CAI-NJ July 2021

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This month's issue is 'Community Association Leadership'.

July 2021 Community Trends

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP

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In This Issue

• What’s in a Board Leadership DevelopmentWorkshop? - Fundamentals of Financial Management - Conflict Resolution for NJ’s CommunityAssociations - CommunityAssociations: From Governing Documents to Board Responsibilities

• Attracting and Retaining Qualified Property Managers • The CIRMS Designation: Feel AssuredWhen You’re Insured • The Value of Professional Designations ....and more

The Community Associations Institute New Jersey chapter would like to thank its 2021 Ultimate Partners below. For more information on our sponsorships, please contact CAI-NJ at 609-588-0030 or info@cainj.org.

Becker & Poliakoff, LLP

T hank You Fo r You r Suppo r t !

THE CAI-NJ COMMUNITY TRENDS ® MAGAZINE CONTENTS

16 WHAT’S IN A BOARD LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

Fundamentals of Financial Management By Michael Mezzo, CPA WilkinGuttenplan Conflict Resolution for NJ’s Community Associations By Christopher Nicosia, MM, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Prime Management, Inc., AAMC Community Associations: From Governing Documents to Board Responsibilities By Jennifer L. Alexander, Esq. Griffin Alexander, P.C. 28 Attracting and Retaining Qualified Property Managers By Robert Arnone, AMS, CPM ® RCA Management, LLC 34 The CIRMS Designation: Feel Assured When You’re Insured By Robert A. Travis, CIRMS, CPIA Long Beach Commons Condominium, Inc. 38 The Value of Professional Designations By Katie Zsamba, CMCA, AMS Associa - Community Management Corporation of New Jersey, AAMC 42 Management Trends:

Liabilities in Age Restricted Communities By Elaine Warga-Murray, AMS, CMCA, PCAM RMG, Regency Management Group, Inc., AAMC

EXTRAS President’s Corner Looking Ahead

5 6 7

CAI-NJ Upcoming Events

Legislative Update

10 13 15 24 35 41 45

Your Voice is Key for NJ-LAC and CA-PAC

Chapter Trends

CAI-NJ Welcome Back Party Wrap-up & Photos F.A.S.T. Kickball Tournament Registration

CAI-NJ PCAMs

2021 CAI-NJ Beach Party Registration

2021 CAI-NJ Conference & Expo — Save the Date 51 Community Association Virtual Roundtable Discussion 52 2021 Webinar Wednesdays 53 The Ultimate Night Out — Blue Claws Game Registration 56 Business Partner Essentials Registration – NEW DATE in August! 57 New Members 60 CAI Membership Application 61 2021 Ultimate Partner Listings 62 Community Association Leadership Summit 65

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CAI-NJ BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

PRESIDENT ELECT JEFFREY LOGAN GUARDIAN SERVICE INDUSTRIES, INC.

PRESIDENT LOREN LIGHTMAN, ESQ. HILL WALLACK LLP

VICE PRESIDENT TONY NARDONE, MBA, PCAM CORNER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, AAMC

TREASURER CHRISTOPHER NICOSIA, CMCA, AMS, PCAM PRIME MANAGEMENT, INC., AAMC

SECRETARY BENJAMIN BASCH AMERICAN POOL ENTERPRISES

BOARD MEMBERS

Mary Barrett, Esq. Stark & Stark Business Partner Vanessa J. Davenport Regency at Quailbrook Homeowners Association Homeowner Leader Ryan Fleming JGS Insurance Business Partner

Charles Lavine Traditions at Federal Point Condominium Association Homeowner Leader Steven Mlenak, Esq. Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis, LLP Business Partner Kristina Munson, CMCA, AMS, PCAM RCP Management Company, AAMC, AMO Community Association Manager

GENERAL COUNSEL Jason Orlando, Esq. Orlando Murphy LLP

GENERAL COUNSEL EMERITUS Wendell A. Smith, Esq., CCAL Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis, LLP

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Jennifer Nevins, CMCA

DW Smith Associates, LLC, a subsidiary of PS&S, LLC

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PRESIDENT’S CORNER Loren Lightman, Esq. CAI-NJ 2021 PRESIDENT HILL WALLACK LLP

