Month: August 2013
Minimize Risks When Providing High-Speed Internet Access
Internet access is no longer an optional amenity for most Americans—it’s a necessity. Members of your community may use it to run home-based businesses, socialize online, shop, pay bills, or watch TV shows and movies. With such high demand for Internet access, should your association provide this “amenity” for members or leave it to members to arrange for service individually?
Set Communication Policy for Responding to Member Requests
Some aspects of association management will never change: You’ll always have to be aware of financial issues, deal with maintenance situations, hire and train staff, and work with board members to take the best possible care of the community. And there will always be a need for good and effective communication between managers and the association’s board members and residents.
Sinkhole Swallows Condo Community
Luxury resort condominiums crumbled into a massive sinkhole a few miles from Disney World, displacing dozens of guests at the Summer Bay Resort in Clermont, Fla., some of whom had only a few minutes to escape the cracking building. The building that fell into the sinkhole is one of several at the private community, which is governed by a homeowner’s association.
Manager Didn’t Exercise Control Over Contractor’s Work
Facts: The employee of a general contractor was hired by an association to do work in the community. He was injured after he separated a two-part extension ladder owned by his employer. Using the part of the ladder that didn’t have traction feet, he gained access to a roof. On the way down the ladder, which was neither secured to the building nor being held by another person, he slipped and fell.
Owner’s Claims Didn’t “Arise from” Speech Protected by Anti-SLAPP Statute
Facts: A homeowner in an association renovated his three-level unit in order to use the first level, a garage area, as living space. The garage had a “man door,” an entryway that allows access without opening the garage door. The renovation was permitted by the City of San Diego. The association sued the owner, challenging the renovation. A trial court ruled in favor of the association. It ordered the owner to undo the changes. The owner complied with the court’s order, and the city performed a final inspection and issued a certificate of occupancy.