MA: Second victim found dead
in Southie condo inferno
A second person has died in
a South Boston inferno as
investigators probe whether
the fast-moving blaze may
have been set, the Herald
has learned....
OR: Owners revolt over $17.7
million condo repair bill
A group of central Oregon
condo owners says it
narrowly voted out the Inn
of the Seventh Mountain's
board of directors Monday
and promptly killed plans to
charge the homeowners nearly
$18 million to repair their
units....
FL: Artist carries on 11
generations of tradition
The pair presented the idea
to the HOA board, which
recognized its significance
and voted unanimously to
accept it. "I'd actually
seen it on the Freedom Train
in 1976 and knew of its
historical value," says
Ryan. "Really, it belongs to
America, and we will be...
CO: Homeowners mixed on
association fees
It isn't unusual for HOA
fees to increase with the
beginning of a new year,
said Heather Kerwin, vice
president of a local
community association
management company that
manages 40 properties along
the Front Range....
UT: Homes sinking in West
Jordan subdivision
The homes have been repaired
by Richmond with expensive
helical pier systems, but
lingering foundation
problems, crumbling concrete
driveways and unfinished
roads have infuriated
residents and prompted the
neighborhood homeowners
association (HOA) to
consider ...
FL: South Florida sellers
slash prices by $1 billion
Desperate sellers have
slashed asking prices by $1
billion in the past year,
according to a report by
brokerage Condo Vultures of
Bal Harbour....
IL: First board faces big
job, tight deadline
The Illinois Condominium Act
says that the election of
the first owner-controlled
board shall take place no
later than 60 days after the
developer has closed on the
sale of 75 percent of the
units. Turnover has greater
implications for a new
association than s...
NJ: Condo owners file suit
about overpricing
Alleging that Mountain Creek
sold them overpriced condos
on the strength of a
surrounding village the
company has no plans to
build anytime soon, some
owners of condominiums at
Mountain Creek's Black Creek
Sanctuary and the
Appalachian have filed suit
against...
Singapore: Ex-condo managing
agent believed to have made
off with $200,000
Police are looking for a
former condominium managing
agent, who is believed to be
on the run with over
S$200,000 worth in sinking
funds from four
condominiums....
KS: Neighborhood deals with
an uncooperative neighbor
Homeowner association
president Nick Roberts sent
two letters to Clark,
informing him of subdivision
rules, asking him to sod his
lawn or face punitive
enforcement. In the River
Meadows Declaration of
Restrictive Covenants, the
association has the power to
tak...
AZ: Newcomers learn HOA
ropes the hard way
Elaine and Al said they were
pleased with the response
from their board but the
predicament left them
wanting to know more about
HOAs and their rights as
homeowners. So, they signed
up for a series of classes
about HOAs offered through
the Leadership Centre....
IL: Problem Solver helps a
cancer patient avoid
condo-association penalty
Because Fefer's chemo had
run out the day before, she
was desperate for the pills.
She sent her friend to the
custodian's apartment,
located in the building. The
custodian had finished
working at 3 p.m., and
according to the condo
association's bylaws, he was
...
FL: Condo boards can
prohibit exterior holiday
decorations
Owners in at least two South
Florida condos learned the
hard way last week that
while they may be the kings
of their castles, their
reign doesn't extend to the
outside walls....
VI: Grande Bay Condo Owners
Allege Mold, Structural
Issues in Second Lawsuit
Owners at Bay Isle's
48-unit, luxury condominium
development Grande Bay
Resort have yet to move in,
and they've already filed
two lawsuits against the
developer....
AR: POA employees bring
holiday cheer to several
local families
Christmas will be a little
brighter this year for
several Bella Vista
families, thanks to the
efforts of the Property
Owners Association's
Membership Services
Department and those who
gave donations....
TX: Williamson homeowners
sue management company
Two homeowner associations
in Williamson County have
filed lawsuits in state
District Court in Travis
County against the
management company,
RealManage LLC. RealManage
manages more than 325
community associations in
Texas and six other states,
according to its...
NY: Dog Trainer Helps
Buyers, Pets Pass Condo
Board Interviews
New York City's real estate
brokers has taken the
innovative step of referring
dog-owning clients to a
special animal training
expert who helps make sure
the pets (and their owners)
pass co-op and condo board
interviews to be allowed to
reside in some of the n...
OH: Condominium tells
resident to take down
Nativity display
No one is objecting to its
significance or appearance.
But the Blendon Park
Condominium Association
recently served Petersen
with a notice: Move the
scene to the front porch or
backyard, or dismantle it.
Her front yard is considered
the condominiums' common
gr...
CO: What to know about snow
removal in your HOA?
With the recent snowfall
this December, many
front-range homeowners,
particularly those living in
communities governed by
homeowners associations
(HOAs), are concerned about
timely snow removal....
Canada: Huge condo bill
taxes owners
Jennifer Shelley received an
unpleasant surprise last
month: a $28,000 bill
towards repairs at her
apartment complex. Shelley,
who has owned her apartment
at Penhorwood Place in the
Lower Townsite for a year,
said the bill came from the
complex's condo board,...
SD: Water study causes
concern for Shirt Tale Gulch
residents
The recent discovery of
radium in different water
systems around the Black
Hills has some people
wondering if their water is
safe to drink. Residents of
Shirt Tail Gulch just
outside of Deadwood had just
those thoughts, but since
have found that steps are
bein...
AZ: Carriage Parc residents
oust HOA president
Residents of Carriage Parc
Estates in Gilbert voted
Wednesday night to keep two
members of their HOA board
but ousted their
president....
AR: JPs act on measure to
help Village POA
Saline County Quorum Court
has approved first readings
of two ordinances that would
make it possible for Hot
Springs Village to enforce
some of its Property Owners
Association rules....
Hawaii residents face
leasehold shake-up
During the next decade,
leases at some 1,500
leasehold units are due to
end, causing the potential
transitioning of thousands
of Hawaii residents....
CO: Mission Viejo launches
history Web site
The Mission Viejo
Homeowners' Association Inc.
announces the establishment
of the Mission Viejo
Colorado history web site
at:
http://www.missionviejohoa.org/history.htm
....
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Community
associations will no longer be able to play
favorites, at least when it comes to the
selection of companies providing cable
services. In a decision that has infuriated
cable companies and unsettled common interest
ownership communities , the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) has decided to
prohibit contracts giving large cable companies
the exclusive right to provide services to
multi-unit properties. The order, published in
November and approved unanimously by the
five-member commission, applies to apartments,
condominiums and cooperatives, as well as to
“gated communities,” mobile home parks, garden
apartments and “other centrally managed
residential real estate developments.” In
addition to prohibiting future exclusivity
agreements, the order also nullifies the
exclusivity provisions in existing contracts — a
controversial exercise of the commission’s
authority encouraged by the telecommunications
companies (primarily Verizon and AT&T) that
sought the change in FCC policy, but almost
certain to be challenged by the cable
operators.
Insurance
policies are written based on the concept of
"indemnity" which means "protection or security
against damage or loss." Fire insurance policies
are not designed to put a policyholder in a
better position than he was prior to a loss.
Otherwise, having insurance might create an
incentive to have a loss. To prevent a
policyholder from unfair compensation whenever a
covered loss occurs, most insurance contracts
are written so that the insurance carrier's only
responsibility is to return the building to the
condition it was prior to the loss. This is true
even if an older, out-of-code building is
damaged. Building code updates are not covered
under the standard fire insurance policy.