CAI-NJ TEAM

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Beginning Over Again with the Summer As the summer began, the chapter’s in-person events continued. The first in-person event in June was the 2021 Dennis R. Casale Memorial Golf Outing at Forsgate Country Club that was held on June 15th.The weather was perfect and the enthusi- asm was strong, which together made for a very successful event! Pictures from the event can be found at http://cainj.org/envira/2021-golf-outing/ . The chapter held its Annual Awards Celebration with a virtual awards presenta- tion on June 23rd celebrating the award winners from 2020. The presentation was followed by a lovely cocktail reception at the Boathouse Restaurant on June 24th. It was wonderful to finally honor the 2020 award recipients and host many of them in person the following day. In the meantime, our virtual programming continued as well with two moreWednesday Webinars — links to all of the upcoming Wednesday Webinars can be found at https://cainj.org/wednesday-webinars/. Besides the Wednesday Webinars, the Women’s Leadership Committee presented another SHE Connects Podcast Discussion on “What Drives Winning” with Brett Ledbetter where he discussed creating a high performance mindset and winning environments and the Homeowner Leader Committee presented their first-ever Homeowner Huddle on June 18th which provided an open forum for the chapter’s homeowner leaders to share their experiences as leaders in their community associations and offer practical tips to each other as we work through COVID ‑19 The theme of this month’s issue is “Community Association Leadership”. The articles in the issue describe ways in which homeowners and management employees help lead and direct their associations for the betterment of all who live and work in them. Articles include “What is in a Board Leadership Development Course?” which is a three-part article with the topics of: (1) Conflict Resolution for New Jersey’s Community Associations; (2) Financial Management; and (3) Community Associations – From Governing Documents to Conflict Resolutions; as well as “The Value of Professional Designations,” “Talent in Property Management” and “The CIRMS Designation”. Enjoy the issue and I know there will be a great turnout at the next in-person event – the F.A.S.T. Kickball Tournament on Wednesday, July 14th! n and other pressing issues affecting our communities. Community Association Leadership

ANGELA KAVANAUGH CHAPTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANGELA@CAINJ.ORG JACLYN OSKIERKO DIRECTOR, CONFERENCE & EVENTS JACLYN@CAINJ.ORG BROOKE STOPPIELLO-NEVINS COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER BROOKE@CAINJ.ORG ROBIN SURGENT MEMBERSHIP MANAGER ROBIN@CAINJ.ORG JENNIFER FARRELL ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR JENNIFER@CAINJ.ORG

Contact CAI-NJ

ADDRESS CAI-NJ

500 HARDING ROAD FREEHOLD, NJ 07728 PHONE 609-588-0030 FAX 609-588-0040 WEB WWW.CAINJ.ORG EMAIL INFO@CAINJ.ORG

CAI-NJ on Social Media

www.facebook.com/ CAINJCHAPTER Community Associations Institute - New Jersey Chapter

@cainewjersey

www.youtube.com/ channel/UCuw0o4xfAO _wcKQM8V4rvwA

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LOOKING AHEAD ANGELA KAVANAUGH | CAI-NJ CHAPTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” —John Quincy Adams

Leadership in our industry. Building your future through education is the core of CAI’s mission to educate our members to become leaders. Managers, it begins with the Professional Management Development Program (PMDP). Courses are currently avail- able virtually and soon will once again be taught live. It is a fact that community managers who earn their CMCA, AMS and PCAM designations, increase their skills and knowledge within the industry, giving them more job oppor- tunities and higher earning potential. Business Partners, you are experts in your fields, and the New Jersey chapter along with CAI offers you the opportunity through continued education to earn the Business Partner Distinction, in addition to, Reserve Specialists (RS), Community Insurance Risk Management (CIRMS) and College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL). Demonstrate your success and increase your mar- ketability through the CAI programs. Homeowner Leaders, you are all too aware of the responsibility and dedication required to serve on community association governing boards. The New Jersey chapter, along with CAI, offers the CAI Board Leadership Certificate to help you become a successful leader for your community. Join over 35,000 members that have chosen to advance their careers through the programs offered by CAI. Information can be found at www.cainj.org or feel free to call the chapter office and we will be happy to assist you. For our chapter, leadership begins with our 11 dedicat- ed Board of Directors. They empower the CAI-NJ Team to lead the committees. Our committees are led by dedicated chairs and vice-chairs, guiding their individual committees to develop successful events and programs for our mem- bers. They are all leaders and without them, our chapter would not be what it is today.

