tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22508521997999643972024-09-05T15:59:26.588-04:00Community Associations Institute - Connecticut (CAI-CT) is a local organization dedicated to the ideals and principals of CAI. Our slogan of "Building the Best Communities in Connecticut" reflects our desire to foster vibrant, competent, and harmonious community associations within our state. We do this by providing educational programs, publications, and networking opportunities for both the communities and the businesses that serve them.Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-86351559551199616032009-02-15T14:11:00.001-05:002009-02-15T14:16:50.797-05:00

Please take just five minutes to help the Community Associations Institute – CT (CAI-CT) OPPOSE the reintroduced “Right to Dry” bill. (H.B. 5995) The public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 17 @ 1:00pm.    Many members of the state legislature are under the impression that the allowance of clotheslines on community association property, no matter what your documents say, should be

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-41473009936942945022009-02-06T14:11:00.003-05:002009-02-06T14:57:49.784-05:00

If you live in a condominium association in Connecticut are you aware that animal control can not remove a dog from the property unless it has bitten someone or was hit by a vehicle?CAI-CT has been trying unsuccessfully to get this bill to the floor in Hartford.  Our elected officials feel we simply do not care about this issue.  Please take a minute to email your state senitor and state

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-87366770722341011052009-02-04T08:02:00.000-05:002009-02-04T08:04:05.647-05:00

Anyone who has spent time on a board of directors knows that the board or the management company is always to blame for anything that happens.  From a flooding rain to their neighbor with a wild dog if it goes wrong the leaders are thought to be at fault. As a long time board president I was told that I: don’t care am selective with enforcement, negligent with maintenance

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-64288202272291631302009-02-02T11:32:00.000-05:002009-02-02T11:33:36.334-05:00

I was chatting with an old neighbor yesterday about working with online (virtual) communities when a light clicked on about creating a sense of community.  If we can create a sense of community in a virtual environment, why can’t we create a sense of community where there is real community which is a condominium community?  If you lived in a planned community then you will know what I am about

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-39084451373790481042009-01-13T08:32:00.001-05:002009-01-13T08:34:32.084-05:00

This is the title of my next article in “Common Interest” magazine.  A couple of recent incidents that happened in my complex helped me share this information with our members.  There is a delicate balance that has to be maintained when you are a member of the board of directors.  A balance between being a good neighbor and protecting everyone’s investment and quality of living.  In our complex

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-77927801283408855882008-12-27T07:49:00.001-05:002008-12-27T07:51:33.618-05:00

Christmas is over and your residents need to dispose of their live Christmas trees. My association has 166 residents and about 1/3 of them use live trees each year, which in years past created a huge problem.  We would find trees in hallways, behind buildings, in the woods and just as bad in the trash dumpsters. Renting a dumpster for old trees is very costly so we looked for an alternative.

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-913686646659211352008-12-22T12:53:00.000-05:002008-12-22T12:54:10.694-05:00

After 16 years of condominium living it still amazes me how many people have to be push started just to get them to move their vehicles after a winter storm.  We are not asking them to do any work other than clear off the car and move it so the plows can come through.  Doesn’t sound like an unreasonable request?  How many single family home owners would like to only have that one little

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-42160945295568544492008-11-06T12:23:00.002-05:002008-11-06T12:28:53.207-05:00

Over the last few months I have been doing hands on research to see what affect social networking can have on a candidate running for election.I approached a friend, who decided to run for office for the first time and offered to manage her website and establish social networking sites.Some positives for the experiment and negatives for the candidate:She was relatively unknown in city, small

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-55901507222461351002008-08-02T15:29:00.005-04:002008-08-02T15:52:17.123-04:00

How do you know when it is better to loose a couple of minutes and be courteous? Answer at the end of this post... It simply amazes me the risks that people take in their lives and their assets. How little regard they have for the items of most value and what high regard they have for their items of least value. Here are two stories that support my point.Story 1 - What were garages designed

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-24018600694350923452008-07-29T19:57:00.003-04:002008-07-29T20:07:38.399-04:00

Did you know you can go GREEN without changing a thing in your house. Once you have replaced the lights in your home with CFL's these tips will help you further reduce your Carbon Foot Print and help you save a little green at the same time. Did you know? The average household receives 20 bills per month - so a typical family can save almost $100 per year in postage alone by

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-88859427772547441452008-07-27T09:33:00.005-04:002008-07-27T10:10:08.114-04:00

Have you really tried to work with your lender to correct that sub-prime loan? Most people do not. I am not talking about speaking with the robo-collector who has just one annoying purpose in life - be nasty to get you to pay up. It is not in their best interests to help you out of your current situation since they generally collect a commission every time you cough up a little cash to

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-10440276161143141732008-07-23T09:48:00.004-04:002008-07-23T09:56:13.446-04:00

Planning a capital improvement project is a task that requires time and knowledge. Plan your project right from the beginning. Research your project in great detail. For example, if you are going to re-side your home, check out the various siding products on the web, request samples of the products, check to see if they have a listing of local contractors that are certified to use their product.

