Page 5 - New England Condominium July 2020

NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -JULY 2020 5 Do you have an issue with your board? Are you wondering how to solve a dispute with a neighbor? Can’t fi nd informa- tion you need about a building’s fi nances? Our attorney advisors have the answers to all of your legal questions. Write to New England Condominium and we’ll publish your question, along with a response from one of our attorney advisors. Questions may be edited for taste, length and clarity. Send your questions to: patgale@yrinc.com. Q&A QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Legal Q A Owner Apathy Q My Connecticut condo has been run into the ground by a very poor property management group, and the condo board ‘president’ is more interested in calling himself president than in doing the duties of the position. Everything has had to be redone at addi- tional cost, and I suspect kickbacks with the ‘landscaping’ contract. Residents are poor and don’t seem to care. Now I am being ha- rassed for speaking out by the president and the property manager. I can’t aff ord to take this problem to court. I plan to move, but the deed restrictions run out in about a year, allowing me to make a profi t on the sale of my unit. From now until then, is there any- thing I can do? —Frustrated Owner A “As an owner, you have to make a difficult decision: Do you attempt to rally support among the neighbors to remove Content folks generally prefer to stay and replace the current president of the home and to let the association run itself. association, or wait it out until you can sell the unit?” says Scott Sandler, partner improprieties, then you should take the in Sandler, Hansen & Alexander LLC in time to inspect the association’s records. Middletown, Connecticut. “Condominium and homeowner as- sociations are democratic societies. then be shared with the community at Forcing a change in leadership requires large. the support of the voters, i.e.: the other unit owners in the community. Remov- ing and replacing members of the board the current leadership, then you should are easy tasks to accomplish, if you have speak to the neighbors to determine the support of your neighbors. “Unfortunately, apathy runs rampant place the leadership.” in these communities. This could be due to either a lack of understanding, or a lack of interest (I don’t know; or I don’t care). “However, the apathy could also be taken as a good sign: If people are gen- erally content with their leadership, then they feel no need to speak up and to par- ticipate. Anyone who has ever attended an association meeting knows that the angry people almost always participate. “If you suspect some kind of financial Those records are open for inspection by any unit owner. Any improprieties may “Regardless of whether there exist any improprieties, if you are dissatisfied with whether it makes sense to remove and re- n & Disclaimer: Th e answers provided in this Q&A column are of a general nature and cannot substitute for professional advice regarding your specifi c circumstances. Always seek the advice of competent legal counsel or other qualifi ed profes- sionals with any questions you may have regard- ing technical or legal issues.