In-person events are back. The chapter events are back in full swing with a full calendar for the remain- der of the year. Anxious to catch up on all that we have missed, we have already hosted three events. The kick-off event was our Welcome Back Party at the Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten, sponsored by The Accent Group. After15 months, our members were able to see old friends and make new connections as they came together to celebrate at the first in-person event. Mother nature welcomed us with a beautiful day at the Annual Dennis R. Casale Golf Outing, sponsored by JGS Insurance. We were at full capacity with over 220 golfers enjoying the day. And there could not have been a better way to finish out the month of leadership, than by honoring our 2020 Chapter President, Jennifer Nevins as well as those individ- uals whom we are recognizing to be leaders in our indus- try at the Annual Awards Celebration. The hybrid Annual Awards Celebration included a virtual awards presentation followed by the in-person reception at the Boathouse on Mercer Lake. More events to come. We are happy to once again host our Business Partner Essentials program. On August 3, 2021, Business Partners will have the opportunity to earn the CAI Educated Business Partner Distinction and stand out as leaders in the industry, demonstrating insight regarding community association living while working with boards and managers. A manager/business partner meet-up will follow the program. The F.A.S.T. Committee has a new event planned to benefit Make-A-Wish New Jersey. On July 14, 2021, at Mercer County Park in Princeton Junction, they will host their Kickball Tournament where you will have the opportunity to support this worthy cause while team building with your co-workers and networking within the industry. There is still CONT I NU E S ON PAGE 8

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CALENDAR 2021 Events & Education

JULY

SEPTEMBER

14 21 29

1 17 22

Wednesday Webinar Virtual

F.A.S.T. Kickball Tournament Mercer County Park East, Princeton Junction

Beach Party Martell’s Tiki Bar, Point Pleasant

Wednesday Webinar Virtual

Community Association Leadership Summit Virtual

AUGUST

OCTOBER

20 21

Business Partner Essentials Course RCP Management Company Office, Cranbury

Pre-Conference Networking Reception Encore Event Center @IPA, Freehold

4 5 5 &6 12

Wednesday Webinar Virtual

Annual Conference & Expo Encore Event Center @IPA, Freehold

Ultimate Night Out at BlueClaws Stadium Jersey Shore BlueClaws Stadium, Lakewood

Board Leadership Development Workshop CAI-NJ Office, Freehold

Community Association Virtual Roundtable Discussion Virtual

Wednesday Webinar Virtual

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LOOKING FORWARD... from page 6.

check back on our website within the next few weeks for more information. Are you interested in speaking at an upcoming program? We are currently looking for leaders in our industry to speak at our educational programs including the Annual Conference & Expo. If you would like to share your exper- tise with your fellow members, please consider submitting a proposal. Submission forms can be found on our website at https://cainj.org/education-proposals/. Congratulations to all of you that have already become leaders in our industry and good luck to those of you that are beginning your journey to becoming the best that you can be. n

time to gather your teams and join us to get kicking for wishes! Registration and sponsorship information is avail- able at, https://www.cai-nj.org/event-3561248. Mark your calendars for two of the biggest events of the year. On September 17, 2021, we will host the Annual Beach Party at Martell’s Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant. Join us as we close out the summer with our largest networking event of the year. Further information will be available shortly. On October 20 - 21, 2021, we will be hosting our two-day Annual Conference & Expo at the Events Center at iPA in Freehold. Booth sales are already in progress. Please contact Jaclyn Oskierko at jaclyn@cainj.org to reserve your booth and sponsorship information as they are limited on a first-come, first-served basis. Don’t miss out! We are planning to add more in-person networking and educational events to our calendar. For those that enjoy attending virtually, we will continue to host our Wednesday Webinars and additional educational programming. Please

See page 7 of this issue for the calendar of events. For chapter updates and information visit the NEW www.cainj.org today!

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

GEORGE GREATREX, ESQ. PARTNER, HILL WALLACK LLP LEGISLATIVE ACTION COMMITTEE CHAIR

THE POWER OF YOUR VOICES

If your cause is righteous and reasonable, and if you speak up in support of it, good things can happen… T his idea was affirmed recently when our bill to pro- vide limited immunity to common interest communities in New Jersey from COVID -19 claims (A4979/S3584) was passed by both chambers of our legislature and sent to the Governor to be signed into law. When it was first introduced in the Assembly back in November 2020 by Atlantic County Assemblymen Vince Mazzeo and John Armato at the urging of your LAC, the conventional wisdom was that the bill stood little chance of passage. Several other competing bills seeking immunity for various segments of our society had already been introduced but had made little or no progress. We were told that while these worthy groups would benefit from such immunity, the legislature generally had “little appetite” for immunity legislation. Undaunted, we asked our CAI members and constituents to reach out to their local legislators to explain the urgent need for this liability protection and to ask for their support of this legislation. That’s when good things started to happen… Having heard from many of her constituents in Mercer and Middlesex Counties on this issue, Senator Linda Greenstein agreed to sponsor our bill in the New Jersey Senate and introduced it in late March. It quickly received a hearing in the Senate Community Development and Urban Affairs Committee (chaired by Senator Troy Singleton of Burlington County) and was passed out of committee without objec- tion in early May. We again asked our members and con- stituents to reach out to their local legislators to encourage passage of the bill... and you again responded! The bill was unanimously passed by the full Senate on June 3. With summer fast approaching and the scheduled leg- islative recess set to begin June 28, we again reached out to you for your help… and you again responded! The

