Have you ever had a conversation at work take a turn you weren’t expecting—suddenly, voices rise, arms fold, and you feel the tension? Maybe you walked away wondering, “What just happened? How did we get here?” In those moments, you might feel like defending your position, explain your point more clearly, or even disengage completely. But any of these reactions will only damage your relationships at work.

How can you prevent these conflicts from blowing up?

You can transform those tough conversations into opportunities for connection and understanding with one straightforward communication skill.

It’s called Reflect to Connect, and it’s one of the most powerful tools you can add to your leadership toolkit to build stronger relationships at work. In fact, it is one of our twelve GOAT (Greatest of All Time) powerful phrases for dealing with workplace conflict.

Reflect to Connect for Better Relationships at Work

Reflect to Connect means to share your sense of what a person’s feeling and ask if your understanding is correct.

It sounds simple, but it requires intentional practice. Here’s how it works:

Pay Attention to Emotional Cues: Notice the other person’s tone of voice, body language, and word choice.

Name the Emotion: Identify what you think they’re feeling. For example, “It sounds like you’re frustrated” or “I’m sensing that you might be feeling overwhelmed.”

Check for Accuracy: Ask for confirmation. “Am I understanding you correctly?” or “Is that how you’re feeling?”

This technique has several powerful effects:

1. It helps the other person feel seen and heard—a fundamental human need.
2. It slows down the conversation, giving both of you a chance to process emotions before reacting.
3. And finally, it lessens the intensity of powerful emotions, opening the door to continued conversation.

Why Reflect to Connect Works

At its core, Reflect to Connect works because it addresses the emotional undercurrent of any conversation. Most workplace conflicts have more going on than the surface-level issue you’re discussing.

That conversation about customer support priorities or data-sharing could have emotional needs in play: feeling disrespected, unheard, or undervalued.

When you acknowledge someone’s emotions, you meet these needs head-on and improve relationships at work.

Consider this scenario:

You’re in a meeting, and a team member snaps, “I’m sick of these last-minute requests!”

If you’re like us, your instinct might be to defend yourself with logic or facts: “It wasn’t last-minute. I sent that request two days ago.” But even if that’s true, saying so won’t help the conversation move forward.

Instead, try Reflect to Connect:

“It sounds like you’re feeling frustrated with how things are coming to you. Is that right?”

Nine times out of ten, this approach will diffuse the tension. The person will likely respond, “Yeah, I am frustrated. It feels like I never have enough time to do my best work.”

Now you’re able to address the actual issue—their need for better planning and communication—rather than escalating the conflict.

Practical Tips to Use Reflect to Connect

1. Start with Curiosity

Approach every conversation with the mindset that you don’t fully understand what the other person is experiencing (because you can’t – you’re not them). Curiosity opens the door to empathy and stronger relationships at work.

Instead of assuming you know why someone is upset, ask yourself, “What might they be feeling right now?”

2. Be Comfortable with Discomfort

Reflecting emotions can feel awkward at first. You might worry you’ll get it wrong or that it’s too personal for a professional setting.

But here’s the truth: People crave connection, even at work. It’s better to try and miss the mark than to ignore the emotional reality of a conversation. And caring enough to ask gives the other person a chance to clarify how they feel.

If you’re unsure, you can soften your language:

“I might be off here, but it sounds like you’re feeling…”

3. Practice in Low-Stakes Situations

Before using Reflect to Connect in high-stakes meetings, practice it in everyday interactions.

For example, if a colleague seems excited, you could reflect, “You seem really energized about this project. Is it exciting?”

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Even with the best intentions, it’s easy to make mistakes when using Reflect to Connect. Here are a few common pitfalls and how to avoid them:

1. Misreading the Emotion

This isn’t actually a pitfall. It’s okay to get it wrong. If you reflect an emotion and the other person corrects you, that’s progress and you cared enough to ask. Maybe they respond:

“Actually, I’m not frustrated; I’m more disappointed.”

This gives you valuable insight. Don’t be afraid of being corrected—it deepens the conversation and builds better relationships at work.

2. Skipping the Check-In

You never want to label or tell someone how they feel. Naming their emotion and assuming you’re correct feels presumptuous. Always follow up with a question to check your understanding.

