’s outdoor areas are in tip top shape. We spoke to Aaron Kurdyla, Director of Operations for High Tech Landscapes, who took us through the process.

“Breaking up” may be hard to do but when an association is ready to call it quits with its property management company and enter into a new relationship, there are some best practices it should follow. We spoke to Leonard Barber, CPA, CMCA, PCAM, President of Executive Property Management in North Brunswick, New Jersey, who offered some insight on the matter.

When a homeowner decides to serve his or her association as a member of the board, that person has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the community. So, what exactly does a board’s fiduciary duty entail? According to Attorney Stacey Patterson of Ansell Grimm & Aaron, PC, with offices in White Plains New York, Woodland Park New Jersey and Princeton, New Jersey, “fiduciary duty is the responsibility of the board members to ensure sound and proper operation and control of its community and to act in its best interest.”

Have you been wondering how having a golf course in your community affects your reserve study? Should you include it in your master study? Or should courses be treated as a separate entity? For this topic we reached out to Peter Miller, RS of Miller+Dodson Associates, Inc., a nationwide consulting firm based out of Annapolis, Maryland. Miller has been working with reserve studies since the 1980s. 

Each spring when weather begins to warm up, residents eagerly anticipate breaking out their swimsuits, while at the same time condominium and homeowner association boards begin to expedite opening community pools. Ever present in the minds of those tasked with this job, are the possible unexpected delays and problems that have the potential to derail the best laid pool opening plans.