Over the last few years, condos increasingly have faced more residents who are delinquent on their monthly fees, which has meant less money for condo buildings' maintenance and amenities.
Condo boards reportedly are now taking a more proactive approach to cracking down on delinquent condo owners.
?Some are publicly shaming deadbeats by posting their names on hallway bulletin boards or barring them from facilities like health clubs and concierge services,? The New York Times reports. ?Others are reflexively filing liens against owners who are more than 60 days in arrears. And boards are writing requirements into their bylaws to provide additional protections.?
More boards say they?re adopting a ?zero-tolerance policy? when it comes to missing dues. For example, one board in New York City building told The New York Times that its policy includes a 10-day grace period in which the owner is sent a letter about failing to pay dues. If the owner doesn?t respond, a second letter is issued and then referred to the building?s lawyer who may then file a lien against the unit.
Why are condo boards seemingly stepping up their efforts more recently to go after delinquent residents?
?An improving real estate market means there is a greater likelihood that delinquent owners can sell their units for enough to repay the condominium; a proactive approach fits with condominiums? increasing stringency on buyers? financials; and finally, after enduring the downturn for several years, boards are growing impatient with owners who are in arrears,? The New York Times notes.
Some condo boards say they are willing to work out a payment plan with delinquent owners. Or, they may encourage the owners to sell their condo so that the proceeds can be used to pay the outstanding debt they owe.
Source: ?Condo Boards Take a Stand on Delinquencies,? The New York Times (June 22, 2012)
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The Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is the most widely grown with over 600 cultivars mostly of the mophead variety. It is what most people think of when they think of hydrangeas or hortensia. It was originally native to Japan, but is also called the French Hydrangea and Penny Mac. The French created many of the most popular hybrids in the eighteenth century. A number of varieties are suitable for potting, but they also make great border shrubs with their rich green foliage and large flowers, which can be light shades of pink, blue, or purple depending on soil acidity. It performs best in USDA zones 6a through 9b in sun to partial shade with minimal pruning. If you want a bushier specimen, you can remove spent flowers.
Recently, there has been renewed interest in lacecap hydrangeas and some of the American species like the Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) and the Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia). Lacecaps like the Hydrangea marcophylla normalis are considered by some to be easier to landscape with than mopheads because they are more subtle and graceful. The Smooth Hydrangea is great for colder climates and grow naturally from New York to Florida. The flowers are white and form a corymb or panicle. They lack the large, showy, sterile flowers of the Bigleaf, but the corymb is made up of many blooms that resemble snowballs. Oakleaf Hydrangea get much larger (up to twenty-six feet) and have red, bronze, and purple foliage in autumn that persists through winter. The white blooms also appear in panicles, but they can be up to a foot long. The flowers become a rusty color and also persist through winter, making them a great winter garden specimen. They prefer partial to nearly full shade. Smooth and Oakleaf varieties should be pruned in either late winter or early spring.
Depending on the species, some cannot be propagated by seed ? mopheads have sterile flowers. Almost all hydrangeas are easy to root. Take a six-inch branch cutting from a branch that didn?t flower and remove the lower leaves. Dip the ends in rooting hormone if you like and then insert them into damp vermiculite or coarse sand. Water the pot and allow it to drain then cover the cutting and pot in plastic. Use stakes to prevent the plastic from touching the leaves. Place them in bright light, but not in the sun. Be careful not to overwater and they should begin to root in as little as two weeks. The hardest part is overwintering the cuttings. It is recommended that you start them early in the summer, so they are stronger during the colder months.
Hydrangea comes from the Greek words for ?water? and ?jar,? loosely translating to ?water barrel.? This either refers to the cup-shaped flowers or to the fact that some varieties need plenty of water. Keep this in mind when planting because hydrangeas need rich, moist soil with partial shade. Depending on how large the species is, they should be spaced three to ten feet apart. During any dry periods, make sure to give the plant plenty of water or the leaves will wilt. Mulch, leaves, or pinestraw will help protect younger plants during the colder months.