Being a board member for a community association can be daunting work – and managing an association is a challenge.  The last thing you need is to step into a legal pothole in the road…and having strong legal counsel to guide you, so you can avoid unnecessary legal risks, is crucial.  BFC can help, with smart, practical advice that is cost-effective.

BFC embraces its role as general counsel for condominium associations, cooperative corporations and homeowners’ associations.  Our attorneys work with your board members and management to help solve the real day-to-day problems and issues that arise when operating a multi-family community.  We make it our business to understand what is going on in your complex so that we can tailor our advice and services to your community’s specific needs – so your community can achieve its goals.

We can:

  • Interpret the community’s governing documents to provide guidance on how to handle the many situations that can arise, such as figuring out who is responsible to pay for a particular repair
  • Prepare rules and regulations for the board to consider, based on our extensive experience with what’s required by law, what works, and what doesn’t
  • Help the board present a governing document amendment to your membership and lead you on the best way to secure its passage
  • Guide the association in short-term and long-term planning for the community
  • Counsel you during the crucial period of Transition from developer control, when it is critical to resolve construction deficiency and financial claims against the developer
  • Advise you as your community embarks on a construction project – from a small scale effort to a major project to replace worn-out common elements, to repair construction defects or to add new amenities
  • Draft and negotiate contracts with vendors and service providers of all kind
  • Educate board members on the scope of their fiduciary duties and proper corporate governance processes
  • Assist in the handling of Fair Housing issues, including requests for reasonable accommodations
  • Provide support and guidance on the efficient and effective running of the association’s annual meeting and election, including advice on how to comply with new State law requirements
  • Advocate for the association in insurance disputes with its carrier, or with the carriers for members

To learn more, please contact Mary Wynn Seiter (mwseiter@lawnj.com), Donna Shahrabani (dshahrabani@lawnj.com), Eric Frizzell (efrizzell@lawnj.com), or David B. Joyandeh (djoyandeh@lawnj.com), or phone us at 201-612-5200.