Legal Resources: Condo Law

Ruling Expands Duty Of Care Owed To Condominium Residents

Our condominium board, property managers and concierge clients should consider a recent ruling concerning the duty of care owed to condominium residents. In a recent trial court case, the Superior Court in Jason Field et al. vs. Highbridge Concierge, Inc., et al., carefully addressed the duty owed to a couple who were viciously murdered in their Boston penthouse by a property management ex-employee who exploited lapses in security to access the victims’ unit. The case expands the duty owed to residents

Read More »

Amending Condominium Documents Road Blocks and Best Practices

By Rachel Zoob-Hill, Esq. and Howard Goldman, Esq. A prudent condominium governing board should periodically review condominium documents to confirm that they meet changing needs. For example, when online platforms such as AirBnB supercharged the short-term rental industry, many condominiums faced disputes among unit owners: Who could rent out units? How often? And under what circumstances? Some trustees were unprepared to navigate these disputes, and many condominium documents were silent regarding the issue. Sometimes condominium documents need to be amended. If

Read More »

Tuesday, November 10, 2020 – Webinar Presentation to IREM

How to Prevail in the Courts During These Pandemic Times Tuesday, November 10, 2020 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Register: Click to register Renting during the Pandemic: Avoid Traps for the Unwary Conduct financial background Obtain Guaranty Is the Tenant employed/furloughed/self-employed? Can you say no without fear of discrimination? Is the Tenant an established Company/Start-up/Franchise?

Read More »

Condominium Law

Insurance Coverage – Represent individuals and board in dispute concerning insurance coverage: whose coverage applies, and will it cover certain claims. We also regularly advise condominium boards regarding how to maximize coverage over the long haul, shape coverage to the specific needs of the condominium, and how to rein in deductible increases.   Derivative Lawsuits – Goldman & Pease has been on both sides of these disputes, the processes of which are dictated by Massachusetts statute. Derivative claims concern unit owners

Read More »

CORONAVIRUS: A Tsunami is Coming… Is Your Condominium Ready to Weather the Storm?

Insurance…the least exciting topic on any board’s agenda.  But before your eyes glaze over, consider that at this unsettled time, the adequately insured condominium that is committed to the best practices regarding Covid-19 containment – will weather the coming flood of insurance claims more readily than most. Many condominiums in Massachusetts are suffering – or about to suffer – less financial stability than in years past. Common area fees and assessments are getting harder to collect as long-term high unemployment is

Read More »

Common Area Assessments Alert

Goldman & Pease advises its Massachusetts clients, particularly condominium associations, boards, and property managers, to pay close attention to a new emergency regulation from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office that directly prohibits a condominium association from initiating or threatening to initiate a lawsuit if a unit owner fails to pay condominium common area fees, assessments, fines and/or dues. The March 27, 2020 Emergency Addendum to the Attorney General’s Regulations (“Regulation”), “Unfair and Deceptive Debt Collection Practices During the State of Emergency

Read More »

Airbnb Legislative Update: Massachusetts’ New Rules

By: Howard S. Goldman, Esq.* – Airbnb – you either love it or you hate it. With roughly 1 in 10 U.S. adults using short-term accommodations, their popularity is undeniable. And for the millions who vacation in Massachusetts each year, short-term rental sites offer a wide range of price points in a state notorious for its lack of mid-priced accommodations at premier tourist draws: Boston, Cape Cod, and the Berkshires. But other populations are decidedly less enamored by the ascent of

Read More »

New England Condominium – How Will Your Community Be Affected?

Attorney Howard Goldman was quoted extensively in the the New England Condominium article “Legal & Legislative Update 2019 – How Will Your Community Be Affected?   By A.J. Sidranksy | New England Condominium Laws, and the legal decisions that support and enforce them, are constantly evolving and can affect every facet of community life in HOAs, condominiums and co-ops. While law and legal cases can emanate from any of our three levels of government – federal, state or local – most

Read More »

Shared Living in the Small Condominium Setting: Rights and Obligations of Unit Owners and Trustees

By Howard Goldman – With the rising cost of real estate and lack of affordable housing in many communities, people are searching for ways to maximize their investment through shared living. Whether it be by including an in-law suite for an aging parent, a basement apartment for a long-term tenant or sprucing up a guest room to rent via AirBnB, many homeowners are embracing shared living as the way of the future. Shared living arrangements provide many benefits to individual homeowners

Read More »

June 14, 2017 – Legal Update Lunch Seminar

LEGAL UPDATE LUNCH SEMINAR  MEDIATE MANAGEMENT CO. Date: Wednesday, 10:30a.m. June 14, 2017 Presented by: Goldman & Pease LLC APARTMENT OR CONDOMINIUM SHARING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AIRBNB What are the security risks, nuisances, and property damage that result from engaging an Airbnb rental? What are the best practices for avoiding problems that neighbors and property managers frequently encounter when tenants or condo unit owners use Airbnb.com?

