A Condominium Resident's Perspective

(This article is from the perspective of a condominium resident who believes in Reserve Study and fully funding the recommendations put forth in the study done by an independent professional.)

As a resident and, recently, past Board member of the condominium association where I reside, my hopes for a better community were realized one day when an article appeared in our local newspaper telling of legislation requiring all Condominiums to have a Reserve Study done. The article talked about condominium associations that did not have good financial planning and in some cases . . . to read more of this article from Samantha Hamilton click here.

A Reserve Study Professional's Perspective

Samantha's article illustrates the purpose and function of a Reserve Study as well as some common objections. Let's dissect a few of her statements to try to bring clarity to these issues faced by nearly all associations. They are highlighted below for emphasis. ". . . and fully funding the recommendations put forth in the study by an independent professional." Before crafting a reserve funding plan, the reserve study provider must . . . to read more of this article from Jim Talaga, RS, Association Reserves click here.

Dispute Resolution - The Many Methods for Getting Along (Legally Speaking)

If you have ever found yourself on one end of a dispute within your community - whether it be with a neighbor, a board member, your community association manager or even the developer of your building - chances are you engaged in one of four basic categories of dispute resolution: mediation, arbitration, litigation or negotiation. This article surveys these four types of dispute resolution and the key differences between . . . to read more of this article from Anthony Rafel and Cynthia Jones of Rafel Law Group click here. 

Don't Give Up Your Right to Fully Protect Yourself in Your Real Estate Purchase - Form 17 Disclosures and the Economic Loss Rule

On March 1, 2007, the Washington Supreme Court issued its decision in Alejandre v. Bull, 159 Wash.2d 674, 453 P.3d 864 (2007). That decision altered the ability of residential real estate purchasers to recover damages against sellers for misrepresentations made by the sellers in the sale of their properties. Alejandre v. Bull stands for the proposition that . . . to read more of this article from Michael D. Brandt, Brandt Law Group click here.

If It's Broke, Who Fixes It?
****Identifying Maintenance Responsibilities to Ensure Consistency and Avoid Disputes
****Implementing a Maintenance Responsibility Table

To read more of these articles from Josh Rosenstein, Hanson Baker Ludlow Drumheller P.S. and Kevin Ducotey, AMS, CMCA, PCAM Condominium Management click here.

Leadership Trumps Recession

Wait a minute. The seminar offerings for CA Day 2009 resemble a fall reality TV show line-up more than community association courses worthy of clock hours: "Owners Gone Wild." "Got Crime?" "Mob Rule." "Navigating the AC Minefield." Even the luncheon keynote address promises high drama and misdemeanors: "Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble," by industry legend William Sasser of The Management Group. Welcome to CA Day 2009, circa The Great Recession - breaking all previous attendance records - with 900 attendees and . . . to read more of this article from Lyn M Archer, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Archer Management LLC click here.

Legislative Update

For the past several years lawmakers in Washington State have proposed a variety of changes to statutes governing common-interest communities in an effort to address specific problems as they arise. Such issues range from consumer disclosure to defective construction and from governance structure to land use regulation. As meaningful as the proposed changes may seem, they can often end up adding more confusion to an overall governance structure that is . . . to read more of this article from Kathryn Hedrick, WSCAI Lobbyist click here.

Smoking In and Around Condominiums

Thanks to the spate of research on the health consequences of second-hand smoke on nonsmokers, there is no longer a debate that the consequences are bad. Since the 2006 Surgeon General's report (1) confirming that second-hand smoke causes premature death and disease in adults and kids who do not smoke, and that exposure has immediate, harmful health effects, we have entered an era of change regarding this issue. Society increasingly expects government to protect us from . . . to read more of this article from Michael D. Brandt, Brandt Law Group and Michelle Ein, Law Offices of James L. Strichartz click here. 

Weather We Like it or Not: Winterizing from the Ground Up

Do you remember last winter? Snow and cold, freezing temps in the teens? Board members were wondering where the line item was for the snow removal and sidewalk de-icer. Let's not forget the hero of the moment; the after hours repair people to handle the frozen pipes. How many of us handled irrigation issues this spring from sprinkler systems that didn't get winterized properly last year? Let's review from the ground up the ways we can protect communities . . . to read more of this article from Evelyn Dufford, CPA, PCAM, Association Services, AAMC click here.