Community Association Rules

When the severity of the coronavirus became apparent this past spring, many community associations responded by shutting down their common area recreational facilities, whether required by governmental order or not. As time has passed and governmental restrictions have been rolled back, they’ve had to figure out how to proceed with their facilities. Making facilities available…

As stay-at-home orders have lifted or at least eased, community associations have faced difficult questions about how to reopen the recreational facilities they shuttered after the coronavirus (COVID-19) hit. And they could find themselves in the same position later this year or next if the expected second wave of the virus materializes. Making facilities available…

When the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) began to speed up in the spring, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a statement highlighting the potential for COVID-19-related violations of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). As your clients continue to develop and tweak policies to address the continuing pandemic, as well as…

Owners renting their units can lead to all sorts of complications for a community, but, just when you think you’ve got your arms around the potential issues, another one can pop up. The manager and board of directors for a condominium association in New York City, for example, probably never considered the possibility that an…

Violence is an unfortunate reality, and community associations and their managers need to prepare for the possibility of an owner falling victim and then seeking recompense from them. Preparation doesn’t necessarily require formal security precautions, though. Associations may be able to limit liability for themselves and their managers in their declarations. That’s what happened in…

While electric vehicles aren’t seeing a surge in popularity in every part of the country, many community associations are fielding more requests for charging stations than ever. They probably can expect that number to rise over time. “According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, 54 percent of all new car sales will be electric by 2040,”…

As the federal and state governments took unprecedented measures this spring to confront the coronavirus pandemic, the economy largely collapsed. The dramatic surge in job losses that resulted has led many community association boards of directors to rightly worry about the impact on their financial footing. The fallout is likely to continue for months, if…

As the coronavirus pandemic heated up this spring, community association managers dealt with an onslaught of calls from clients. People were feeling out of control and ramping up their expectations for protective measures from their associations. One particular area of focus? The risk of contagion in common areas. Managers and boards of directors owe a…

In early April 2020, a Manhattan co-op prohibited the brother of one of the building’s owners from staying in his unit. According to the New York Times, the brother, a physician, had traveled to the city from rural New Hampshire to volunteer his services in the battle against the coronavirus. This incident may have struck…

In early April 2020, a Manhattan co-op prohibited the brother of one of the building’s owners from staying in his unit. According to the New York Times, the brother, a physician, had traveled to the city from rural New Hampshire to volunteer his services in the battle against the coronavirus. This incident may have struck…