Author Archives: Ryan Poliakoff

New Neighborhoods Column–New Feature!

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Hi everyone!  I’m going to start a new feature this week–I’ll be reprinting the question and answer column that I write with my father, Gary A. Poliakoff, and that appears in newspapers and magazines throughout Florida.  It’s called New Neighborhoods, … Continue reading

Posted in Condo Associations, Condo Management, HOAs, Homeowner's Association, New Neighborhoods Column Tagged , , , , ,

Back in the Saddle!

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Hello again!  My apologies for my brief delay in writing this blog–it’s been an incredibly active fall for me.  Let me get everyone up to speed. For the past year I had served as the president of a property management … Continue reading

Posted in Shared Ownership Guide

Stucco Blues: How One Condominium Deals With a Construction Emergency, Part 3

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Welcome again to Stucco Blues!  If you recall the last two columns, our subject condominium, only a few years old, had discovered that large pieces of stucco were falling off of the building.  So the board shut down the majority … Continue reading

Posted in Common Areas, Condo Associations, Developers / Construction, Property Maintenance, Shared Ownership Guide Tagged , ,

Basic Covenant Enforcement Principles for Condos and HOAs

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As many of you know, I write an article with my father, Gary A. Poliakoff (co-author of New Neighborhoods), that appears in over a dozen newspapers throughout Florida.  Our column this week was the result of a question sent to … Continue reading

Posted in Back to Basics, Condo Associations, HOAs, Homeowner's Association, Rule Enforement and Fines Tagged , , ,

A Flagstaff Community Experience: The Down Housing Market Affects a Small Condo Complex and the Stress of a Self-Managed HOA Makes Matters Worse

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For today’s blog, we have something a bit different.  Laura, from Flagstaff, Arizona, wrote a very nice article that I wanted to share with you that details some of her own frustrations in moving into a new home in a … Continue reading

Posted in Condo Associations, HOAs, Homeowner's Association, Owner Stories Tagged , , ,

Stucco Blues: How One Condominium Deals With a Construction Emergency, Part 2

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First, I have to apologize for the delay between columns–I had been dealing with a family emergency, but now I should be back on schedule.  Today’s entry is nice and long to make up for things. In my last column, … Continue reading

Posted in Condo Associations, Developers / Construction, HOAs, Homeowner's Association Tagged , , ,

Stucco Blues: How One Condominium Deals With A Construction Emergency, Part 1

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Some of you may remember months ago that I wrote a series of articles about how the board of directors of my condominium handled a black water (ie, sewage) leak that destroyed 2 units in our building and required a … Continue reading

Posted in Condo Associations, Emergency Planning, HOAs, Homeowner's Association Tagged , ,

Shared Ownership Security–Greeters, Gatehouses and Front Desks at Condos and HOAs

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In many of the larger shared ownership communities around the country, some type of “security” contract is a necessity.  But what exactly does such security entail?  And is it really “security”, at least the way most of us view the … Continue reading

Posted in Condo Associations, HOAs, Homeowner's Association, Security Tagged , , ,

HOAs and Violations–Is There a Better Way?

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Property management for homeowner’s associations and condominiums can differ substantially, and perhaps the biggest difference is the process of recording and implementing letters and fines for violations of the covenants, conditions and restrictions of the community. For most communities it … Continue reading

Posted in Back to Basics, HOAs, Homeowner's Association, How To, Rule Enforement and Fines, Shared Ownership Guide Tagged , , ,

Audit Season–What Condos and HOAs Need to Know

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For most associations, basic accounting and bookkeeping is handled either by a property manager, a management company, or, in the case of some smaller communities, the treasurer him or herself. But once a year, most moderately-sized communities hire an outside … Continue reading

Posted in Shared Ownership Guide