2009 March
2009 March Vol. 7, No. 3
Focus on...Exterior Maintenance
Running a Water-tight Ship
When condo-dwellers think “catastrophe,” it’s usually something dramatic, like a fire or huge storm laying waste to their
HOA. There’s another, far more insidious enemy of urban and suburban condo buildings,
however: H2O. Water damage may not have the same photogenic impact of fire, but
the havoc caused by it can be staggering, and can linger for years after the
initial leak has been resolved.
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Fighting Grime Over Time
New Jersey’s condo communities and homeowner associations might vary in their architectural
styles, but over time every exterior—from suburban vinyl siding to turn-of-the-century urban brick—experiences exterior wear due to the elements and the simple passage of time. As
years go by, most facades and exterior surfaces will begin to lose their luster
and require occasional deep-cleanings, with regular maintenance to keep things
looking good in between.
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Stopping the Usual Suspects
Years ago, when I babysat for a young boy, I watched him create a multi-story
building out of empty cardboard boxes. The lad then ran around his proud
creation, flexing his muscles and crowing, “My house is indy-structible!” (He then proceeded to crash bodily through the cardboard doors, kick the walls
in and lob toys at the roof. It took him a while to destroy his structure, but
he enjoyed every second of it.)
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New Pool Safety Mandate In Effect
It sounds like an urban legend—something that supposedly happened to your cousin’s friend’s cousin. A little girl was at a barbecue party at a friend’s house, frolicking in the pool with friends. She swam to the drain at the
bottom of the pool and sat on it. The drain’s suction was so strong, it sucked the girl onto the aperture, trapping her
under the water. Once the adults on the scene realized what was happening and
rushed to help, it took two grown men 10 minutes to free her from the drain—which broke in the process—but it was too late to save her.
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The View is Not Always the Same
Like a chain, a building envelope is only as strong as its weakest link. Boards
and managers often spend a lot of time and effort maintaining exterior elements
like drainage, flashing, and so forth, only to neglect one of the most
important features of their association’s envelope: the windows.
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Know Your Reserve Fund
What if your building’s boiler breaks down, or a hailstorm necessitates major emergency roof repairs
for your association? Of course the first question that arises in these
situations is whether your HOA’s reserve fund is adequate to cover the necessary repairs—but perhaps an even more important question is, does your reserve have enough
liquidity that funds are readily available when you need them? After all, money
it in itself is useless if you can’t access it and apply it where it’s needed.
Read More
Generating Extra Revenue Streams
In this day and age of rising costs and uncertain economic climate, co-op and
condo administrators have their work cut out for them when it comes to finding
new ways to raise funds without drastically reducing services, raising
maintenance fees or charging residents special assessments.
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Q&A: Recording Lien in Adjudicated Matter?
Can a homeowner association record a lien against a home in an HOA, when the matter (cause and amount of indebtedness) has been adjudicated in District Court in favor of the HOA homeowner and has been appealed by the association? Read More
Getting Ready for the Big Cleanup
The first robin appears. The sun stays out a little longer in the evenings, the
tiniest nubs of crocus begin to break through the mud, and landscape crews
begin mucking out flowerbeds. Just as sure as turning the calendar page to
March 20, these are all signs of the arrival of spring—and with spring comes every condo association’s annual spring cleanup, clearing out the cobwebs and bringing hope that those
winter blahs are finally behind us.
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Q&A: Does Common Area Work Require Contractor's License?
I am on the board of directors of a 336-unit condominium in New Jersey. My question is in reference to the contractors’ registration act that requires contractors to register with the state if they are doing residential work. Since our condo is considered residential, are the common areas also residential? Read More
