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Sherri Hall

Mind Your Minutes — Best Practices for Meeting Minutes and the Dissemination of Information on Meetings

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By Sherri Hall

Among the responsibilities of condominium and community associations is the obligation to maintain accurate records.  Accordingly, the taking  and keeping of  minutes of board meetings is extremely important to the proper operation of an association. But what is the proper way to do so and what information must be included? We spoke to Attorney Stefan Richter of Clemons Richter & Reiss in Doylestown, Pennsylvania for an expert opinion on the subject of meeting minutes.

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Ways to Control the Stress of Being on the Board – 
From a Manager’s Perspective

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By Sherri Hall

Property managers are used to walking around their communities and having residents come up to them with questions, complaints, suggestions and more on a regular basis. However, managers get to go home at the end of the day. For board members, though, home is the community. Oftentimes, board members are faced with these interactions with residents during their “off” time. 

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From a Manager’s Perspective

Found a Sinkhole in Your Community? 
Here’s What You Need to Know

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By Sherri Hall

Imagine walking along the grounds of your community when you notice what appears to be a small rabbit hole. You look ahead and see a few more similar holes. Filling them with dirt doesn’t seem to help. In fact, they just keep coming back and getting larger and larger. That’s when you realize, you might just have a sinkhole issue on your hands. But how can you know for sure? And, what should you do about it? 

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Here’s What You Need to Know

Tips for Creating an Association Budget

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By Sherri Hall

Depending on whether your association runs on a calendar or fiscal year schedule, you may be in the midst of working on your budget, just about to start or several months away from beginning the process. Either way, it’s important to ensure that you’re taking the steps necessary to complete the task timely and effectively. We spoke to Michael Pesce, President of Associa Community Management Corp, to obtain some tips for creating an association budget. [Read more…] about Tips for Creating an Association Budget

Best Practices for Conducting a Homeowner Forum as Part of your Board Meeting

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By Sherri Hall

Although not required in every state, many community associations choose to have homeowner forums, or member question and answer (Q&A) sessions, in addition to or as part of their open board meetings. Such a forum is usually held either at the end of an open board meeting or in a separate meeting specifically scheduled to allow homeowners to ask questions or raise concerns regarding community matters. 

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Board Election Procedures – What Community Associations Need to Know

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Annual board elections are an important part of every condominium and community association. We spoke with Stefan Richter, Esq. of Clemons Richter & Reiss, P.C. in Doylestown, Pennsylvania to learn more about the procedures an association should follow when holding an election.

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Handling Insurance Claims Properly in Community Associations

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Whether prompted by a slip and fall injury or the result of property damage, community associations often face dealing with insurance claims. In some cases, these claims cannot be avoided and therefore, associations should be prepared to properly handle such situations. We spoke with Stephannie Ciantro, Property Claims Manager at Mackoul Risk Solutions, to learn about the best practices for handling insurance claims.

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Using Best Email Practices Within Your Community Association

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With email often being the primary method of communication today, it’s important for community association board members and property managers to stay informed of best practices when it comes to email transmissions. If a lawsuit arises, related emails may need to be disclosed and therefore, associations must be aware of proper protocol. We spoke to Attorney Sara A. Austin of Austin Law Firm LLC in York, Pennsylvania to gain some insight into these best practices regarding association emails. 

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