2016 December
Focus on... Safety & Security

Security When Alligators Invade
2016 December When Alligators Invade

Consider where you live and how your home and lifestyle interacts with the surrounding natural world. Now, think about what that world contains in terms of wildlife. Depending on where you live, this could mean ‘nuisance’ animals as commonp…

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Emergency Preparedness Emergency Preparation
2016 December Emergency Preparation

Some days it rains, some days it pours —and some days, there’s a category 4 hurricane. And while the latter is relatively rare, it can be a true disaster, and any condominium, co-op or homeowner’s association worth its salt should be prepar…

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Security Neighborhood Watch
2016 December Neighborhood Watch

Everyone is right to be concerned with the safety of their communities, whether they live in an area highly susceptible to crime or a sleepy Mayberry-esque hamlet. Condominiums, cooperatives, and homeowners’ associations are no exception; i…

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Security Surveillance and the Law
2016 December Surveillance and the Law

Secure.  The word has many meanings.  According to Google definitions it can mean “to fix or attach something to something else.  It can mean to protect against threats or make safe.  Or it can mean to feel free from fear or anxiety.”  Perh…

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Board Operations Lead Paint and  Other Toxins
2016 December Lead Paint and Other Toxins

Whether you make your home in the heart of a city or in a sprawling suburb, there are certain dangers that have nothing to do with crime rates, economics, or the latest exotic imported disease. Falling bricks, short circuits leading to fire…

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Management Vulnerable Residents
2016 December Vulnerable Residents

Multifamily residential buildings provide both privacy and community. Privacy, because a recluse in New York City can have almost anything delivered to his door and thus never have to leave the sanctuary of his apartment; and community, bec…

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Q&A Q&A: Should My Board Hire an Unlicensed Contractor?
2016 December Q&A: Should My Board Hire an Unlicensed Contractor?

Q. We had some gutter and minor roof repairs scheduled. The budget is tight for some other reasons and the president stated that her husband was qualified and would do the work for free. He is not licensed or insured and will be working o…

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Q&A Q&A: Voting by Proxy
2016 December Q&A: Voting by Proxy

Q. At a regular monthly meeting of a seven-member HOA board, where four members present constitute a quorum, can one of the absent members give her proxy to one of the four attending members to vote on specific issues on the board’s agend…

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