“The improbable journey of this bill would not have ended successfully without two things...” concurrence with the approved Senate version of the bill, the bill was sent to Governor Murphy for his signature to make it law. As of this writing we have not yet received that news, but we are counting on him to sign this bill into law to provide the protection our common interest communities need to safely open their amenities this summer season and the rest of the year. The improbable journey of this bill would not have ended successfully without two things: the frequent, respectful and impactful communications from our members and constituents to their legislators and our Governor in support of the bill, and your contributions to our Community Associations Institute Political Action Committee ( CA-PAC ) which enable us to hire an effective lobbying team and gain us face-to-face meetings with the influential legislators who successfully moved this bill through the legislative process. Your voices and your dollars made the difference! Enjoy the summer… stay safe. See you here in the next issue of Trends. n Speaker of the Assembly was impressed with our grassroots advocacy efforts and agreed to have the bill assigned and posted in the Assembly Community Development and Affairs Committee where on June 14 it was passed out of that committee without objection. One of the members of that committee commented that she had received “so many” requests for support from her constituents that she was moved to vote in favor of it. The bill was then posted and voted on by the full Assembly on June 24 where it was again passed unanimously! After

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2021 CAI-NJ COMMITTEES

AWARDS COMMITTEE Michelle Gadaleta — Chair Mary Visco — Vice Chai r

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Michael Mezzo — Chair Carol Shenk — Vice Chair Robert Arnone, CMCA, AMS Martin Cabalar, Esq. Don Cabrera, CMCA Neeraj Chander Melissa Lathrop, RS Nicole Martone, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Steven Morris, PE, RS Drew Podolski, Esq. Robert Roop, PE Michael Ryan

HOMEOWNER LEADERS COMMITTEE Roslyn Brodsky — Chair Traci Benish

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE Kathleen Radler — Chair Nichole Gist — Vice Chair Tara Baldwin, CPA Lysa Bergenfeld, Esq. Roslyn Brodsky Megan Elgard Nikolaos Haralambopoulos, CPA Shannon Hill Debra Rizzi Steve Roderick Ken Shah

Jeanine Clark Drew Cowley Lindsay Cupples Kim Dempsey Annie Gonzales Kari Prout, CMCA Peter Shine Eileen Szelewicki, CMCA Sandi Wiktor Board Liaisons: Loren Lightman, Esq. Jeff Logan Staff Liaison: Jaclyn Oskierko BUSINESS PARTNER COMMITTEE Jessica Vail — Chair Lisa Wagner — Vice Chair

Salvatore Gurriero Vonetta Hawkins Richard Lans Deana Luchs Cheryl Palent Howard Straum Robert Travis, CIRMS Board Liaisons: Vanessa J. Davenport

Amy Shorter Mark Siwiak Briana Walsh Board Liaisons: Charles Lavine Steven Mlenak, Esq.

Charles Lavine Staff Liaisons: Jaclyn Oskierko Robin Surgent LEGISLATIVE ACTION COMMITTEE (LAC)/PAC George Greatrex, Esq. — Chair Matthew Earle, Esq. — Vice Chair Joseph Chorba, CPA — Treasurer Michael Pesce, PCAM — Secretary Elizabeth Comando, CMCA, PCAM — PAC President

Larry Thomas, PCAM Charles Witczak, PE Board Liaisons: Mary Barrett, Esq. Benjamin Basch Staff Liaison:

Staff Liaison: Robin Surgent NETWORKING EVENTS COMMITTEE

Brooke Stoppiello-Nevins F.A.S.T. COMMITTEE Nicole Miller, Esq. — Chair Jessica Baker, Esq. — Vice Chair Chelsea Donnigan

Thomas Asciolla Theresa Beckett Jose Elvir Carrie Fusella Dawn Kearney

Freedom Hildreth — Chair Daniel Reilly — Vice Chair Cathy Brennan Dean Catanzarite Diane Cody, CMCA, PCAM Rhett Cowley Janice Ellery Gary Gleitman Pam Illiano Richard Lang Jessica Marvel Debbie Pasquariello, CIRMS

Paul Raetsch — PAC Vice President James Rademacher — PAC Committee Barbara Drummond, CMCA, PCAM A. Christopher Florio, Esq. Eric Frizzell, Esq.

