AssociationHelpNow™ Event Brings Education (and lunch) to Managers and Board Members in Atlantic City
Newsflash readers — we do get out! In addition to providing publications and an informative website, Brainerd Communications, Inc. produces events branded under our trademark, AssociationHelpNow™ to educate and facilitate discussions on many condo and HOA-related topics. On September 26th, managers and board members, many from high rise buildings on the coast, gathered at Ocean Club Condominium, a thirty-four story luxury building on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, to network, learn and tour the building. Managers in attendance earned 2 CEUs toward their professional designations.
The event, which included lunch from Carmines in Atlantic City, was sponsored by Accurate Reconstruction; Alliance Association Bank; Ansell Grimm & Aaron PC; COIT South Jersey and Philadelphia; Community Association Underwriters of America; Miller + Dodson Associates; Mutual of Omaha Bank – Community Association Banking & Condocerts; the New Jersey Chapter of Community Association Institute (CAI); NFP Insurance; Premier Window Cleaning; and Ruotolo, Spewak & Co.
Speakers at the event were David Byrne, Esq., an attorney with Ansell Grimm & Aaron, PC and Peter Miller, Arch., RS, with Miller + Dodson Capital Reserve Consultants.
Byrne’s presentation focused on a bill, signed into law in New Jersey in July of this year, that changes condominium and homeowner associations election laws. The bill is colloquially dubbed the Radburn Bill, after a Fair Lawn, New Jersey unincorporated community located within Bergen County, New Jersey. The Radburn Bill makes amendments to the Planned Real Estate Development Full Disclosure Act or “PREDFDA.”
The main crux of the changes is to make elections more democratic and transparent. Byrne explained how the law differently affects communities with over fifty and under fifty units, and about the modernization of the voting process. He went into detail to explain the three types of ballots: general, proxy and absentee. Finally, he warned that you can use an official election inspector. But as soon as you assign an an inspector, he said, then the inspector’s results will have legal significance.
Following Byrne’s presentation, Miller spoke about the importance of long-term planning, avoiding bad decisions, and reserve studies.
He opened with a story about the fictitious yet heart-warming Betty Jones. Jones is a retired school teacher that can’t afford her special assessment and is forced to sell her unit. This type of misfortune doesn’t only have an affect on the Jones family. It affects the prices of comparable units. It impacts everyone in the community.
“Don’t be a leak chaser,” warned Miller. “Make sure you have money that is adequate for insurance, maintenance and reserves,” he said.
Additionally, Miller pointed out that when determining reserves, associations should not only adjust for national inflation, but should also adjust for inflation specific to an industry. He exemplified the petrol/chemical industry, on which asphalt and asphalt roof shingles depend for their manufacture and production. “You can’t wait five years [to adjust for] an increase,” he said.
There was a brief question and answer session after each of the speaker’s presentations. The afternoon finished up with a door prize raffle and a tour of both the amenities and the industrial rooms of Ocean Club Condominium by its General Manager Donald Brunell. Attendees received goody bags containing many items — including a copy of the New Jersey edition of the book, AssociationHelpNow™ Condo/HOA Primer, by Raymond Dickey.
Brainerd Communications, Inc. has another lunch event coming up in Atlantic City on December 5, 2017 entitled “AssociationHelpNow™ Fun Problem Solving.” Attendees will be broken into groups for the challenge of solving problems that managers and board members face in fulfilling their roles and duties at their associations. This will take place at the historic Ritz Condominium, located on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.
In Pennsylvania, we are having an event at Maggiano’s Restaurant in King of Prussia, on November 11, 2017 to discuss______________.
These events are free for condominium or homeowner association board members and managers. To register email info@brainerdcommunications or call (888) 445-7946.