3. Using It as a Tactic

Reflect to Connect isn’t a manipulative trick. It only works if you genuinely care about understanding the other person’s experience and improving your relationships at work.

The Ripple Effect of Reflect to Connect

When you use Reflect to Connect, you don’t just reduce unnecessary conflict—you’ll build a culture of empathy and understanding. People will feel safer sharing their thoughts and feelings, knowing they won’t be dismissed or misunderstood.

Over time, this technique can:

• Improve team morale
• Build stronger relationships at work
• Increase trust and psychological safety

Imagine a workplace where people don’t have to raise their voices to be heard—where conflicts are resolved through understanding, not argument. That’s the power of Reflect to Connect.

Your Turn to Build Better Relationships at Work

The next time you find yourself in a tense conversation, pause. Take a breath. Reflect back what you think the other person feels and ask if you’re right.

You might be surprised at the doors it opens.

Because here’s the truth: everyone wants to feel seen and heard. When you meet that need, you transform conflict into connection—and create a workplace where people truly want to work together.

HABITAT Magazine

It’s like cockroaches and Cher — unkillable. “It” is the perennial push by legislators to require co-op boards to disclose their reasons for rejecting apartment sales. Such legislation has been coming around periodically for the past two decades, and the latest iteration now before the New York City Council appears to be permanently stuck in the mud of legislative indifference, Gothamist reports.

This latest bill would require co-op boards in buildings with 10 or more units to explain their reasons for rejecting prospective purchasers, and it would impose fines up to $25,000 for failing to comply. The legislation has gained 29 council sponsors since Public Advocate Jumaane Williams introduced it in February of last year, but councilmembers with the most co-ops in their districts — a swath of territory largely concentrated in Manhattan — have not signed on as sponsors and have declined to answer questions about whether they would support the legislation.

That’s good news to co-op advocates, who fiercely defend boards’ freedom to reject potential buyers for “any reason or no reason” — provided they are not discriminating against of the classes protected by fair-housing laws.

Fair housing groups contend that requiring boards to disclose their reasons for rejecting applicants would help prevent discrimination based on race, sexual orientation and other characteristics in those transactions, while providing baseline transparency for people trying to buy or sell a home.

“For too long, a complicated, nebulous and opaque co-op process has left open the possibility for discrimination and denial of housing to qualified applicants,” Williams, the public advocate, said in a written statement. “It’s clear that co-op reform is vital to help New Yorkers find and stay in stable homes.”

Opponents of the legislation counter that it would eliminate board members’ discretion to choose their new neighbors, including people who might not meet strict financial criteria but who might otherwise be approved.

“We would no longer be able to have that flexibility ?because in order to avoid claims of discrimination we would have to be 100% consistent in the way we treated every applicant,” says Warren Schreiber, the president of a 200-unit co-op building in Bay Terrace, Queens and co-president of the Presidents Co-op & Condo Council.

Attorney Craig Gurian, who serves as a spokesperson for a coalition of groups backing the disclosure legislation, says councilmembers face a simple question: “Are you on the side of civil rights enforcement, or are you just standing for secrecy and for co-op board members?”

Gurian notes that neighboring Suffolk County already requires co-op boards to inform applicants why they were rejected, and Westchester County co-op boards must notify the applicant and the local Human Rights Commission of the reason they deny an applicant.

Schreiber, the Queens co-op board president, states flatly that there is “no evidence of systemic discrimination in cooperative housing.”

Rebecca Poole, the director of membership at the Council of New York Cooperatives & Condominiums, adds that the legislation would have a “chilling effect on shareholders to serve on co-op boards” because they would fear being sued.

The need for transparency trumps such fears, according to Councilmember Shaun Abreu, who represents a Northern Manhattan district with about 15,500 co-op units and is sponsoring the bill. “Transparency for homeownership is very, very important,” Abreu says. “We know a lot of people get rejected for reasons unknown, and I think folks ought to know why they are getting rejected from access to homeownership.”

Stay tuned. If this cockroach of a bill goes away, another one is sure to take its place.

