Long-term planning is one of the primary duties an individual undertakes when seated on the board of directors for a community association. There is a constant balance that must be found between a desire to keep assessment levels steady (and low) and ensuring that the items which the association is responsible for repairing, replacing and maintaining are properly handled in the short and long-term.
Articles, News and Resources
Mold Prevention and Water Damage: Proactive Steps all Community Association Managers and Boards Should Know
Written by: Todd J. Skowronski* Makower Abbate Guerra Wegner Vollmer PLLC From frozen pipes, broken appliance supply lines, to roof leaks and leaking drain pans, in townhome and attached condominiums, water intrusion can quickly wreak havoc for owners and the...
Do You Have a Responsibility Matrix And Is It Up To Date?
Boards and managers are always looking for ways to make the administration of their condominiums more efficient. Having to sort through the Master Deed (and multiple amendments too!) to figure out whether the association or co-owner is responsible for a certain common...
Community Associations Immunized Against COVID-19 Tort Claims.
As the first two COVID-19 vaccines begin to rollout to select populations in Michigan categorized by the CDC as priority Phase 1A, Community Associations and all Michiganders are looking forward to an end to the coronavirus pandemic. With the pandemic's end finally...
What Every Board Member Should Consider to Reduce Assessments
A condominium association’s board of directors has a seemingly endless list of responsibilities, but one of the most important – at least in terms of its impact on the membership – is the adoption of an annual budget. In simple terms, adopting a budget requires the...
Disappearing Units II: Condominium Wins Big Against County Treasurer and Prospective Builders Looking To Build Hundreds of Units
Shortly after the case of Cove Creek Condominium Association v Vistal Land & Home Develop, LLC, __Mich App__, Nos. 342372 & 343144 (2019) was decided in late December 2019, the Michigan Court of Appeals decided another case involving disappearing units....
Rules Your Community Association Should Consider Adopting
Does our Board have rulemaking authority? In Michigan, a condominium association Board has the implicit authority to enact reasonable rules and regulations regarding the condominium. Generally speaking, this authority is quite broad and unless otherwise specified in...
Disappearing Units Big Win for Condominium Associations Against Prospective Developers
In a significant development impacting certain types of incomplete condominiums in Michigan, the Michigan Court of Appeals published a decision in Cove Creek Condominium Association v Vistal Land & Home Develop, LLC, _ Mich App _, Nos. 342372 & 343144 (2019),...
Get Smart – What Associations Should Consider in Light of the Rising Popularity of Smart Doorbells
Whether its excitement over new technology or a desire to discourage criminal activity, the demand for smart doorbells continues to grow. With these devices, someone is virtually always home and can easily respond to the delivery person, scare off a porch pirate or...
What You Don’t Know About Mold Might Make You Very Sick… Financially
Mold can present a real threat to the structural integrity of a building and can also be harmful to human health. This threat is amplified in attached condominiums since owners can be affected by an instance of mold originating in another co-owner's unit or the common...
Don’t Let Requests for Electronic Vehicle Charging Stations Shock You: How to Prepare Your Association for Green Energy Initiatives
In January 2019, Michigan’s first electric vehicle charging infrastructure program was approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). The Consumers Energy PowerMiDrive initiative includes a $10 million, three-year pilot program to support installations of...
Two Condominium Bylaw Provisions That Every Board Should Review to Ensure that Assessments are not Unnecessarily Depleted
Assessments are the means by which all associations operate, and assessments provide the necessary income to maintain and enhance a community's assets to protect and maximize unit values. When assessment levels get too high, the very assessments that are essential to...