Sherri Hall

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.

[Read more…] about Mind Your Minutes — Best Practices for Meeting Minutes and the Dissemination of Information on Meetings

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. 

[Read more…] about Ways to Control the Stress of Being on the Board – 
From a Manager’s Perspective

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? 

[Read more…] about Found a Sinkhole in Your Community? 
Here’s What You Need to Know

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

By Sherri Hall:

The idea of having a community garden, one in which a group of people care for collectively, is becoming a trend throughout the United States. [Read more…] about Is a Community Garden Right for your Association? What you Need to Know.

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.

[Read more…] about Board Election Procedures – What Community Associations Need to Know

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.

[Read more…] about Handling Insurance Claims Properly in Community Associations

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. 

[Read more…] about Using Best Email Practices Within Your Community Association

Discrimination is a prominent issue in today’s society. Instances of discrimination must be handled properly, not only in the workplace, but also within community associations. But what exactly constitutes as a discriminatory action, and how can associations ensure they are taking the right steps to rectify such situations? We spoke to A. Christopher Florio, Shareholder at Stark & Stark Attorneys at Law in Lawrenceville, New Jersey to answer these questions and more. [Read more…] about Recognizing and Preventing Discriminatory Acts in Community Associations