Eric Eggert Kristi Evans Shelby Evans, CPA, CMCA Ashley Gray, CMCA

Terry Kessler Toni Licciardi Mike Luzzi Kim Manicone Jill Nappi Herman Shauger David Velasco Michael Vennitti Gregory Vinogradsky

Vincent J. Hager, CIRMS Sue Howe, AMS, PCAM Karyn A. Kennedy Branco, Esq. Christine F. Li, Esq. Jim P. Magid, CMCA, PCAM Thomas C. Martin, Esq. Glen A. Masullo, CMCA, PCAM Richard Milder Cheryl Palent J. David Ramsey, Esq. Edward San George, PCAM Board Liaisons:

Steven Kuhnert Regina Lebron Jessica Long Endrick Rodrigues

Sam Schneider Lauren Vadenais Gabe Vitale Kristy Winchock Jose Romero Board Liaisons: Jeff Logan Kristina Munson, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Staff Liaisons: Brooke Stoppiello-Nevins Robin Surgent GOLF COMMITTEE Tom Witkowski — Chair Ross Rutman — Vice Chair Chris Belkot Harold Berlowe Scott Brandle Keith Giliberti, RS Fred Hodge Sal Iozzia Paul Migliore Mike Polulak David Shahrabani Jasmin Shelton Ryan Weiner Paul Wojciechowski Board Liaisons: Tony Nardone, MBA, PCAM Chris Nicosia, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Staff Liaison: Jaclyn Oskierko Hank Johns Lisa Komitor Karl Meth

Chris Rosati David Ross Melissa Volet Erica Taras Kasey Ronan Board Liaisons: Charles Lavine Chris Nicosia, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Staff Liaison: Jaclyn Oskierko WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE Cheryl Rhine, CIRMS — Chair Martinia Heath, CMCA, AMS — Vice Chair Karen Carway-Meehan, CMCA Jessica Hatton Lirelle Klein

Board Liaisons: Benjamin Basch

Ryan Fleming Staff Liaisons: Jaclyn Oskierko Robin Surgent CONFERENCE & EXPO COMMITTEE Jessica Kizmann, CPA — Chair Jackie Thermidor, CMCA, AMS, PCAM — Vice Chair

Vanessa J. Davenport Steven Mlenak, Esq. Staff Liaisons: Angela Kavanaugh Robin Surgent MANAGER COMMITTEE Denise Becker, CMCA, AMS, PCAM — Chair Dawn Mackanic, CMCA — Vice Chair Raymond Barnes, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Mary Barone, CMCA, AMS Robert Davidson Chuck Graziano, PCAM Erin O’Reilly, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Vincent Rapolla, AMS David Salter, CMCA Kerri Stimpson, CMCA, AMS Elaine Warga-Murray, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Board Liaisons: Kristina Munson, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Tony Nardone, MBA, PCAM

Donna Belkot Joe Bonafede Jay Burak Nicole Camarota, CMCA, AMS

Ellen Comiski Catherine Daly John Echelmeier Saher Gouda Janice Heussler Dorothy Nicklus Kevin Oliver Scott Palmieri Joely Phenes Board Liaisons: Ryan Fleming Jeff Logan Staff Liaison: Jaclyn Oskierko

Georgette Kyriacou Kristin Marzarella Carol Nickerson, CMCA Nicole Skaro, CMCA Mariaellen Varelis Anne Yanarella Board Liaisons: Mary Barrett, Esq. Loren Lightman, Esq.

Staff Liaisons: Jaclyn Oskierko Robin Surgent

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CAI-NJ 2021 PARTNERS

FWH Associates, P.A. G&C Electronics GAF Hill Wallack LLP Kipcon Inc. McGovern Legal Services, LLC mem property management, co, inc, Rezkom Enterprises, Inc. Taylor Management Company, AAMC, AMO

Ansell Grimm & Aaron, PC Associa Community Management Corp., AAMC Becker BELFOR Property Restoration Brown & Brown Insurance of Lehigh Valley C & L Services Pavement Maintenance Corner Property Management, AAMC Denali Property Management, Inc. DW Smith Associates, LLC a subsidiary of PS&S

Technocality, Inc. WilkinGuttenplan

The Falcon Group - Engineering, Architecture & Reserve Specialists

Accent Group Adamas Building Services All County Exteriors

FirstService Residential, AAMC Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis, LLP Griffin Alexander, P.C. Guardian Service Industries, Inc. Hillcrest Paving & Excavation, Inc. Jesan Construction and Maintenance JGS Insurance

PeopleFirst Property & Casualty Services Popular Association Banking Preferred Community Management Services, Inc., AAMC PuroClean of Hoboken, Jersey City, Fort Lee

Alliance Association Bank AMCO Pest Solutions, Inc. Apex Contractors, LLC Becht Engineering BT, Inc. Buckalew Frizzell & Crevina LLP Cowley’s Termite & Pest Control Services Curcio, Mirzaian & Sirot, LLC Cutolo Barros, LLC Dior Construction, Roofing, and Siding Dorothy Gale Roofing Group Environmental Designers Irrigation, Inc.

