Posted on January 27, 2010 by Chris Jaglowitz

Best of the blogosphere for December 2009

With the twenty-tens now well underway, let’s look back at some of the best of the condo-related blogosphere for the last month of the “aughts.”

New Year Resolutions for Boards – Colorado lawyer Molly Foley-Healy of the HOA Legi-Slate blog suggests three new years’ resolutions that any condo or HOA board should make. It’s not too late!

10 Tough Questions with Herman Turkstra - The Hamiltonian blog picks the brain of local institution, lawyer and former politician Herman Turkstra on Steeltown’s successes, failures and future.

How Much Are My Condo Fees Per Square Foot? – In a recently-launched blog called It’s a Condo Life, Oshawa property manager Tracey McLellan shines some light on how comparing common expenses of different buildings can be confusing.

Enforcing CC&Rs Through Electronic Surveillance -- Daniel Zimberoff of the Northwest Condo & HOA Law Blog suggests that better surveillance may lead to better compliance with covenants, conditions and restrictions and can simplify rule enforcement cases.

Condominium corporation approval for hot tub not needed? -- Toronto Lawyer and blogger James Morton shows us the guts of the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in the famous hot tub case of 2009, WCC 198 v. McMahon.

Well... Everyone Knows It: The Testimony of a Mold Expert -- Mark Wiechnik of Stark & Stark’s New Jersey Law Blog takes on the popular conception that toxic mould causes serious health issues in humans. Judging from the number of lawsuits, mould seems like the bogeyman of our time, notwithstanding that the link between mould and harm to human health is far from clear. A provocative piece.

How To Enforce Civil Judgments in Ontario – If you ever wanted to learn about how we turn a court order into money in the bank, see this entry by Toronto insurance lawyer Pamela Pengelly on her Res Ipsa Loquitor blog.
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Posted on November 1, 2009 by Chris Jaglowitz

Best of the blogosphere for October 2009

From the many blog entries that might interest condo directors, owners and managers, here are some of the best of the past month.

Click the bolded titles below to read the entries.   Enjoy!

Do you know what your association attorney thinks of you? – Have you ever stopped to think about what your lawyer thinks of your condo and its board? Find out what's on the minds of the lawyers at Donna Berger's Florida law firm.

ROCs can use written rules to encourage civility at meetings – Scott Gordon of the Florida Resident-Owned Communities Law Blog suggests that passing rules to govern members’ conduct at annual meetings may be an appropriate way to deal with declining civility and courtesy.  Hear, hear!

Use Prepaid Credit Cards for Online Purchases -- Canadian Capitalist suggests using prepaid credit cards to minimize risk when shopping online. My thought:  Condos that provide their superintendents with a corporate credit card for emergencies or purchasing supplies could use prepaid cards instead to help lessen the chance of a huge unauthorized bill and to protect against theft. These cards might also be a good gift idea.   Compare the costs and features of the most popular pre-paid cards at Million Dollar Journey's entry on Prepaid Mastercard and Visa Credit Card Comparison.

HOA Boards Often Approach Me with a Plan and a Question – The lawyers at northwestern US law firm Vial Fotheringham lament the fact that too many HOA boards enact a plan first, and then ask their lawyer “can we do this?”  Good discussion on the scope of a board's authority.

Before Buying Into a HOA or Condo Association... – What due diligence would “The Donald” conduct before buying a condo? Find out by reading this entry on the Trump University Blog.

Mold and Water Damages Often Expensive to Repair – Lisa Magill at the Florida Condo & HOA Law Blog offers practical suggestions to avoid commonly encountered mould problems when owners leave their units for prolonged periods (or for good).

Directors and Officers Coverage is Not the Same as Fidelity Coverage – Lincoln Hobbs of the Utah Condo Law Blog speaks the truth.
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Posted on December 5, 2008 by Chris Jaglowitz

From PM Expo: Tips on water damage and mould growth

Daily Commercial News reports on the swag being distributed by more than 1100 exhibitors at PM Expo and shares some of the sights and scenes of the show, which ends at 1 p.m. today.   Last call!

Dozens of seminars and workshops informed and educated hundreds of people over the past two days.   I was one of many  in attendance for the "Mould, Moisture and Related Building Envelope Failures" workshop given by Bruce Stewart and Phil Brearton of Pinchin Environmental.   A handful of their many excellent points included:

  • Municipalities are now required to inspect a building if notified by police that the building housed a marijuana grow-op (which are notorious for causing ruinous mould infestations);
  • In 2004, the Canadian Construction Association developed and published guidelines for dealing with mould in various stages and circumstances, including initial construction of buildings and in remediating subsequent infestations -- worth being aware of;
  • A maintenance tip to help prevent water entering into a building:  Don't make repairs overtop existing repairs.   While caulking over existing caulk might look nice and make us feel secure, it is an ineffective repair. 

Some additional information from Pinchin (thanks, Bruce!) on dealing with water damage and mould growth can be found here and the full PowerPoint presentation from the seminar is here.   Stay dry.

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