ASSOCIATIONHELPNOW
by Sherri Hall
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
As the seasons change, there is more to think about than how early is too early to hang holiday lights on your roof. In fact, while you’re up there untangling them or digging through the attic for extra bulbs, you should also be checking your roof for ice dams. The forming of icicles on your gutters or roof may look pretty, but it could be an indication of a bigger problem.
by Sherri Hall
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
by Erin Yarbro
All of us community association managers have attended a board or annual meeting where a homeowner stands up and questions the board or the manager with, “Why have you not started the landscaping project?” or “Why is it taking so long to get the paving project started?” The list of complaints grows, as questions go on and on.
[Read more…] about Manager’s Perspective: Get Them to Work for You!
by AHN Staff
Walls are vitally important to the safety of just about any building imaginable, but they’re particularly integral to ensuring the longevity of households and residences. We sat down with Steven Lang of The Falcon Group in Bridgewater, NJ to discuss some of the key characteristics of sound, safe walls, how to ensure your buildings are up to code, and the importance of snuffing out potential hazards before they create long-lasting safety issues.
Once the board has finished picking out the colors for the elevator renovation, signed the contract for the new landscaper, or taken their best guess as to how much snow will fall in the coming year, there is still an important question they need to ask themselves: How are we going to pay for all of this?
by Sherri Hall
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
A friendly resident within a condominium has begun to notice that one neighbor has been exhibiting strange behavior — such as leaving groceries in the hallway hours after returning home and forgetting residents’ names during small talk. One day while sitting in their unit, the resident begins to smell gas. They walk over to the neighbor’s unit, and notice the door was left unlocked. As they slowly open the door, the smell intensifies. With worry, they quickly alert management. What happens next?
[Read more…] about Dealing with Residents Who Have Alzheimer’s or Dementia
What gets us up and moving when the dreaded alarm clock rings on Monday morning? A salary? Benefits? Or maybe, if you are lucky, it’s that sweet, sweet company car in your driveway. If you aren’t that fortunate, maybe you are at least hoping for free bagels in the break room when you arrive at your chosen profession. That being said, how can condos find competent, available and motivated team players to volunteer for boards and committees when HOAs can’t promise any of that? Well, maybe there are free bagels now and then. To give us some tips on securing a good roster of helpful residents, we spoke with Denise Becker, Senior Vice President of Community Management from Homestead Management Services, Inc.
[Read more…] about Manager’s Perspective: Volunteers, We Want YOU!
by Sherri Hall
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