We are proud to announce we have been awarded the AICPA SOC Audit seal. 
Click the on the seal for more information about this accomplishment!
Vendors/Contractors
Volunteer Labor
- Details
-
-
- Category: Vendors/Contractors
Save money. Build community. Use volunteers. But consider the risks and shortcomings first.
A kindly retired neighbor crafted a small wood shelter for the children who shivered in the Colorado elements as they waiting for the school bus each morning. A grateful association board thought it would be a good idea to make sure the man was insured in case something went wrong. The insurance agent said, “Whoa.”
How do LEDs Compare to CFLs?
- Details
-
-
- Category: Vendors/Contractors
Light-emitting-diode (LED) technology is advancing rapidly and has become a viable option for some specific applications in institutional and commercial buildings. Maintenance and engineering managers also are considering LEDs for installation in exterior applications and in parking garages.
What has changed? In the past few years, the color quality, efficiency, and reliability of LEDs have improved significantly. Managers now have viable options for specifying LEDs, but they need to beware of poor-quality products on the market.
"Round Peg in a Square Hole" - Mechanic’s Liens Don’t Fit Condominiums
- Details
-
-
- Category: Vendors/Contractors
The ability to file a mechanic’s lien gives contractors a powerful weapon in their battles to collect money owed them for construction work they have done. But the Massachusetts Condominium Statute, Chapter 183A, prohibits the application of these liens to common areas.
Section 13 of the statute, governing claims against community associations, specifies that any claims involving the common areas “shall be made only against common funds or property held by the organization of unit owner and not against the common areas and facilities themselves….”
Although that language is about as clear as any you are likely to find in statutes or regulations, contractors still periodically file mechanic’s liens related to work on common areas - possibly because they aren’t aware that they can’t use this collection tool with condominiums; but more likely because they know that filing the lien - appropriate or not - will give them leverage in negotiations with an association’s governing board.
PERMITS REQUIRED FOR CONTROLLING NUISSANCE GEESE
- Details
-
-
- Category: Vendors/Contractors
So you are fed up with the bare dirt covered with goose poop around your lake. It is time to take action! But, what are the regulatory issues and are permits required? Geese are protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the federal government side and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission on the state government side. There are regulations, but they realize resident geese are an introduced nuisance and health threat. You can take action but you should follow the rules.
Migratory geese are still declining in numbers and are very much protected. Only the resident geese, manipulated by humans years ago trying to increase numbers for hunting, create a nuisance. The resident geese have adapted to community lakes surrounded by lush turf grass and few natural predators. In many areas their populations are exploding. They eat the grass down to the bare dirt that is eroding and leave nasty droppings that contribute excess nutrients to the lake, which often encourages nuisance filamentous algae blooms. The droppings also create significant health concerns. These communities are now asking “what can we do to control the damage created by these geese?”
Tips for Dealing with Contractors
- Details
-
-
- Category: Vendors/Contractors
This week's tip offers advice for HOA boards that are disappointed with contractors. If you're considering severing ties, follow these rules:
- Beware urban legends. Know the law.
If you think you can always cancel a contract within a certain number of days, you're wrong.
