Condominium Life
Condominium Life is centered around rules and regulations that are either imposed by law or by an association. It is a community of people willing to live by these rules and regulations and willing to live in close proximity to each other.
Condominium living requires a special type of people who are willing to live in a community with a governing board and adhere to that board; people who are willing to work and govern together for the betterment of all.
Condominium Board Responsibility
The purpose of any board is to see that its members are following all rules and regulations and that the complex is being kept up to the specifications of their documents and the wishes of its members. It also has the duty to impose fees and assessments to properly take care of the grounds and buildings as set forth in its bylaws. The board has the right to levy fees and/or fines if these rules and regulations are not being followed.
The board’s responsibility is not only to insure the complex is in compliance to the declarations, bylaws, rules and regulations, but by law to insure that owners are also in compliance.
Owner’s Responsibility
The owners, to insure a peaceful co-existence, must comply with all documents and rules and regulations. They must be willing to take an active part; they must be willing to help govern or forever hold their tongues.
Setting guidelines for owner’s responsibility
If an owner is the only one that can use it and is the only one that can abuse it, then he/she is responsible for it. Any maintenance and/or repairs that need to be done which are special and/or unique to any unit are the responsibility of the owner. If there are any alterations to any unit, the owner is responsible for any maintenance caused to or by that alteration. If an owner modifies, changes and/or makes any alterations to the unit without approval of the board, the board may (should) ask that such modifications, changes and/or alterations be removed. If an owner plants flowers and/or other plantings they are responsible for their maintenance. The association (in most cases) is responsible from the sheetrock outward and the owner is responsible (in most cases) from the sheetrock inward. Nothing should be in question as to who is responsible for what.
Kenneth N. Opp, AMS, CMCA, RRS