Erica Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00289532596016717905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-6438007048567781972008-07-22T19:19:00.002-04:002008-07-22T19:25:17.464-04:00

Community Association Institutes - CT chapter is currently looking for individuals who are interested in helping our organization develop and grow. If you have a few hours each month and you are interested in getting more involved with the organization please contact Kim McClain via email at caictkmcclain@sbcglobal.net or by phone at 860-633-5692.We have a range of committees that can use your

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-62462559380419657872008-07-09T15:07:00.002-04:002008-07-09T15:09:21.630-04:00

Have you run into the situation where a unit feels that the rules were put in place for everyone except them? A recent complaint about one unit, who is less than cooperative with their neighbors, reminded me of this story which also applied to them. Several years back a unit owner started complaining about neighbors claiming that a few had 3 or more vehicles and they could not park in a

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-18917191221053375282008-06-30T11:40:00.001-04:002008-06-30T11:40:00.802-04:00

By The Numbers - The Rise of the “Over 55” CommunitiesEvery year, I am impressed with the number of “newbies” (first-timers) that enter the world of community living by purchasing their first condominium or property that is part of a homeowners association. More impressive still, is the increasing number of folks over the age of 55 who are joining communities that cater specifically to their

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-57144752317168759752008-06-27T12:28:00.003-04:002008-06-27T12:39:09.863-04:00

Changes in Fannie Mae’s underwriting standards for mortgages may very well create a violent storm for community associations. Lenders are now required to more carefully scrutinize condominiums and their management companies, which will ultimately mean more mortgage application denials.Condominiums are considered to be very high risk in the current housing market since there has been a

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-58576618471754751142008-06-14T17:48:00.002-04:002008-06-14T19:19:11.474-04:00

We are already hearing stories about developers walking away from projects before all of the units are completed or sold. This is an association’s worst fear, but history shows that associations can emerge from these situations and remain solvent. I run an association that was in that same situation in the early 90’s. The developer had a history of successful developments, but then the economy

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-82544499895449100382008-06-11T13:40:00.000-04:002008-06-11T13:41:03.748-04:00

Here are some energy saving tips to help reduce your electric bill this summer that we found on the internet: Turn your thermostat up. During warm weather, set your thermostat as high as possible, given health and comfort considerations and drink plenty of fluids. Turn thermostats to78 degrees when at home; 85 degrees when away. Use fans to circulate cool air. Close your drapes or shades.

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-61938335303496085482008-06-08T21:02:00.004-04:002008-06-08T21:15:26.178-04:00

Recently I received a notice of increase from one of my vendors stating that they were increasing their fuel charge from $2.00 per delivery to an adjustable charge based on the average price of a gallon of diesel. My first thought was ok, oil has gone up considerably. My next thought was are they only delivering to me within a 10 mile radius? At the previous $2.00 per delivery this is about ½

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-29358201354899383692008-06-06T09:30:00.000-04:002008-06-06T13:58:04.895-04:00

When you have a management company between you and your clients it is easy to let them make all of the contacts. This may be easier but is it the best course of action?When money is tight, people start shopping for a better price,. When your competition is knocking on doors do you want to be just another face in the crowd? If you have not made contact with the people who are actually paying your

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-75781754819735155152008-06-05T15:42:00.000-04:002008-06-05T15:42:00.808-04:00

Interested in staying connected to CAI? Don't miss one second of the action!We have a solution that will alert you to important news, legislative issues, and upcoming events. Install our FREE community toolbar in your browser and connect to the following resources:Automatically be updated when new articles are added to this CAI-CT chapter online weblog.Automatic update when CAI National's

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-72862093212485564292008-06-04T17:50:00.000-04:002008-06-04T20:38:41.242-04:00

I imagine most communities are like the one I live in, which means residents are becoming more and more distant even though they live in close proximity. We have buildings with 18 or more units together and residents do not know and may not have ever seen people who live two stacks over. You may wonder how this is possible when you live in such close proximity to your neighbors. I spent a

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-2592375237512983012008-06-02T16:17:00.000-04:002008-06-02T16:17:01.508-04:00

It never ceases to amaze me when I overhear association owners and Board members talk about dealing with “renters” or “tenants.” As an outside observer overhearing the tone, tenor and content of some of these conversations and comments, one would think that “renters” or “tenants” were the scourge of the earth or at best, second class citizens. At times, actions taken by associations toward “

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-60583727534388644332008-06-01T16:03:00.000-04:002008-06-01T16:03:02.236-04:00

Water is a precious natural resource. Despite the large proportion of land versus water on Earth, only 3% of the water is fresh. And, less than one third of 1% is actually available for use. The rest is frozen in glaciers or polar ice caps, or is deep within the Earth beyond our reach. Growing populations and ongoing droughts are dramatically reducing our water resources. There are a

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250852199799964397.post-14300277663226502632008-05-31T15:57:00.000-04:002008-05-31T15:57:01.111-04:00

There are a multitude of personal views and opinions on landscaping. When you live in a planned community some of those personal views will be expressed and chances are they will be conflicting views. Money allowing this is an area that should always be handled with a plan and by a professional company. Over the last year we have received some good and not so good ideas regarding ways to

Michael Zimmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138477454369478233noreply@blogger.com0