Resources

Most folks are pretty resilient and resourceful when they need to be. With an economy and job market that continues to stall, many folks facing cut backs on work hours find another job, or if they have lost one good paying job, work two lower paying jobs. We just to do what we need to, in order to get by.

In the last newsletter I wrote about the impor- tant components of the contract to consider; this month I will focus on the qualities to look for in the contractor you consider......

Other than attorneys, contractors do not have a very good reputation for customer service. This reputation is mostly caused by the public's buying habits. Price is the easiest factor to compare, and too often this is where the decision is made. When hiring a con- tractor to work on your association or your home, there are several areas that are consistently forgotten.

Newsweek magazine this last September out- lined a phenomenon they entitled “The Culture of Low-balling.” In that article the argument was made that due to a depressed economy, a sharp rise in unemployment, and a housing bub- ble that had burst causing foreclosures to take place at unprecedented levels; a new mind-set was taking hold with Americans, the mind-set of “Low-balling”.

In September I wrote about the wisdom of using legal counsel for extra protection prior to enter- ing into large contracts. This month I wish to offer what I consider the top ten provisions that should be addressed in those agreements.

I cannot tell you how many times the following scenario has played out over the years. My phone rings and a frantic board member starts to tell me a story that starts out “We were referred to a company that (pick one): my brother-in-law swears by; or another association used; or my irrigation guy, who I have used for ten years, recommended; or that advertised in our local paper; had a special one-time discount; or that happened to be working in our neighborhood and therefore could do the project for less.”

Why should you care about EAB? All ash trees are susceptible to EAB and millions of ash trees have been killed in infested areas already. It’s estimated that townhome associa- tions could have ash trees comprising as much as 40% of their trees. Minnesota has one of the highest volumes of ash on forestland in the U.S. with an estimated 867 million forestland ash trees and ash is a prominent component of our urban forests as well.

There's nothing like the baseball season opener and especially this year with our very Minnesota Twins outside and in their new ball park. For most of us, we look upon a game that is to look easy, not only because of the athleticism of the players, but because of the hard and grueling practices that take place before the season starts.

The EPA has come out with new regulations for lead based paint that take effect in April of 2010. The regulations apply to anyone who hires or is paid to renovate, repair or disturb lead based paint in a home or child occupied facility. This speci cally includes property managers, paint- ers, electricians, drywallers, and plumbers. Ho- meowners working on their own homes are not included. The regulations require that all renova- tions that involve lead need to be performed by a Certi ed Firm using Certi ed Renovators or employees who are trained and supervised by the Certi ed Renovator.

Recently, someone asked me an interesting question that I initially didn’t know the answer to. I was asked, “If I use a contractor who is not licensed, what recourse would I have if I had any problems with their work?” This led me to search further.