Quality 1st Contracting, Inc. Rainbow G & J Painting, LLC Regal Restoration USA RMG, Regency Management Group, Inc., AAMC SageWater Stark & Stark USI Insurance Services Valley Bank Witczak Engineering

L.N. Rothberg & Son, Inc. Lemus Construction, Inc. Mackoul Risk Solutions, LLC

Morris Engineering, LLC National Contractors, Inc. O&S Associates, Inc. Pardini R. Construction Corporation

Accurate Reconstruction AR Management Company EOSSO Brothers Paving Felsen Insurance Services, Inc.

Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla, P.C. Hueston McNulty, P.C. Landscape Maintenance Services, LLC

Radom & Wetter Attorneys at Law The Rahn Companies Renda Roads, Inc. South Shore Construction, LLC Wilkin Management Group, Inc.

MyPropertyBilling.com, LLC National Cooperative Bank

YOUR NJ-LAC & CA-PAC WORKING HARD PROTECTING THE INTERESTS OF COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS

Walk the halls of our capitol in Trenton and you see a lot of doors… doors to legislator’s offices… doors to committee rooms… doors to the Assembly and Senate chambers. It takes a lot to get through those doors. You’re not just invited in. You need a key. With a key you’re taken seriously. With a key, you get things done. THAT’S WHY CAI-NJ CARRIES THREE KEYS: • Your Legislative Action Committee (NJ-LAC): Your key eyes, ears, legs and voice in the legislative process. • Your Political Action Committee (CA-PAC): Your key contributions to support elected officials who aim to strengthen your community. • Your Professional Lobbyists: Your key, full-time pros retained by the LAC who know government’s ins and outs, advise us on who to see and when, and how to connect . WHAT CAN YOU DO?: • Take Action – Your voice is key! After meeting with elected officials and clarifying our position on pending legislation, we will alert you to the most crucial actions you can take. By calling or writing your officials, you ensure that your voice, and our agenda, is heard. • Give – Your donations are key! Supporting the PAC with your donations shows legislators that you’re serious, and that our cause counts. • Promote – Your personal influence is key! Talk about CAI-NJ’s legislative engagement in your community and business. Let fellow residents know that we’re fighting for them and their communities!

The keys only work with your support.

Make your gift to the CA-PAC today!

Yes, I’d like to support CA-PAC with a pledge!

PLEASE NOTE: Sorry, CA-PAC cannot accept credit cards. Please make your CORPORATE or PERSONAL CHECK payable and mail to: CA-PAC, 500 Harding Road, Freehold, NJ 07728

I AM A...

____ Community Association Manager. You represent a company or association who manages CAI-NJ communities.

____ Community Supporter. You represent a business that supports CAI-NJ communities with services or products.

____ Community Resident. You live in a CAI-NJ community and want to see it grow strong.

My Association/Management company is making a PAC gift of:

___ $250 ___ $500 ___ $1000 or $________

___ $100 ___ $250 ___ $500 or $________

My supporting business is making a PAC gift of:

I am personally making a PAC gift of:

___ $50 ___ $100 ___ $250 or $________

Community/Company: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Individual Name:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ MailingAddress:______________________________________________________________________________________________________ City, State, ZIP:______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone:_________________________________________________________Fax: ________________________________________________ Email:________________________________ Occupation:______________________ Employer:_____________________________________ Employer Address:___________________________________________________________________________________________________ City, State, ZIP:______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sorry, CA-PAC cannot accept credit cards. Please make your CORPORATE or PERSONAL CHECK payable and mail to: CA-PAC, 500 Harding Road, Freehold, NJ 07728

Management Company Name: _________________________________________ (Community Association’s Only)

DO NOT INCLUDE MY NAME OR COMPANY ON THE LIST OF CA-PAC CONTRIBUTORS

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission requires us to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of the employer of contributors whose contribution exceeds $300 in a calendar year. Contributions to CA-PAC are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. Contributions are not limited to suggested amounts. CA-PAC will not favor nor disadvantage anyone based upon the amounts or failure to make PAC Contributions. Voluntary political contributions are subject to limitations of ELEC regulations. CA-PAC contributions are not considered payment of CAI dues. TO DONATE TO CA-PAC, SEND CONTRIBUTIONS TO: CA-PAC, 500 Harding Road, Freehold, NJ 07728

CHAPTER TRENDS Corner Property Management, LLC of Springfield, NJ Promotes Denise Becker, CMCA, AMS, PCAM to Vice President

Corner Property Management, LLC ., ( CPM ) is pleased to announce the promotion of Denise Becker, CMCA , AMS , PCAM to Vice President. Denise, a community management veteran whose career spans over 35 years in the community management industry, joined CPM as a Regional Manager in the Springfield, NJ office in February 2019.

