CAI-NJ Sept 2020

CAI and LAC: Tackling Legislation and Making a Strong Impact on Community

Association Governance By A. Christopher Florio, Esq., Stark & Stark

F or several years now, the LAC has engaged the services of professional lobbyists to assist the New Jersey chapter of CAI with its messaging and education efforts with our legislators and state regulators. Over the years, by employing lobbyists, and along with the work of many LAC members testifying at legislative and administrative hearings, the LAC has thwarted many pieces of legislation that may have proven burdensome or otherwise harmful to common interest community associations, especially in this COVID environment. These successful efforts include preventing harmful legislation that would have made assessment collection for delinquent accounts against the law. As associations must provide services to its members akin to that of a municipality, this law would have had a serious impact on the viability of community associations.

Preventing bad legislation and regulations that affect community associations is a major component of the LAC’s mandate. The other is promoting legislation that has a positive effect upon community associations such as foreclosure reform, requiring local municipal utilities authorities to properly maintain fire hydrants in community associations with private roads, reaching an agreement with the New Jersey Builders Association on defining “adequate reserves” and “benefits derived”, and reinstating bonding requirements for private infrastructure. Some other important initiatives:

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