eAlerts

Is your association management firm among the employers out there that are unsure of how to proceed when an employee requests an accommodation for a disability, whether under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or a state counterpart? Messing up can prove costly, but our two-part article can help your management firm reduce its…

After two residents of a Massachusetts condo building were killed in their penthouse home by an intruder, their estates sued the association and the management company for wrongful death. The civil case has yet to go to trial, but a pre-trial ruling from the court is cause for alarm for both condo associations and managers…

The increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters—from wildfires to hurricanes—makes the procurement of appropriate insurance coverage more important than ever for community associations. If your clients don’t understand their responsibilities in this area under the governing documents and applicable state laws, they could end up in costly litigation. A North Carolina condo association and…

It’s not only Florida associations with alligators or California communities with mountain lions that can run into wildlife issues. Suburbs across the country are seeing coyotes and other unwelcome visitors. Managers have been recently reporting more wildlife sightings and episodes than in the past. “We live near the forest, so we normally deal with deer…

A federal court of appeals is allowing a Black couple to sue their HOA neighbors for racial discrimination under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). While it blocked the couple’s claims against the association, the opinion suggests that decision was due primarily to a technicality. Tonca and Terence Watters chose to build their dream home in…

The August 2022 murder of an Atlanta association manager has drawn renewed attention to the physical risks managers face on the job in today’s world and an increasing need to address HOA manager safety. Word of the Atlanta slaying spread quickly among those in the industry. Amid the expressions of sympathy and concern, though, was…

Our sister publication, HOAleader.com, recently reported that one of its readers was informed by a potential directors and officers liability insurer that their association would need to have an anti-harassment policy to obtain coverage. The reader stated, “We didn’t want to be involved in the policing-how-neighbors-treat-each-other business, but we have to, it turns out.” Is…

Health insurance coverage is a critical part of employee recruitment and retention. But it can also seem cost-prohibitive for some community association management firms. “We’re still in the ‘employee’ market, where candidates have the upper hand,” says Jamie Dokovna, a shareholder in the Florida law firm Becker & Poliakoff who practices employment law and works…

As pickleball gains popularity as a pastime across the country, some community associations are mulling converting tennis courts or other amenities to pickleball courts. “I’m just blown away by the drive to have it available. It’s the sport du jour right now,” says Paul Grucza, principal with PBG and Associates, consultants for the association management…

The reserve study company Association Reserves Inc. has launched a new score intended to distill the overall health and efficiency of a community association into a single number. The so-called FiPHO — which stands for financial, physical, and operational — health score ranges from 1 to 100. “This new system is a direct result of…