mem Chooses Striven Business Management Software mem property management, co, inc. recently announced the integration of Striven Business Management Software to improve task and project management company-wide and to encourage better collaboration between residents, employees, clients, and vendors. Striven streamlines tasks and securely stores contracts and documents, provides state of the art tracking and e-notifications. mem property management’s residents will see an immediate positive impact whenever they have a new maintenance/tasks/issue to report. Each time an issue is escalated to their property manager via the system, residents will be able to see and track in real-time that the issue is being worked on, who is responsible for solving the issue and notification and confirmation as soon as the issue is resolved. Issues will be solved faster with greater accountability. “This new software allows us to plan our projects, assign work efficiently, manage company resources and collabo- rate with our team better,” explains mem property manage- ment founder and CEO Martin Laderman.” “Striven is flexible enough to work with our existing systems and its state-of-the-art technology will help mem property management better serve our communities immediately,” says Laderman. n

“I am excited to announce the pro- motion of Denise Becker from Regional Director to Vice President of Corner Property Management. Over the last two years, Denise has progressively advanced as a Regional Director and has greatly contributed to her role by successfully overseeing and supporting her team of community managers while

Denise Becker, CMCA, AMS, PCAM

assisting CPM in meeting its overarching goals and objec- tives,” said Tony Nardone, CMCA , AMS , PCAM , owner and president of Corner Property Management, LLC . “We have no doubt Denise will continue to brilliantly represent CPM and shine as our Vice President.” Denise is a past president of the Community Associations Institute (CAI) NJ chapter and continues to be an active vol- unteer and participant in the organization’s events. Denise is currently the Chair of the CAI-NJ Manager’s Committee and is focused and committed to the ongoing education of community managers. Denise also is a frequent contributor to industry periodicals and has been a speaker for the CAI-NJ chapter and New Jersey Regional Council’s Board Leadership Development Workshop as well as several sem- inars and CAI-NJ Conference and Expo programs. • All submissions must come from and be about: - A member of CAI-NJ (Manager, Management Company, Board Mem- ber, Business Partner or Business Partner Employee) in good standing. • Companies/Communities are permitted four (4) announcements per calendar year. • Submissions are limited to 150 words. - Members are responsible to condense the information appropriate- ly, as CAI-NJ will not do so. Any submissions over 150 words will not be published.

Chapter Trends Editorial Guidelines

• Submissions may include (1) image. • Submissions should not be advertorial in nature.

Please note, CAI-NJ reserves the right to edit any submissions. The chapter reserves the right to omit information as necessary. CAI-NJ has the exclusive right to refuse to publish any submissions for any reason. For questions regarding the Chapter Trends section of Community Trends ® , please contact brooke@cainj.org or 609-588-0030.

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EtiAmmos/iStock/Getty Images Plus

What’s in a

BOARD LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Workshop?

Fundamentals of Financial Management By Michael Mezzo, CPA WilkinGuttenplan

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R unning a condominium or homeowners association is not dissimilar from running a business. Unfortunately, many of us do not have the experience or expertise to easily step into this role. CAI provides the “Fundamentals of Financial Management” course within the Board Leadership Development Workshop, which aims to provide a thorough overview of the knowledge and tools needed to effectively manage the finances of your community. The topics covered in the course strive to help board members: • Recognize effective practices for protecting your associ- ation’s assets • Learn the importance of having a team of professionals to inform and guide you in managing your site’s finances • Discover potential financial liabilities that not only impact the association, but board members as well, and learn how to mitigate those risks • Learn to implement sufficient controls to oversee cash collections, payments, etc.

• Discover tools and techniques to aid in preparation of an annual budget • Gain the skillset of pulling key metrics and benchmarks from both the association’s internal monthly financial statements and the annual audit • Familiarize yourself with the long-term funding strategies required for the association’s replacement fund Exploring an overview of the concepts discussed above will go a long way in helping to provide board members with the tools necessary to make informed and educated decisions with respect to the financial management of their community. Most importantly, it is vital to remember that “no one knows everything!” Even those with extensive experience in running a business will find themselves at a crossroads from time to time. They key to success is arming yourself with the knowledge and tools to get to the right solution, which is the ultimate goal of the CAI Fundamentals of Financial Management course. A N O T H E R C O M P O N E N T O N P A G E 1 8 .

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WHAT’S IN A BOARD LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP, FROM PAGE 16.

