This month’s best of the blogosphere collection contains a blend of the latest news, time-tested advice and some recurring issues.
The Gulf Oil Spill: Prepare for the Worst – Hope for the Best – John Cottle of the Florida Condo and HOA Law Blog offers tips to community associations in the areas affected by the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Embezzlement Prevention Strategies from Accountant Andrew Cohen – Seattle condo lawyer Kevin Britt posts some tips to help boards prevent fraud. This topic never gets tiresome, given the rising number of frauds being reported.
Fake Security Cameras – A Good Idea? – California condo law guru Beth Grimm takes a shot at this question.
2010 Hurricane Preparedness Guide for Community Associations is Now Available!! – Just in time for hurricane season, the Community Advocacy Network of Florida has posted a sensible guide to preparing for disasters and how to respond to them. Some good ideas here to help batten down the hatches.
An Ombudsman For Everyone? Apparently Not – Colorado HOA lawyer Mark Payne reports on that state’s trials and tribulations in passing law to appoint an HOA information officer.
Overhauled Ombudsman Bill Passed by the Senate – Molly Healy-Jones of Colorado’s HOA Legi-Slate blog gives more details about their new ombud law.
Skype and ROC Board Meetings – Florida resident-owned community lawyer Scott Gordon extols the virtues of using Skype as an inexpensive and efficient way for board members to hold meetings. Good stuff.
Thoughts Regarding the 2010 CAI Conference – In the recently-launched Condominium Insurance Law Blog by Merlin Law Group in Florida, Corey Harris reflects on the successes and continuing importance of the Community Associations Institute.
CAI Soars At 30,000 – Over at CAI’s own blog, president Tom Skiba sums up his organization’s past year of growth and successes, capped by a very successful annual conference. Congratulations to CAI.
What Generation are Your State’s Common Interest Laws? – American condo/HOA law buffs will value Lincoln Hobbs’ observations about how to date or classify the community association laws of each state.
What were they thinking? Going without insurance is not an option – Donna Berger leads the head-shaking about the story of the Florida condo that cancelled its insurance policies to save money and was subsequently destroyed by fire.
5 Things Every Buyer Should Know about Model Suites — Toronto realtor Andrew la Fleur shares some suggestions to help prospective new condo buyers avoid being flabbergasted by developers’ model suites.
Board Members: Making the Difficult Decisions – Oregon lawyer Michael Montag correctly points out that “as an HOA board member, you’re constantly between a rock and a hard place.” He then offers some strategies for getting out from under the rock.
10 questions to demand of your board candidates – New York realtor Malcolm Carter suggests 10 questions to help unit owners decide whether to re-elect board members. Hopeful incumbents would be wise to answer these questions in their campaign speech.
Honesty & Transparency in Association Governance – Michigan condo and HOA lawyer Robert Meisner shares a tale of a condo board passing budgets and making decisions with a clearly apparent lack of process and procedure. This kind of situation occurs all too often and creates mistrust and suspicion among owners, leading to serious divisions in the community.