Attorneys who work in the fair housing arena report that claims of familial discrimination against community associations and their managers are on the upswing. On Aug. 29, 2019, for example, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it was charging the owners and manager of a condominium complex with violating the Fair…

Little has a more direct impact on an association’s bottom line than the owner’s payment of assessments. Yet, when owners fall behind on their dues, many boards of directors fail to tackle it head on. Their inconsistent responses — or lack of response altogether — can have significant financial implications. You can help them avoid…

Too many community association boards of directors avoid the question of how to deal with delinquent assessments until it falls squarely in their lap. When that happens, some quickly pull the trigger and start pursuing foreclosure, while others drag their feet or attempt various ad hoc measures. You can help them avoid these potentially risky…

A lot of people have a love-hate relationship with Airbnb and other short-term rental arrangements — and the same is true for community associations. Some want to bar the rentals entirely, while others want to allow them but struggle with regulation. This week’s article outlines the different approaches popping up across the country. As in…

The short-term rental phenomenon spurred by Airbnb, VRBO, and the like has turned out to be more than a fad. Rather, it’s an ongoing problem for some community associations, particularly those in popular areas for tourists. Read on to learn how some boards of directors and managers are addressing it. A Sampling of Strategies As…

Your clients no doubt know that they may need to reasonably accommodate various protected classes, but it may not occur to them that their efforts to empower one group could result in discrimination claims from another. A New Jersey condo association learned this lesson the hard way. The association has a large Orthodox Jewish population.…

A New Jersey condo association with a community pool thought it was bending over backward to accommodate its religious owners with the pool schedule. But its efforts to work with one protected class ended up inadvertently discriminating against another. Read on to learn how the association landed in court. Pool Rules Make a Splash The…

Who doesn’t love dogs? When they’re barking all day, defecating in common areas, or worse — lots of people. This week’s article provides community association boards and their managers some valuable guidance for handling dog-related issues. Dogs can get the neighbors’ dander up in numerous ways. “The handling of dog waste is probably the number-one…

Even the most ardent dog lovers can get fed up with their neighbors’ pooches, and no one knows that better than the boards of directors and managers who must field the resulting complaints. With so many dog owners thinking of Fido as a member of the family, the proper response calls for a sensitive touch.…

Hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, wildfires, and thunderstorms, hail storms, and other kinds of freak storms — no community association is immune to disasters these days. Most boards of directors recognize this, but they may find the very idea of disaster planning and response intimidating. This week’s article explains how managers can help their boards reduce the…