Real Estate Law Articles

Use cost saving technologies and techniques to properly manage an association budget We are excited to announce that this week's article is one from guest blogger John Archer with Intuitive Energy Solutions on effectively managing an association budget with cost saving measures! Check it out belo...

3 Tips for Gathering Opinions in Group Settings We recently wrote about group decision making in communities and wanted to delve deeper into the process of gathering opinions from all members present. When you're in a group setting, it's pretty common for certain ideas and opinions to go unheard,...

Maintain Resident Common Areas Efficiently and Effectively From pools and lounges to landscaping and sidewalks, every property manager or community association has had to deal with maintaining resident common areas. Some residents don't respect the cleanliness of common rooms, cleaning staff do...

The Effective Way to Approach Group Decision Making As a community association or property manager, you are probably very well acquainted with the difficulties of making decisions in a group setting. People disagree, people choose an option just because the person next to them chose it, and it is...

We all live in a world filled with communities. We experience a sense of community where we work, where we study, and most importantly, where we live.  As a property manager or community association, it's important to make sure there is a positive sense of community in your area. Sure, fostering ...

Social and electronic media is great when it's all positive, but sometimes, community associations have to face unwanted national and local attention. You've probably heard that any press is good press, but ignoring unwanted negative attention can cause a lot of issues. To properly respond to any...

There is a certain level of risk involved in everything, whether it's small or large. When it comes to business, failure to acknowledge risks could lead to major trouble and a lack of success. As a property manager or community association, it's up to you to make sure that the community is protec...

We communicate with people each and every day. Whether you're speaking in person, over the phone or through an email, it's important to know how to effectively convey your message and get people the information they need. This is especially true in a community association, but it doesn't stop the...

One of the great things about living in a community is the opportunity to get involved and attend HOA meetings. Attending Homeowners Association meetings allows residents to ensure that they have a voice and understand what is going on with their community, but for some, attending meetings isn't ...

If you're a part of a condo or homeowner association, you've probably had a conversation concerning the need for volunteers. Many times, it is based on size, but that isn't always the deciding factor. Some large communities are successful without a manager, while some small communities have profe...

Volunteers can be an important part of any community association, but they can sometimes be hard to recruit. While they aren't always easy to find, they are an important part of an association because they bring a different perspective to the table. You may know what's right from the business poi...

An article titled “Managing the Business of Your Association” written by our very own Jane Bolin, founding partner of PeytonBolin, PL, was featured in the KW Property Management & Consulting Newsletter! Click here to read the full article or check out an excerpt below: Managing the Business of...

Bad Tenants. Every landlord, property manager or community association has had one. They get constant complaints from neighbors, they lie and argue, they trash the property, they don't pay rent on time… whatever it is, bad tenants can be really difficult to deal with. One of the best ways of mana...

As we've said before, communication is key, especially in a community. As a property manager or community association board, it's up to you to be in touch with your residents. It's important that you take their opinions and priorities into account whenever you're making decisions that will affect...

A whole is the sum of it's parts, and a group is only as strong as it's weakest member. You probably know that there are a lot of occasions where these phrases ring true, and a community association board is one of them. Each member is important to the success of the entire board, and they all ha...

Anyone can be at risk for fraud, so it's important that you take steps to safeguard your association funds. While no safeguard is foolproof, using a combination of different techniques could help you protect your association from being victimized. We recently read a CAI article about preventing f...

By: Gian Ratnapala, Esq. Associate Attorney During 2007 to 2008 a large number of mortgage foreclosure cases were filed and dismissed throughout the State of Florida.  Recently, however, a new wave of mortgage foreclosure cases has been filed to restart the foreclosure process on these previous...

We've all heard the phrase “communication is key,” but did you know it also applies to safety in communities? You've probably been in a situation where two people at odds with each other have gotten violent, and this can happen in communities too. A community in discontent can lead to arguments w...

As a property manager or community association, you have to constantly be concerned with the safety of your tenants. Luckily, with all the advances in technology, control of community safety is becoming easier and easier. We recently read an article on flcaj.com about the role of technology in co...

Having a pool in your community is great for residents, but it can pose unique challenges for community associations and property managers. Residents love to use the pool, but they don't always take care of it the way they would their own pool. You've probably had people break in and it's likely ...

Having a Merry and Bright Holiday Season in Your HOA or COA By:  Amanda Noelle Laber, Esq. The holiday season is upon us. As you string up lights, trim the tree, put candles in the windows and start baking up a storm for your annual holiday party, there are a few things you should keep in mind ...

Author: Michael Mayer,Senior Associate Attorney, PeytonBolin, PL. We announced back in June a big win for one of our clients, Alden Hotel Condominium Owners Association against Fannie Mae. A notice of appeal was filed shortly thereafter and you may be wondering what is going on? We thought we wou...

Pet restrictions in your condominium association Charles M. Shultz, the creator of The Peanuts cartoons, once said that “happiness is a warm puppy.”  This might be true, but if you plan on personally testing this theory, you might want to check your association documents first. The governing docu...

One of the methods a community association may use to discourage non-payment or other violations is the suspension of use rights. In 2010, lawmakers provided associations with the power to prevent an owner's access to certain common elements when the owner breaks association rules or becomes deli...

Chapter 11 Reorganization for Community Associations This post was written by Gian Ratnapala, Esq., Associate Attorney for PeytonBolin. Gian Ratnapala, Associate Attorney, PeytonBolin In the past few years almost 100 condominium associations nationwide have filed for chapter 11 reorganization un...