Repairs & Maintenance

Surfside Aftermath: New Florida Law Puts Managers Under the Gun

Florida condo and co-op associations are facing a new law aimed at ensuring the structural integrity of high-rise buildings in the wake of the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside. The law imposes several new requirements that are raising concerns. “It was a hurried, not well-thought-out bill that’s going to have really significant consequences,” says…

Florida Tackles Condo Repairs Reform — Will Other States Follow?

Florida condo and co-op associations are facing a new law aimed at ensuring the structural integrity of high-rise buildings in the wake of the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside. The law imposes several new requirements that are raising concerns. “It was a hurried, not well-thought-out bill that’s going to have really significant consequences,” says…

Proposed Legislation Could Provide Funding for Special Assessments

U.S. Representatives Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) recently introduced the Securing Access to Finance Exterior Repairs (SAFER) in Condos Act of 2022 (H.R. 7532). The legislation would allow condo owners to finance special assessments with loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). But, if enacted, the law might not provide the…

How To Stretch Sustainable Landscaping Dollars

We recently explained how associations ready to convert to sustainable landscaping can determine the degree of change their communities can stomach, as well as some of the initial issues to consider once that determination is made. Now, we’ll look at some of the ways that associations can make meaningful investments upfront and help offset their…

Congress Mulls FHA-Backed Condo Repairs

U.S. Representatives Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) recently introduced the Securing Access to Finance Exterior Repairs (SAFER) in Condos Act of 2022 (H.R. 7532). The legislation would allow condo owners to finance special assessments with loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). But, if enacted, the law might not provide the…

Record Requests Can Be a Pain, But Compliance Is Often Required

Owner record requests can prove a hassle for managers and their clients, but courts clearly favor greater access to less — let alone the denial of access. An association in Michigan learned this lesson the hard way when confronted with requests that even the state Supreme Court described as “longwinded” and “often difficult to follow.”…

Know Where You Want To Go With Your Sustainable Landscaping Initiatives

As the effects of climate change become harder to ignore, more community associations are ready to move past debating the pros and cons of converting to sustainable landscaping and finally start the ball rolling. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for every association. Multiple factors come into play, including geographic location and the owners’ appetite for change.…

Sustainable Landscaping: How to Get Started, Part 2

In the first part of this two-part article, we explained how associations ready to convert to sustainable landscaping can determine the degree of change their communities can stomach, as well as some of the initial issues to consider once that determination is made. In this second part, we’ll look at some of the ways that…

Record Inspection Request Requires Rapid Response — Even if Request Rambles

Owner record requests can prove a hassle for managers and their clients, but courts clearly favor greater access to less — let alone the denial of access. An association in Michigan learned this lesson the hard way when confronted with requests that even the state Supreme Court described as “longwinded” and “often difficult to follow”…

Sustainable Landscaping: How to Get Started

As the effects of climate change become harder to ignore, more community associations are ready to move past debating the pros and cons of converting to sustainable landscaping and finally start the ball rolling. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for every association. Multiple factors come into play, including geographic location and the owners’ appetite for change.…