Articles

The day-to-day management of a planned community or condominium building can be a heavy workload, filled with tasks that are crucial for keeping the association running smoothly. When you’re busy with the daily duties, however, planning for an event that has only the potential to occur is easy to put on the back burner. The past year has shown that major disasters—whether they involve epic weather, acts of terror, or violent crimes on a mass scale—can and do befall communities across the country.

Some condominium buildings have a shared, central laundry room for members, instead of washing and drying appliances in units. Even in planned communities with freestanding homes, the association may decide to use a common laundry room. Having a well-maintained laundry room in a condominium building or a community is important for both residents and associations. Associations benefit from ancillary income, and members don’t have to find off-site laundromats, where they may have to spend hours waiting for machines.

While responding to a reasonable request for accommodation should be done carefully to avoid liability for the association and a subsequent lawsuit, that doesn’t mean you have to grant all requests. On the contrary, courts often rule that some requests are either overly broad or have no real connection to the member’s disability. Sometimes, both issues are at the center of a case.

The day-to-day management of a planned community or condominium building can be a heavy workload, filled with tasks that are crucial for keeping the association running smoothly. When you’re busy with the daily duties, however, planning for an event that has only the potential to occur is easy to put on the back burner. The past year has shown that major disasters—whether they involve epic weather, acts of terror, or violent crimes on a mass scale—can and do befall communities across the country. 

When a board member gives up her position, your association will have the sometimes difficult task of replacing the outgoing member. But the challenging part of replacing a member comes after the new member is found and elected to the board. That’s because, depending upon the new member’s experience with your association, or associations generally, there may be a lot of information for him to quickly get up to speed on—especially if big decisions are in the process of being made.

Facts: A homeowners association alleged that a homeowner breached the covenant to pay assessments for common area maintenance and other services necessary to operate the community. He had unpaid dues totaling over $15,000. The homeowner contested the reasonableness of the charges. The association asked a trial court for a judgment in its favor without a trial.

Decision: A Pennsylvania trial court ruled in favor of the association.

Telecommuting has become commonplace in many industries, with workers being encouraged to work from locations other than their company’s office. Small business owners might try to save money initially by finding a solution to running their operation other than leasing commercial space that locks them into a lease and rent. And parents of young children sometimes decide to watch other children to bring in additional income. Seemingly diverse types of workers often have one thing in common: Their homes must sometimes double as work space.

One of the major draws of living in a planned community is increased security. An association has the power to hire and direct security personnel, and you and your staff can keep an eye on the community and deal with any suspicious behavior. But not all communities are gated, with a perimeter that naturally makes it more challenging for criminals to cross. Some homes are spread throughout a large community, with common areas scattered throughout the area. One look at the news shows that, unfortunately, crime happens everywhere.

Q: I manage a condominium building that is out of date environmentally. We recently implemented a recycling program that has been successful and members have asked about other green initiatives that we can take. I’d like to push for the building to become LEED certified. Is it possible to bring older condominiums up to date environmentally? And what should I say to the board to explain LEED and convince them that it’s a good idea?