Free Online Resource Helps Candidates Successfully Prepare For The CMCA Exam

By Madeline Hay, CAMICB’s Director of Exam Administration

Underscoring a quarter century of commitment to professionalism and excellence in community association management, CAMICB is excited to continue to celebrate the organization’s 25^th Anniversary with the launch of a free, interactive online CMCA Exam Preparation e-Learning course. 

The three-hour course, featuring a series of eight modules, is divided into two components. The first component features four learning modules focused on creating an examination review and preparation plan. The second component includes three scenario-based learning modules that are designed to put several of the knowledge areas tested on the CMCA examination in context using real-life scenarios. The three modules address knowledge areas that are challenging for many CMCA candidates: Risk Management & Insurance; Financial Controls; and Governance, Legal & Ethical Conduct.  A final module is intended to offer some perspective on the exam preparation process and next steps.

Said Chair of the CAMICB Board of Commissioners Drew Mulhare, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM, “CAMICB is always working to identify new tools to help CMCA candidates succeed on the exam. We’re excited to launch the CMCA Exam Prep e-Learning course – a free resource intended to put candidates on the path to the CMCA credential.”

The Course Modules

The exam preparation modules offer constructive test taking tips, discuss the composition of examination questions, give preparation advice, and provide an interactive self-assessment tool to help a candidate develop a study plan specific to that candidate’s needs and goals. The content-based modules ask the candidate to solve problems and answer questions using downloadable sample documents. 

Each module takes approximately 10-25 minutes to complete. The course is designed to accommodate busy schedules and to allow candidates to work at their own pace, so they may stop and resume the modules as their schedule permits. Below is a brief description of the different modules and what candidates can expect.

Module 1: An Introduction

Learn what it takes to pass the CMCA exam. Get advice from working CMCAs about what worked for them as they were preparing for the test – and what didn’t. Find out some common misconceptions about the CMCA exam and uncover the key for understanding how to approach the exam questions.

Module 2: Devising a Study Plan, Part 1 – Prioritizing Topics 

Discover how to establish and follow a solid study routine that’s tailored to your experience level. Get an in-depth look at the topic areas covered on the test and participate in a self-assessment exercise to determine which topics should be prioritized in your study plan. 

Module 3: Devising a Study Plan, Part 2 – Strategies and Tips 

Find out how to put your study plan into action. Learn practical tips and tricks to make the most of your prep time and take a closer look at some of the study resources available to you. 

A recent course participant shared, “The study resources provided in the CMCA exam prep course are excellent. It gave me a much better understanding of what material to really focus on.”

Module 4: Test-Taking Strategies

Learn how to maximize your potential on exam day. Find out how taking practice tests can improve your performance on the exam, get some guidance on strategies to overcome test anxiety, and see what to expect when you go to the testing center. 

Modules 5 and 6 use real-life scenarios that help you learn from detailed feedback. They also make use of downloadable sample files including Lakeside Terrace’s insurance declaration and financial documents to inform your decisions. 

Said one course participant, “For me, the CMCA exam prep course was so much more effective than simply reading different texts.”

Module 5: Risk Management & Insurance – Refresher Content 

Apply your knowledge of risk management and insurance topics by putting yourself in the shoes of the community association manager for Lakeside Terrace Condominiums. 

Module 6: Financial Controls – Refresher Content 

Revisit your role as Lakeside Terrace’s community association manager as you encounter some scenarios that test key knowledge about financial controls.

Module 7: Governance, Legal & Ethical Conduct – Refresher Content

Another real-life scenario allows you to visit Willow Grove Estates, where you have been hired as the association’s first community manager. 

Module 8: Looking Back and Looking Forward

An opportunity to recall what you’ve learned and consider what you want to keep working on. 

At CAMICB, we’re committed to offering a combination of study tools to enhance candidate performance.  Therefore, we encourage exam candidates to develop a personal study plan incorporating a wide range of resources and reference materials. CMCA preparatory materials are all available online – most at no cost – to managers employed anywhere in the world. We’re thrilled to add our newest offering, the CMCA Exam Prep E-Learning Course, to our portfolio of resources. 

Earning and maintaining this internationally-recognized credential propels a manager’s career forward, allowing for more advanced career opportunities and salaries that, on average, are 20 percent higher than non-credentialed managers. To get started and to learn more about the CMCA Exam Prep E-Learning course, visit www.camicb.org.

