The CAI’s nonprofit research foundation provides a platform for community research, development and scholarship.
By: Gwen Runkle
Ronald L. Perl, a partner with the West Windsor-based law-firm of Hill Wallack, has been named president of the Community Association Institute Research Foundation.
The Community Association Institute (CAI) is a national organization dedicated to providing education and resources to the approximately 250,000 residential condominium, cooperative and homeowner associations in the United States and to the professionals and suppliers who serve them.
The CAI’s nonprofit research foundation provides a platform for community research, development and scholarship.
"It gives community association boards and residents the benefit of information they might otherwise not have had," Mr. Perl said. "For instance, our best-practices reports provide information on everything from energy efficiency and governance to conflict resolution and financial operations."
A member of the CAI since 1981, Mr. Perl has served as past president of the CAI’s NJ Chapter, worked as editor of its "Community Trends" publication and chaired its Legislative Action Committee. As president of the research foundation, he will serve a one-year term.
"As president my main goal is to use the resources available to make people aware of the governing challenges facing community associations today," he said.
Mr. Perl became involved with CAI after finding out what it was like to be part of a community association first hand.
"I became interested in community association law around 1978 when I was living in Hillsborough," he said. "I was on the board of my townhouse association and, as new homeowners, we didn’t know what to do at first.
"That’s when I began looking for resources and found a flyer for the CAI," he continued. "I attended a conference and was able to talk with other homeowner association members. It was an eye-opening experience."
Mr. Perl, who lives in New Brunswick and holds an undergraduate and law degree from Rutgers, is partner-in-charge of Hill Wallack’s Community Association Law Practice Group and member of the Government Affairs Practice Group, concentrating his practice in the area of community association law and the representation of government entities.
He is also an adjunct professor at Seton Hall Law School in Newark.
"I taught the first law school class in New Jersey on community association law," Mr. Perl added. "When I started out there weren’t too many community associations out there, but today it’s estimated there are about a quarter million in the country.
"It’s the leading form of home ownership," he continued. "It’s affordable and provides people with many amenities pools, tennis courts, etc. they would not necessarily have if they lived elsewhere. Some people don’t want the burden for caring for their own home or are starting out or looking for a place to retire to."
And since the phenomena of community associations is growing so rapidly, making sure the laws are clear and associations are properly run becomes all the more important, he said.
"As community associations grow and laws change there needs to be a guide or resource out there for people to turn to," he said. "That’s where the CAI and its research foundation fit right in."