Buckalew Frizzell & Crevina has been representing community associations throughout New Jersey since 1988. We have represented hundreds of condominium associations, homeowners’ associations, and cooperatives, as large as 2000+ units. Our clients include towering luxury high-rises and mid-rises along the Hudson River, vibrant boutique complexes at the Shore, major active adult communities in central New Jersey, thriving single family fee simple associations, sprawling townhome communities, garden apartments, and conversions of all kinds.
All eleven of our attorneys at Buckalew Frizzell & Crevina practice community association law and many of our partners specialize in that field. As a result of our specialization, we possess decades of expertise, and detailed knowledge of the numerous New Jersey statutes, court decisions, administrative regulations, and local ordinances that impact community association life. We are also very familiar with the best practices, politics, and “unwritten rules” of how associations actually operate.
Working closely every day with boards and management companies, we understand the challenges they face, from pursuing developers for damages caused by construction defects and negotiating contracts for major projects, to assuring fair outcomes in contentious elections and dealing with difficult residents. No matter the challenge facing a board, BFC applies our 30 years of experience, ability, commitment, and depth of resources to assist boards in achieving their association’s goals promptly and cost-effectively.
Most importantly, we always keep in mind that the overarching goal of everything we do should benefit your community association – your home.
Services We Provide
Among the many legal services that BFC regularly provides to our community association clients are:
- Negotiating and drafting all contracts, including those for major restoration and repair projects, snow removal, concierge, landscaping, maintenance, cleaning and other services
- Guiding associations through the critical “Transition” period from developer control
- Negotiating with developers to resolve construction defect claims and litigating those claims against developers, architects, sub-contractors and others involved in the design and construction of the community, if necessary
- Diligently pursuing collection of common expense arrears
- Providing legal opinions interpreting master deeds, by-laws, declarations and proprietary leases
- Preparing amendments to governing documents
- Enforcing rules and regulations
- Prosecuting and defending all litigation
- Handling major loans and refinancing of cooperative mortgages
- Attending board meetings
- Supervising annual owner meetings and board elections
- Counseling boards on proper corporate governance and the means of legally achieving actions contemplated by officers, directors and trustees
- Advising boards regarding requirements for alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
- Interacting with local and state agencies and boards, such as the Department of Community Affairs, Department of Environmental Protection, planning boards and zoning boards of adjustment
- Assisting with insurance claims for water damage and other casualty loss
- Opposing objectionable development by adjacent landowners
- Appealing notices of violation issued by code enforcement authorities
- Responding to residents’ requests for reasonable accommodations, such as those for service animals
- Handling employment and labor issues
- Securing compliance by the local municipality with the Municipal Services Act
Contact Our Community Association Law Attorneys to Schedule a Consultation
While understanding community association law is imperative for association attorneys, BFC also brings broad knowledge and experience in many other areas of the law to our comprehensive representation of associations and boards.
To schedule a complimentary consultation, please contact Eric Frizzell (efrizzell@lawnj.com), David Frizzell (dfrizzell@lawnj.com), Donna Shahrabani (dshahrabani@lawnj.com), Cheryl Siegel (csiegel@lawnj.com), Mary Wynn Seiter (mwseiter@lawnj.com), John Middleton (jmiddleton@lawnj.com), or David B. Joyandeh (djoyandeh@lawnj.com) by email or by calling us at 201-612-5200.