BY A.J. SIDRANSKY   for CooperatorNews, New York

At the heart of volunteerism is the notion of doing something for the common good. For many, choosing to live in a co-op or condo community is also choosing to volunteer for board service, helping to guide and govern the community they call home. But with that impulse to serve the common good lurks the possibility of liability – a concern that stops many from wanting to participate in the governance of their building or association. Fortunately, that’s where directors and officers —commonly called simply D&O – insurance comes in. 

What’s D&O? 

In a nutshell, directors and officers insurance is a form of liability coverage that protects board members of a corporation or association against losses or advancement of defense costs in the event that a decision made in good faith results in damages of some sort.

“Directors and Officers insurance coverage is a type of insurance coverage available to cooperative, HOA and condominium boards generally intended to cover claims against board members and/or officers for alleged errors and omissions and/or breach of fiduciary duties. It’s a type of coverage that’s purchased in addition to the other insurance normally carried,” says Mark Hakim, an attorney with New York City-based law firm Schwartz Sladkus Reich Greenberg Atlas. 

However, Hakim is quick to note that D&O is not carte blanche for boards to act with impunity. That bit about ‘decisions made in good faith’ is very much key. “Each such officer or board member may be held personally liable for actions not taken in good faith, or taken outside the scope of their duties,” says Hakim, “including but not limited to discrimination, self-dealing, retaliation, etc. D&O insurance coverage is generally only afforded if the alleged conduct of the board member or officer was within the scope of their duties, performed in good faith, and without gross negligence.” 

Within those parameters, Hakim continues, “The importance of D&O insurance cannot be overstated. The presence of such insurance permits members or officers, each of whom are unpaid volunteers, to freely participate in corporate governance without fear of personal liability for merely exercising their jobs in good faith. It is difficult at times to get people to serve on boards, and absent this protection, it would be even more difficult. D&O is not a luxury—it’s a necessity when serving on a board.” 

Wayne Dow is vice president for Preferred Property Programs, a Baldwin Group partner based in Rhode Island. The insurance company is based in Holmdel, New Jersey and writes policies nationally. “The easiest way to describe D&O insurance when I’m explaining it to board members is that it’s ‘sleep insurance.’ It gives them the ability to sleep at night. D&O coverage protects their personal assets if they are sued and claims made against them as volunteer board members for their community association. D&O is there to protect the volunteer board members. If there is a suit, you as a board member can only be sued in your capacity as a board member. Your personal assets are protected.”

Jay Dixon, a senior director with OnePoint Insurance, a national insurance brokerage with offices in New York City, says, “Directors and Officers Insurance and Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) are crucial parts of the insurance plan for boards of cooperatives and condominiums. These coverages provide financial protection for board members, officers, and volunteers against claims and financial risk if they are sued for decisions made and/or actions taken while performing their official duties. D&O encourages participation in the community, because board members and prospective board members know they are protected. 

What’s Covered & What’s Not

Almost any decision made by a board can potentially lead to allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, mismanagement, or employment practices violations. For example, decisions such as not approving a potential buyer in a cooperative, terminating a contract with a vendor, or an employee’s dismissal can expose the board to legal liabilities and lawsuits. “D&O insurance helps mitigate the financial risks when lawsuits do arise,” says Dixon. “Legal defense costs, settlements, and judgments can be financially devastating, and D&O insurance covers these expenses, protecting the co-op or condo’s financial health.”

Coverage Amounts & Other Pertinent Points

Much like other types of insurance, premiums for D&O coverage are determined by various factors, including the corporation or association’s past claims history, the number of units in the community, the number of board members, the average value of units in the building, the condition of the community’s finances, and whether the association operates at a profit or a deficit. Given how variable all those factors are from community to community, there is no ‘average’ premium; the premium is specifically underwritten according to the individual characteristics of the exposure.

Policy premiums and retention amounts also vary by state and jurisdiction. For example, “The premium for a D&O policy on a 200-unit co-op in Manhattan is more than it would be for a suburban 200-unit HOA in Dallas, Texas,” says Dow. “Pricing is governed by the nature of risk. Also, limits are provided and can be guided by a community’s governing documents.” 

