2009 Nov
2009 November Vol. 7, No.11
Focus on...Building Maintenance
As Dollars Get Tighter, Some Projects Get Delayed
If something’s broken, you fix it. If it’s worn out, you replace it. It sounds like a simple equation, but when it comes
to capital improvements or renovation projects in cash-strapped times, it can
be a case of easier said than done.
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Maintenance and Repair Lead to Longer Life Spans
A building is, in many ways, like a body. If its residents are the soul, then
certainly the mechanical systems that keep it running are at its heart. And
just as one cares for one’s body by eating right and exercising, management must care for those mechanical
systems, ensuring they function efficiently and well throughout their life
span.
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Keep Your Balconies Safe & Attractive
Ever since Romeo and Juliet made them famous, balconies have been popular
additions to our homes and living spaces. For condominium and HOA communities,
balconies can add visual zest, as well as a few more feet of living space that
allow us to enjoy the outdoors and some time in the sun.
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New Materials, New Possibilities
There may be a distinct charm to weathered clapboard and rustic-looking wooden
siding, but from a practical perspective, that pleasing patina is really the
sign of decay and deterioration. For an HOA board, it’s also the sign of major expense to come.
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Send Those Canada Geese Packing!
They eat a lot and cause a mess. They overstay their welcome and can become
aggressive when challenged. No, they’re not your no-account relatives—they’re resident Canada geese.
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What Building Systems Are You Responsible For
One of the most important things to understand as a member of a condo or HOA is
how responsibility for maintaining and repairing various building systems is
divided between individual unit owners and the association at large.
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Proper Analysis & Repairs Save Money
Many New Jersey HOAs were originally built with grading and drainage that for
the most part pitched away from buildings, toward a roadway, rear lawn area
swale, or sheet flow drainage area, ultimately collecting in a storm water
retention or detention facility. Unfortunately, poor design, deficient surface
grading, limited drainage structures and/or poor soils used in an attempt to
reduce overall construction costs often resulted in deficient drainage, leading
to marshy conditions or pooling water.
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Q&A: Protest for Privacy
“I am all for security in residential buildings, but it raises the issue of privacy. Our condo has about 40 apartments—half of which are condos, while the other half are rent-controlled apartments. The board just recently put cameras in the building’s common areas, which I understand and could support, but they’re installing as many as three cameras on every floor. These cameras are set up so they can see who is going in to the apartments on each floor, and this seems invasive to me. Does a condo board have the right to scan unit owners’ or rental tenants’ visitors? These cameras don’t look into the apartments, but are able see who is going in and out of each unit. Like I said, I am all for security, but how far should it go? Read More
Q&A: Noisy Children
I have been a shareholder and board member in my building for the past 20 years. A year ago, a new shareholder with two small children moved in above me, and since then noise has been a constant, serious problem as the kids’ room is directly over my bedroom. The house rules explicitly require apartments to be 80-percent carpeted, and the room overhead is clearly not. I have complained time and time again about the situation, but to no resolution. I have on occasion tried to speak to the upstairs residents, who seem to think that there is no problem, and have even gone as far as retaliating by stomping their feet heavily across the room and dropping heavy materials on the floor. I am at my wit’s end. What are my options?” Read More
