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Speeding drivers in your community can ruin your neighborhood's tranquility and, more importantly, threaten the safety of anyone on foot, especially playing children. According to the American Journal of Public Health, two-thirds of children who are hurt or killed in traffic accidents are struck and injured within several blocks of their homes.

As Christmas approaches, many of your members will be setting up Christmas trees in their condominiums. While a beautifully decorated tree can add to the holiday spirit and help create a fragrant indoor atmosphere, Christmas trees can also pose a serious fire hazard to members' condominiums as well as to your building. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, Christmas trees account for an average of 200 fires annually, resulting in six deaths, 25 injuries, and more than $6 million in property damage.

Federal laws require employers including community associations and management companies to post signs explaining legal information to their employees. Failure to post the signs can cost as much as $10,000 per violation. Fortunately, compliance is easy. The signs are available free of charge from the government agencies that oversee the sign-posting laws.

As winter approaches and erratic weather patterns become more frequent, managers and condo association boards may want to be proactive in keeping their condo building roofs in the best shape possible. Harsh weather conditions, such as heavy rain or snow, strong winds, and extreme temperatures, can cause substantial damage to a building's roof, says Robert W. Lyons, executive vice president of a roofing company and member of the roofing industry for over 25 years.

Operable smoke detectors can go a long way toward saving lives and protecting property in condominium communities, where a fire in one unit can damage other units or endanger lives. Unfortunately, sometimes members don't maintain their smoke detectors or may intentionally disable them. Members with battery-operated, rather than hard-wired, smoke detectors often remove the battery when the detector begins chirping to signify that the battery is weak, says California manager Rolf Crocker.

Q A member's washing machine hose burst in the middle of the night, flooding the neighbor's unit and the unit below. Does the condo association have a duty to get involved in a situation like this?