According to Dixon, “Every board should have D&O insurance; the governing documents of the association normally mandate it. We typically advise our clients to secure $1 to $2 million in D&O coverage with ‘defense costs outside the limits.’ This means the costs of defending a claim do not reduce the actual limit available to pay the claim. Some excess liability and umbrella policies can include D&O coverage, providing additional limits for D&O claims.”

D&O insurance is critical for all shared interest communities, and serves more than one purpose. While there to protect decision makers, it’s also there to mitigate the concerns of those same decision makers about their personal liability when stepping forward to volunteer.  It’s the peace of mind that makes volunteer service possible.

A J Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for CooperatorNews, and a published novelist. He may be reached at alan@yrinc.com. 

Emily Myers in Bricks & Bucks HABITAT Magazine

The clock is ticking for boards hoping to take advantage of the newly passed J-51 rules to offset their co-op and condo renovation costs. With the mayor’s signature on December 18 setting the new legislation into law, boards face a tight timeline: applications must be filed within four months of either the law’s effective date or a project’s completion. “If your work is already done, the application filing deadline is April 18, 2025,” explains attorney Benjamin Williams, head of the property tax department at Rosenberg & Estis.

For buildings seeking eligibility, several key criteria must be met. The property’s average assessed valuation needs to fall under $45,001 per apartment, with this value determined at construction’s start rather than its completion, says Williams. He emphasizes this timing distinction as particularly crucial for buildings near the threshold. Additionally, properties must have at least three apartments and have a valid Certificate of Occupancy.

The timeline requirements create a specific window of opportunity. Eligible work must have commenced no earlier than December 30, 2019, with completion falling between June 29, 2022, and June 30, 2026. Projects cannot exceed 30 months in total construction time. For those contemplating future renovations, Williams advises careful consideration of timing, noting that “certain advance notifications and filings may be required to obtain eligibility.”

While NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) has yet to release a comprehensive list of qualifying projects, several categories are expected to make the cut. Energy efficiency improvements and projects aimed at Local Law 97 emission compliance are likely to qualify, encompassing everything from boiler and HVAC system upgrades to facade repairs. Window and roof replacements, plumbing and sewer line repairs, elevator and fire safety upgrades, and environmental hazard removal projects are also anticipated to be eligible. However, the certified reasonable cost must exceed $1,500 per dwelling unit for consideration.

The program won’t cover everything, though. Cosmetic changes and luxury amenity additions likely won’t qualify for the abatement. This means upgrades to lobbies, gyms, or roof decks won’t be eligible unless specifically identified in the final rules. HPD plans to open applications on their website soon, even as they finalize the rule making process.

The financial benefits can be substantial for qualifying properties. The program allows eligible owners to offset 70% of their capital improvement costs against their NYC property tax bill, with benefits spread over time. The maximum annual benefit caps at 8.3% of the improvement costs, meaning a building receiving a $120,000 tax credit could see around $10,000 in annual tax reductions over 12 years.

Real-world applications of the program are already taking shape. At 221 East 18th Street, a 60-unit prewar co-op in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park South, board president Dan Winckler is hoping to use the tax abatement to offset costs associated with electrification. “Our boiler’s old and it would be great to replace it with heat pumps but that requires at least some electric changes if not a full retrofit,” he explains. While engineering studies initially put the cost beyond their available capital funds, Winckler says the tax abatement, which the co-op is eligible for, makes the project “within reach in a much nearer term.” Certain co-ops with regulatory agreements may also qualify for the program even if they exceed the average assessed value threshold. For example Penn South, a limited equity co-op comprising 15-buildings in Chelsea, was explicitly added to the rules as eligible for J-51 in 2013.

The program’s complexity demands careful attention to compliance. “About one-third of the law is dedicated to compliance and penalties,” Williams notes, highlighting how property owners face not only fines but potentially even 90-day jail terms for rule violations. This underscores the importance of thorough due diligence and proper legal guidance throughout the application process.

By CAMICB Director of Credential Services, Madeline Hay, CAE

Significant updates to the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA®) exam went into effect on Dec. 9. These changes stem from CAMICB’s 2021-2022 job analysis study that assessed the key tasks and knowledge areas required of community managers to ensure the exam content aligns with current professional standards.

