Category: Government & Legislative Affairs

Legislative Alert: Sprinkler Legislation Dies in Committee

It’s official. Philadelphia City Council Bill 220299 – mandating the upgrade of older residential buildings for in-unit automatic sprinklers is dead. The bill has run out of time to have a hearing before the end of the current session, so the bill is officially dead. While the bill is dead for this session, this does […]

The Champlain Towers Collapse and Its Implications for the Condo Industry

SPONSORED CONTENT In the preparation of this article Chat GPT-4 has been used as a reference. By Mitchell H. Frumkin, PE, RSPresident Kipcon Inc.Chair CAI National Condominium Safety, Public Policy Task Force The tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers Condominium in Surfside, Florida in 2021 not only devastated families and communities but has also sent […]

New Castle County, Delaware Adopts Building Integrity and Reserve Study Standards

New Castle County, Delaware has adopted legislation amending the New Castle County Building Code and Property Maintenance Code to establish routine inspections for certain common interest community buildings, including condominiums. The legislation was adopted on July 25, 2023. New Castle County, the northern most of the three counties in Delaware, by act of the County […]

Delaware Legislative News

EDITOR’S NOTE: A copy of this article appears in the July / August 2023 issue of Community Assets magazine. The PDF copy of the New Castle County Council Common Interest Community Task Force Recommendations referenced in the print edition of the article can be found here. Delaware has experienced some noteworthy legislative activity at both […]

Alert: Annual Reports Required for All PA Community Associations Registered as Nonprofit Corporations Beginning in 2025

EDITOR’S NOTE: This blog originally appeared on Hoffman Law LLC’s blog and is reprinted by permission of the author, Ed Hoffman, Jr., Esq., CCAL. Visit the Hoffman Law LLC blog here. Those of you who follow Hoffman Law LLC may remember our post from a few years back reminding you to get your Decennial (i.e., […]

Engineering and Economic Impact Studies Find Proposed Fire Sprinkler Mandate for Existing High-Rise Buildings in Philadelphia Costly and Unjustified

New engineering and economic impact studies commissioned by the Pennsylvania Apartment Association (PAA) have found no empirical evidence to support Philadelphia City Council’s proposed change to “The Philadelphia Fire Code” (Bill 220299), requiring automatic fire sprinkler systems in existing high-rise buildings throughout the city. The engineering report, conducted by Thriven Design, Inc., examines the cost […]

Philadelphia’s Condo Owners Speak Out at City Council Meeting

Approximately 125 Philadelphia residents descended upon City Hall on Thursday morning, March 16, 2023, to let their voices be heard in opposition to Bill 220299. The Bill would require the installation of fire sprinkler systems in all existing high-rise condominium, cooperative and apartment buildings (buildings higher than 75 feet), costing unit owners and renters between […]

PA LAC Invites You to Escape

Victory for PA Community Association Managers – No Real Estate License needed!

The Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission (“REC”) has withdrawn its prosecution which claimed Community Association Managers (“CAMs”) are required to earn real estate broker and salesperson licenses. The REC has finally recognized that CAM’s do not provide rental property management services. Marshal Granor, Esq, a fellow in CAI’s College of Community Association Lawyers, and long-time delegate […]

Philadelphia Residents: Sign the Letter to City Council Opposing Sprinkler Retrofit Bill

CAI has been monitoring legislation (Bill 220299) in the City of Philadelphia that would require the installation of fire sprinkler systems in all existing high-rise condominium, cooperative and apartment buildings (buildings higher than 75 feet), costing unit owners and renters between $20,000 to $50,000 per unit. Beyond the impact on both market-rate rental housing and […]