Read More »

Ruling Expands Duty Of Care Owed To Condominium Residents

Our condominium board, property managers and concierge clients should consider a recent ruling concerning the duty of care owed to condominium residents. In a recent trial court case, the Superior Court in Jason Field et al. vs. Highbridge Concierge, Inc., et al., carefully addressed the duty owed to a couple who were viciously murdered in their Boston penthouse by a property management ex-employee who exploited lapses in security to access the victims’ unit. The case expands the duty owed to residents

Read More »

Amending Condominium Documents Road Blocks and Best Practices

By Rachel Zoob-Hill, Esq. and Howard Goldman, Esq. A prudent condominium governing board should periodically review condominium documents to confirm that they meet changing needs. For example, when online platforms such as AirBnB supercharged the short-term rental industry, many condominiums faced disputes among unit owners: Who could rent out units? How often? And under what circumstances? Some trustees were unprepared to navigate these disputes, and many condominium documents were silent regarding the issue. Sometimes condominium documents need to be amended. If

Read More »

Tuesday, November 10, 2020 – Webinar Presentation to IREM

How to Prevail in the Courts During These Pandemic Times Tuesday, November 10, 2020 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Register: Click to register Renting during the Pandemic: Avoid Traps for the Unwary Conduct financial background Obtain Guaranty Is the Tenant employed/furloughed/self-employed? Can you say no without fear of discrimination? Is the Tenant an established Company/Start-up/Franchise?

Read More »

Condominium Law

Insurance Coverage – Represent individuals and board in dispute concerning insurance coverage: whose coverage applies, and will it cover certain claims. We also regularly advise condominium boards regarding how to maximize coverage over the long haul, shape coverage to the specific needs of the condominium, and how to rein in deductible increases.   Derivative Lawsuits – Goldman & Pease has been on both sides of these disputes, the processes of which are dictated by Massachusetts statute. Derivative claims concern unit owners

Read More »

CORONAVIRUS: A Tsunami is Coming… Is Your Condominium Ready to Weather the Storm?

Insurance…the least exciting topic on any board’s agenda.  But before your eyes glaze over, consider that at this unsettled time, the adequately insured condominium that is committed to the best practices regarding Covid-19 containment – will weather the coming flood of insurance claims more readily than most. Many condominiums in Massachusetts are suffering – or about to suffer – less financial stability than in years past. Common area fees and assessments are getting harder to collect as long-term high unemployment is

Read More »

Common Area Assessments Alert

Goldman & Pease advises its Massachusetts clients, particularly condominium associations, boards, and property managers, to pay close attention to a new emergency regulation from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office that directly prohibits a condominium association from initiating or threatening to initiate a lawsuit if a unit owner fails to pay condominium common area fees, assessments, fines and/or dues. The March 27, 2020 Emergency Addendum to the Attorney General’s Regulations (“Regulation”), “Unfair and Deceptive Debt Collection Practices During the State of Emergency

Read More »

Airbnb Legislative Update: Massachusetts’ New Rules

By: Howard S. Goldman, Esq.* – Airbnb – you either love it or you hate it. With roughly 1 in 10 U.S. adults using short-term accommodations, their popularity is undeniable. And for the millions who vacation in Massachusetts each year, short-term rental sites offer a wide range of price points in a state notorious for its lack of mid-priced accommodations at premier tourist draws: Boston, Cape Cod, and the Berkshires. But other populations are decidedly less enamored by the ascent of

Read More »

New England Condominium – How Will Your Community Be Affected?

Attorney Howard Goldman was quoted extensively in the the New England Condominium article “Legal & Legislative Update 2019 – How Will Your Community Be Affected?   By A.J. Sidranksy | New England Condominium Laws, and the legal decisions that support and enforce them, are constantly evolving and can affect every facet of community life in HOAs, condominiums and co-ops. While law and legal cases can emanate from any of our three levels of government – federal, state or local – most

Read More »

Shared Living in the Small Condominium Setting: Rights and Obligations of Unit Owners and Trustees

By Howard Goldman – With the rising cost of real estate and lack of affordable housing in many communities, people are searching for ways to maximize their investment through shared living. Whether it be by including an in-law suite for an aging parent, a basement apartment for a long-term tenant or sprucing up a guest room to rent via AirBnB, many homeowners are embracing shared living as the way of the future. Shared living arrangements provide many benefits to individual homeowners

Read More »

June 14, 2017 – Legal Update Lunch Seminar

LEGAL UPDATE LUNCH SEMINAR  MEDIATE MANAGEMENT CO. Date: Wednesday, 10:30a.m. June 14, 2017 Presented by: Goldman & Pease LLC APARTMENT OR CONDOMINIUM SHARING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AIRBNB What are the security risks, nuisances, and property damage that result from engaging an Airbnb rental? What are the best practices for avoiding problems that neighbors and property managers frequently encounter when tenants or condo unit owners use Airbnb.com?

Read More »
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