Exam Changes

The updated content outline condenses the eight current exam domains into six broader categories, offering a more streamlined approach to understanding and preparing for the exam. 

One notable shift is the increased emphasis on the meetings and events domain, which will now represent 18% of the exam, up from 10%. This change underscores the importance of event planning, board meetings, and elections, which are essential aspects of a community manager’s role.

Three closely related content areas — budgets, reserves, investments, and assessments; financial controls; and risk management and insurance — merged into the broader domains of financial management and risk management. While reorganized for clarity, the weight of these topics remains essentially unchanged and maintains the focus on financial stability and risk mitigation.

The emphasis on property maintenance increased to mirror the growing importance of preserving property values and preventive maintenance. Meanwhile, governance and compliance remain the largest domain at 23%, reflecting the ongoing importance of legal accountability, rule enforcement, and transparency.

Notably, the human resources domain, which previously accounted for 6% of the exam, was eliminated. This reflects the evolving scope of early-career managers’ responsibilities as HR tasks are increasingly managed by specialized staff or external providers.

Preparing for the Updated Exam

Candidates should review the updated content outline at camicb.org as well as the updated CMCA study guide.

These changes allow candidates to align their skills with the latest industry developments. As the profession grows in complexity, the CMCA remains a hallmark of excellence and ensures credential holders are prepared to meet future challenges. With this updated exam, CAMICB reaffirms its commitment to maintaining the highest standards in community association management.

By Lydia Pelliccia and Matthew Green, CAE

We had the privilege of speaking with Candace Lewis, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, into this particular topic. She is the Director of Marketing for Cardinal Management Group, LLC, a privately held, locally founded firm in Woodbridge, VA.

It’s crucial for professionals in every industry to stay up to date on new technologies and the community association management profession is no different. Managers are embracing a variety of tools to improve efficiency, productivity, communication, resident satisfaction and better collaboration with Boards and business partners. From selecting the right device (phone, tablet, app, etc.) to choosing the appropriate software that suits their needs, these tools help make managers’ lives and jobs more rewarding. 

Technology in Action: Streamlining Processes, Maximizing Efficiency 

“There was a time when information about communities was kept in a binder and, as a manger, you had to lug that binder to meetings so you had the information you needed at your fingertips,” said Candace Lewis. CMCA, AMS, PCAM. “Now, having it digitally accessible on your phone, tablet or computer allows for easier access and searchability. Most documents have Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which makes finding specific language or keywords much easier in a litany of governing documents. For example, I was at an Architectural Review Committee appeal hearing with a Board of Directors questioning what the rule stated about the height of a retaining wall; I was able to quickly find the answer on my tablet. Instead of delaying their decision to the next meeting, the Board was able to quickly move forward.”

Candace further explains that tasks like violation reporting and tracking have significantly improved with technology. “Instead of using a clipboard, pen and paper to log violations, we now have community management software, such as CINC, SmartWebs or FrontSteps, that help managers efficiently handle these issues by quickly uploading photos while sending the violation notice in real-time,” said Candace.  “Homeowners receive an email about the violation and, in turn, more swiftly remedy the issue. Depending on the platform used, homeowners can also log-in to see their outstanding violations and any photos the manager has uploaded.”

Digitizing resales in HOAs helps modernize the process, making it faster, more efficient, and more transparent. It provides significant benefits in terms of operational efficiency, cost savings, enhanced communication, and compliance. Candace explains, “There was a time when a potential buyer had to wait for a large package of documentation to arrive in the mail before they could review the association’s governing documents, prior to moving to settlement. Hard copies required an individual in an office to print, organize and mail to the potential buyer. Now, services like CondoCerts, HomeWise and others offer a digital delivery of these documents making it less time consuming with minimal paperwork. “For both homeowners and managers, the transition to a digital system creates a smoother, more convenient experience while also improving the long-term management and oversight of the community,” added Candace.

The pandemic fueled the rise of virtual meetings and the use of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meeting platforms to host these events.  As a result, many Board and Annual Meetings are now hybrid or fully virtual. Further, what has also become an option for many managers is the opportunity to continue working remotely. “In the past, when homeowners or homeowner volunteers wanted to meet with us, we’d convene at the office or onsite,” said Candace. “Now, we can quickly arrange a virtual meeting, which is helpful when having difficult conversations that are easily misinterpreted via phone or email. In addition, regularly scheduled virtual team meetings have also enhanced collaboration and meaningful “in-person” dialogue.”

