The Community Associations Group of Hill Wallack LLP is recognized for providing insight and innovation in the representation of community associations throughout New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. Our experience serving this industry spans more than 30 years, and our group includes well-known industry leaders.

Our Clients

Our attorneys provide counsel to condominium and homeowner associations, cooperatives and real estate developers. We work closely with association governing boards and committees, management companies and other professionals to ensure the proper and cost-effective operation of community associations.

What We Do

Hill Wallack LLP offers an extensive array of services to associations, including assessment collection, document interpretation, rules enforcement, dispute resolution, municipal services and transition representation.

For the firm’s developer clients, we help draft association documents for the registration process, and provide counsel through the entire development process, including transition. We focus on creating practical solutions and emphasize loss prevention.

Our attorneys address all issues confronting common interest communities, ranging from fair housing and telecommunications matters to multi-million dollar construction defect litigation.

Management/Collections

• The firm aggressively represents associations in assessment collection matters (including bankruptcies), obtaining rent receiverships, foreclosure judgments, bank levies and wage executions
• Our attorneys provide in-house training, such as training for Alternative Dispute Resolution committees to meet statutory ADR requirements
• We counsel associations concerning rules enforcement, alternative dispute resolution, organizational procedures, election issues, vendor and service contracts and other matters affecting community living
• Hill Wallack LLP is a leader in protecting association rights to preserve the private nature of their communities
• We assist associations in obtaining FHA mortgage approval for the community

Transitions

• We have successfully guided hundreds of associations through negotiated transitions from developer control
• Our attorneys represent associations in construction defect litigation, and we have obtained millions of dollars in compensation for associations

Litigation

• Our attorneys represent associations in New Jersey appellate and trial courts, asserting their rights and obligations in a wide variety of disputes
• We represent and advocate for associations accused of violating owner rights to ADR, open records and meeting requirements

Administrative, Legislative & Regulatory Matters

• We assist communities, through negotiation and litigation when necessary, to obtain municipal services and reimbursements
• Our attorneys help resolve claims by state and municipal officials regarding construction and zoning matters affecting common interest communities
• We advise clients on fair housing law and defend against claims of violation before the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and NJ Division on Civil Rights
• The firm defends associations in matters involving the issuance of violation notices from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs regarding Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law inspections (5-Year Inspections) and from local code officials

Insurance Coverage

• We help associations obtain settlement of fire loss claims
• Our attorneys counsel associations concerning other property damage claims
• We also counsel associations concerning other insurance coverage issues

Representative Matters

• A senior partner in our group coordinated and served as lead counsel for community associations in Fire Retardant Plywood mass tort litigation
• One of our senior partners helped draft the Municipal Services Law, and we have successfully negotiated numerous municipal services agreements for associations
• Our litigation team has for decades successfully handled complex, multi-party transition litigation involving millions of dollars of construction defect and financial claims

We leverage our industry experience to provide exceptionally effective representation. For example, we understand the importance of assessment collection, and assign a high priority to these efforts. We have implemented an aggressive collection process that includes, when necessary, marking the credit reports of delinquent owners and obtaining rent levies. Our attorneys work with paralegals who devote full-time attention to assessment collection.

In keeping with our commitment to provide clients with comprehensive solutions, the Community Associations Group works with firm colleagues who focus on Employment & Labor Law, Environmental Law, Trial & Insurance, Land Use, Creditors’ Rights/Bankruptcy and other areas.

Our attorneys take active roles in the industry. We publish, present seminars and teach courses on topics of interest to community associations. Four partners are members of the prestigious College of Community Association Lawyers, an organization that recognizes experience and excellence in the community association field. We provide clients an array of ways to keep up-to-date on legal developments that affect their communities, including Client Alerts, “DOs & DON’Ts” and other best practices publications, and customized in-house seminars and workshops.