Page 18 - New England Condominium February 2019

18 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM - FEBRUARY 2019 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM City Versus Suburbs Management Approaches Change Based on Geography BY MIKE ODENTHAL TRENDS T he 'big city' is known for its break- neck pace, as life whirls around the unprepared out-of-towner in an overwhelming swirl. Suburbia, on the city, while an association in the suburbs with local laws. But outside of the city, you townhomes frequently require the own- other hand, is supposed to be a respite generally occupies more square footage – have many of those same issues, in addi- from that intense metropolitan grind – a or more acreage, to put it more accurately. tion to sewage treatment, pools, siding, homes. That can create problems should place to patiently teach the kids how to The vertical-versus-sprawl contrast is the etc. A community with more acres means they fail or refuse to perform this mainte- play tee-ball out in the yard until it’s time biggest variable when it comes to manag- for dinner. Of course, the accuracy of these gen- eralizations varies from person to person and family to family. But distinctions do urban high-rise can be easier to handle what you might hear in the suburbs. tion to alter – or maintain – any portion exist between urban and rural commu- nities, and those differences impact how nity further out from the city,” says John turbances, especially given how there are or the public. While this may mean that those communities are managed and run. Wolf, CEO of management firm Alexan- Community associations in more dense- ly-packed locales have different concerns York, “because with the latter, you have to at the litigation department of Marcus nance than some other types of communi- and priorities than those in sprawling consider landscaping, snow removal, and Errico Emmer Brooks in Braintree, Mas- townships. New England Condominium things of that nature. If you’re looking at sachusetts. “More often than not, code having more control over the portions of spoke with some professionals who have a high-rise, much of what is vital is con- worked with both to delve into the simi- larities and differences. Population Density Space tends to be at a premium in the standard and need to be in compliance comprised of single-family residences or ing communities in those respective set- tings. “From a management perspective, an in the city also differ significantly from do not typically have the right or obliga- than a garden-type apartment commu- der Wolf & Company in Plainview, New tions,” says Jennifer L. Barnett, a partner ultimately responsible for more mainte- tained within the building: you have your municipalities than they do inside of the can lead to fewer problems.” boiler, the roof, elevators, heating systems ily homes on larger lots. But on the flip and mechanics, which are more or less side, suburban community associations that you’re going to have to keep track of nance, thus creating an eyesore which the more vendors and contractors.” The day-to-day complaints one hears “With city condos, I get a lot of noise dis- more brownstones and smaller associa- violations happen more often in large the property visible to the public, which city, whether those are related to mice in- festations or any other sort of pest issue, balconies, and retaining walls, etc. The Boston Fire Department makes it a point to periodically inspect buildings through- out the city. And if you don’t take care of a violation right away, they take the next step and pursue a criminal complaint with the housing courts. “In suburban associations, I see more issues that pertain to contracts,” she con- tinues. “In the city, it’s less likely that you’ll have a large area that needs snow removal or much landscaping work. But slip-and-fall cases can happen anywhere; those are pretty evenly dispersed. And I’ve also found that hoarding doesn’t depend on the setting; I see that with equal fre- quency in suburbs and high-end Back Bay condominiums. There’s no rhyme or rea- son as to where hoarding behaviors take place.” The physical layout of a property or as- sociation is likely to vary based on where it is located. “When a high-rise condo in an urban location has a number of owners and occupants literally stacked on top of one another in close proximity, it can lead to things like noise and odor emanating from one unit and travelling to another,” says Benjamin J. Rooney, a shareholder with law firm Keay & Costello in Whea- ton, Illinois. “This is less of a concern in suburban associations, which oftentimes consist of free-standing single-fam- ers to maintain exterior portions of those board must then address. “In a high-rise,” he continues, “owners of the property visible to other owners the high-rise condominium association is ty associations, it also results in the board ISTOCKPHOTO.COM