There are organizations in the US that specialize in community associations. Here are two:
A condominium association is the business entity involved in condominium ownership. The condominium association is usually a non-profit corporation, and is listed with the Secretary of State in the state where the condominium community is located.The Secretary of State's records are usually public records.As well, residents and owners of a condominium community should know who sits on the association's board of directors, and their contact details.You can also contact a condominium association through its property manager.
Any manager for a condominium association is a vendor, usually under a contract. Read the contract to find the termination clauses.
Your answer depends on the questions that you ask. General state and local regulations can be answered by your local chapter of Community Associations Institute, below. Questions you have about a condominium where you reside or own property are available in your governing documents, from board members or from your association manager.
If the Illinois Condominium Property Act says that you **shall** have insurance -- not **may** -- and lays out specific terms and conditions, you are strongly urged to obey the law. In the case of a disaster, without insurance you may be doubly charged: once by the cost of recovering from the uninsured disaster and the second time by the law which may penalize you for not carrying insurance. Your property manager or member of your board will be able to answer your question specifically.
Generally, it's a good idea to have a set of keys for a condominium, so you can unlock the door.As well, your governing documents may also require that you store a spare set of keys with the property manager, so that in case of an emergency, your condominium unit can be accessed without breaking down the door.
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New Jersey, like most other states, has a state condominium law. Developers commission a set of governing documents for every association, which are unique to that association.When you purchased your home, you received a copy of these governing documents, usually CC&Rs and By-Laws (covenants, conditions, restrictions and reservations). These are your core 'rules'. Alternatively, you can also ask your property manager or any board member for copies of up-to-date governing documents, which you can expect to pay for.On a higher level homeowner's associations are subject to statutory law in every state. Some states have separate statutes, in addition to condominium law, that govern HOAs since they affect all types of common interest property including condominiums, cooperatives, planned communities, mobile home parks and time shares. All have homeowner's associations in common. See related link for the New Jersey Common Interest Real Property Act and scroll to section 301.
Your treasurer or property manager is best equipped to interpret the acronyms used in your condominium assessment budget. There are no standards, so individual properties make up their individual expense line items.
It depends.If you are a six-unit conversion of a brownstone on the upper east side of Manhattan and you've all lived in the building for 20 years and kept the property in good repair -- maybe not.If you're a new complex with multiple buildings, a mixed-use development with residential and commercial, have a clubhouse, pool or putting green -- maybe yes.Everyone in between: the association needs to make this decision.These are the advantages of hiring a property manager (who knows that they're doing):They offer a buffer between board members and neighborsThey can help the board honour the governing documents and abide by the state law that governs condominiums and possibly non-profit corporationsThey can handle your finances and produce financial reports in the standard modified accrual methodThey can offer a wider selection of vendorsThey have experience working with recalcitrant owners who don't like to pay assessments, so they don't pay themThey can collect the names of tenantsThey can send violation notices and enforce the governing documentsUnless someone on the board is more or less willing to devote full time to operating the business -- usually a multi-million dollar corporation, a condominium-centric property manager is a vendor that most associations prefer to hire.Key is finding a property manager knowledgeable in managing condominium properties. A rental-centric property manager can generally be a waste of money, since without an understanding of governing documents and local state condominium law, this vendor can only offer a false sense of security to the association.
These are the players: The Board, the Property Manager, the Vendor (landscape-subcontractor), the Unit Owner (landlord) and You. The association's board would prefer to deal with the landlord. The vendor (subcontractor) has an agreement with the board via the management company. Develop your case for damage -- descriptions, photos, and so forth, and present it to your landlord with a copy to the property manager. Volunteer to work directly with the property manager to affect payment for damage repair once your landlord has presented your case to the board.
A Property Manager is the role defined by a real estate agency and involves the rental management of a property on the agencies rent roll. An owner of the rental property employs the agency to "manage the property" and the agency employs the property manager to complete the task.
Overall, this is probably not a good idea.Read your governing documents to determine whether or not this practice is allowed. (It is generally forbidden if the owner is also a board member.)Next, think through the process and determine whether or not the homeowner will be able to survive the differences of opinion that will arise in the course of performing these duties.(To the homeowner: Remember, you live with these people.)The role of a knowledgeable property manager includes not only following the governing documents for the community, but following the state law that governs condominiums. This position is a heavy-weight, professional role.A property manager can advise the board about matters and processes based on local experience, which is critical to a board in three basic areas:Business and financeGovernanceCommunityA homeowner without the requisite expertise and experience may also face personal liability if matters become contentious.In the link, below, you can read more about the role of a property manager and how to choose one.