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Old 03-05-2015, 12:52 PM   #7
calf
broke the first rule
 
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Join Date: Jan 2004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by saillias View Post
Fair enough but you could explain this to me: If I could afford one of the single detached 2-story homes a block away I'd be in one, with no condo board. Why does a condo board with volunteers have to exist in the first place? I am here for budgetary reasons, not because I want someone to shovel my driveway. What if there isn't a board, every unit owner shovels their own driveway, mows their own grass. Am I just woefully ignorant here? I didn't sign up for a condo board, it just kinda came with the purchase.
When you bought a condo, you signed up for a condo board. The board has to exist because the complex has common property that needs to be managed - and it's best to have a small dedicated committee to manage these items than getting everyone together at once. The costs/management is more than just mowing lawns and shovelling snow. There's insurance, saving for complex-wide maintenance/replacements (like roadways/parking lots/roofs), utilities, etc.

You probably could get mowing lawns/snow shovelling cut from the budget, but good luck getting by-laws passed requiring each owner to maintain their own property, and it's even harder to enforce these new rules. A good board doesn't just look after little operating and maintenance activities, but has an overall view of the property and works hard to maintain value for all owners.
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