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.
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Paying Attention to Your Budget
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?
Using Best Email Practices Within Your Community Association
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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Dealing with Residents Who Have Alzheimer’s or Dementia
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?
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Manager’s Perspective: Volunteers, We Want YOU!
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.
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Recognizing and Preventing Discriminatory Acts in Community Associations
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
Choosing the Right Security Technology & Techniques for Your Community Association
In today’s ever-changing world of technology, it can be hard to select a security system for your community. With so many options, how can an association be sure to find the right fit? Scott Roether, Principal of TEM Systems LLC in Murrells Inlet, SC, shared his knowledge on the subject and offered some suggestions to streamline the process.
Common Practices Surrounding Home-Based Businesses in Condos and HOAs
From raising chinchillas and giving guitar lessons, to running a small online store, home-based businesses can often become a detriment to community associations. Whether it’s causing extensive noise, overcrowding the parking lot or creating safety hazards, home-based businesses often disturb members within a community. This has led many community associations to create and enforce rules surrounding home-based businesses.
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Get a Handle on Your Building Envelope Performance
We probably all became painfully aware of the effect of drafts on our homes in the same way; we innocently left a door open and heard our mother scream, “stop heating the outside!”
It all makes sense now because we are the ones paying the bills. Some days, opening the mail can make you want to seal your house up tighter than a drum. But there is also a belief that houses have to breathe. So how much is too much when it comes to air flow? How can we protect our homes and our wallets from Old Man Winter? AssociationHelpNow decided to “shoot the breeze” with Alan Jalon from The Falcon Group, to get an expert’s opinion on the subject.
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Cyber Risk: Five Cyber Insurance Facts Every Community Association Should Know
With the potential for a data breach or security incident growing exponentially, cyber insurance now serves as the foundational component of a modern risk management strategy. This critical coverage is designed as a formidable barrier that protects businesses such as community associations and their community management companies from a wide range of technology-related risks. [Read more…] about Cyber Risk: Five Cyber Insurance Facts Every Community Association Should Know