Artificial Intelligence Supporting Communications Efforts 

Candace offered one of the most popular uses of technology, as a manager, is the thoughtful use of AI platforms to help managers craft email responses, homeowner notices, newsletters, email blasts, requests for proposals, policy resolutions, bid comparisons, and more. “I use ChatGPT and Grammerly, like many others; however, some software companies have developed their own AI add-ons, such as MicroSoft’s Azure AI,” said Candace. “AI is also a great tool to use on most mobile devices when communicating with a homeowner whose first language is not English.”

Are there challenges in convincing homeowners to use newer technology? Absolutely. “Most people need another login credential like they need a crack in their foundation,” quipped Candace. “Urging anyone to download an app or create a new sign-in, isn’t always easy.”

Candace notes, more importantly, as data and operations go digital, cybersecurity becomes a critical concern. Managers must stay updated on best practices for protecting resident data and ensuring that functions such as online payment systems, communications channels and other digital tools are secure from breaches.

Staying abreast of new technology helps community association managers improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, enhance resident satisfaction, maintain compliance, and stay competitive in a changing market. “It’s not just about keeping up with trends – it’s about using technology to create a more streamlined, responsive, management approach,” said Candace.

Candace expressed that information about new technology is often in mainstream media; however, technology specific to community associations is best discovered at the CAI Annual Conference or local chapter conferences and expos. Additionally, she finds “ads and articles in CAI publications have been a great help in spreading the word about the many options available.”

Technological Proficiency In Community Association Management is the sixth in a series of articles, produced by CAMICB staff, that delve into the important issues and topics affecting community association managers. 

Lydia Pelliccia is a freelance writer. Matthew Green is executive director of Community Associations Managers International Certification Board.

HABITAT Magazine

At a large housing cooperative in Lower Manhattan, one of the nine board members sold his apartment and moved to another state, while a second board member is living in a foreign country and subletting his apartment. Both continue to serve on the co-op board. Is this legal? What recourse do shareholders have?

The law does not dictate that co-op directors must be residents of the building, or even shareholders in the corporation, replies the Ask Real Estate column in The New York Times. As with so many disputes in housing co-ops, the solution to this one could lie in the cooperative’s governing documents.

Start with the bylaws. Do they allow people who don’t live in the building to serve on the board of directors? Do they require shareholders who have sold their shares to relinquish their board seats?

It’s possible the bylaws are silent on these issues. But if residency is required, shareholders could compel the resignation of the nonresident directors, says Leni Morrison Cummins, chair of the condominiums and cooperatives practice at the law firm Cozen O’Connor.

The question about absentee members raises a larger issue facing some co-ops: Is the board serving the interests of the residents, or of investors? Over time, cooperatives have allowed shareholders not just to have their primary residence elsewhere or rent to a subletter, but to buy shares as investors. “This,” Cummins says, “has led to many cooperatives having split populations: one of residential shareholders and one of investor shareholders.”

Typically, she adds, resident shareholders want to invest to make their daily lives better and to maintain restrictions on occupancy and sublets. Investor shareholders, on the other hand, often prefer to keep costs down and to loosen restrictions on occupancy and sublets. Conflict is inevitable when interests diverge in this way.

Shareholders can vote to create a residency requirement, but if your building has many investors, this could be difficult. (Amendments to bylaws frequently require approval by a super-majority of shares, commonly two-thirds, a high bar.)  “If the shareholders don’t amend the bylaws to restrict board membership, try to develop a meaningful relationship with the nonresident board members and share your concerns,” advises Andrew I. Bart, senior counsel at the law firm Kagan Lubic Lepper Finkelstein & Gold.

And remember that a co-op is a democracy, so shareholders can run for a board seat in the next election. “Campaigning and collecting proxies can take some effort,” says William Geller, counsel with the firm Braverman Greenspun. “But if the (shareholder) wants to change the direction of the building, that can be a very effective way to get things done.”