Conflict Resolution for NJ’s Community Associations By Christopher Nicosia, MM, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, Prime Management, Inc., AAMC

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C ommunity Associations in New Jersey are no strang- ers to conflict. As with all parts of life, conflict is inevitable and community associations are in no way immune to human nature. From time to time, conflicts arise, whether between an owner and the association or neighbor to neighbor. In New Jersey, the law requires that associations offer a fair and efficient mechanism for dis- putes to be resolved outside of litigation, otherwise known as “Alternative Dispute Resolution”. TYPES OF ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION: There are a few different approaches to Alternative Dispute Resolution that can be employed to meet the legal obligation for ADR under NJ Law. Arbitration: Arbitration involves the parties in conflict meeting with an arbitrator to review the conflict. The arbi- trator acts as judge and jury — after all the parties present their cases, the arbitrator renders a decision. In non-binding arbitration, the parties can petition the court to overturn the arbitrator’s decision if they do not agree with it. In bind- ing arbitration, the decision of the arbitrator is final, it is recorded with the court and is enforceable like any court order. In New Jersey, we have a somewhat hybrid version of this, where all arbitration decisions start as non-binding, however, after a certain amount of time, if the parties do not dispute the arbitrator’s finding, the arbitration outcome becomes binding on the parties. It is important to note a few things about arbitrations. First, they can be expensive, which can be a challenge if an association does not have the budget for this type of ADR. Second, arbitrators may

not be familiar with the law surrounding common-interest communities. This can lead to decisions that may create other legal complications for communities down the road. Mediation: Mediation is a less formal, more common ground approach where the parties meet with a trained mediator to discuss the conflict and work together to find a mutually agreeable resolution. A mediator does not render a decision but facilitates a conversation amongst the parties and/or acts as an intermediary amongst the parties to help them reach a resolution. This form of ADR has a high-rate of success, largely because the parties oversee their own destiny to find a solution — the parties are not being told what they have to do. This allows buy-in by the disputing parties and fosters ongoing compliance with any agreed upon solution. CAI-NJ offers a mediation service that mem- bers may use for a nominal fee to help communities meet the legal requirement for ADR and have the assistance of industry professionals trained in mediation techniques to help member communities resolve conflicts. This is not an exhaustive list of available options for alter- native dispute resolution; however, mediation is an effective approach for conflict resolution. It is cost effective, collab- orative in nature and does not impose a decision on the parties that may create other legal issues due to a lack of knowledge of community association law by an assigned arbitrator. Having a mechanism to resolve conflict is essen- tial in community associations, to try to avoid litigation and help maintain harmony within the community. For more information on CAI-NJ’s mediation service, please visit https://cainj.org/adr-mediation/. A N O T H E R C O M P O N E N T O N P A G E 2 0 .

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WHAT’S IN A BOARD LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP, FROM PAGE 18.

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS: from Governing Documents to BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES By Jennifer L. Alexander, Esq., Griffin Alexander, P.C.

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I n 1970, there were approximately 10,000 commu- nity associations in the United States. Today, there are over 370,000. Approximately one out of every five Americans live in a home in such a community. The phrase “Community Association” creates a very apt description. These organizations are “associations”: they are corporate, they have boards of directors (or trustees), policies, by-Laws, and they are bound by corporate doc- uments. They are also “communities”: their members share responsibilities and should build a positive environment for their neighbors. Members’ money is collected through assessments, which is used to pay for maintenance and repairs that benefit the whole community. The directors on an association’s board are (usually) elected by and among members of the community. Boards have responsibilities to associations; likewise, directors

have fiduciary duties. While specific boards’ powers and duties may vary from association-to-association, they always have the power to exercise authority on the associ- ation’s behalf. It is nearly universal for boards to have the power to levy assessments against members and to use those assessments to upkeep commonly owned property (“common elements”). Boards should maintain insurance to protect their association and maintain operating accounts on the association’s behalf. Boards must be prepared to bring actions on behalf of (and defend actions brought against) associations. Importantly, boards must be capable of making rules and regulations to govern the community. Along with rules and regulations, governing documents are a key component of all associations. The master deed (or the declaration of covenants, conditions, and restric- tions) is the most authoritative of these documents. The mas- ter deed acts like the association’s constitution: it provides a blueprint for how the association should be run, outlines members’ property rights, describes the individually owned and common elements within the community, and so on. If the master deed is like a constitution, then the by-Laws are like statutes. They describe the associations’ corporate governance and outline the powers and duties of members and the board of directors. Below by-Laws in the hierarchy are resolutions: the rules and regulations established by the board of directors to better govern the community. In many states, associations are required to provide a fair and efficient alternative to litigation through which unit

“Boards have responsibilities to associations; likewise, directors have fiduciary duties.”

CONT I NU E S ON PAGE 22

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WHAT’S IN A BOARD LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP, FROM PAGE 20.

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