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...
Common Elements
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...
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...
Don’t Let Requests for Electric 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...
Hoarding – Understanding and Successfully Addressing the Problem
It's a condition that affects between three and five percent of all Americans, both men and women. With an aging baby boomer generation, experts predict that the problem is only going to get worse. It’s called hoarding and for condominium associations, particularly...
Drones: Regulation Under State and Federal Law, and Controlling Via a Community’s Governing Documents
Unmanned aircrafts, commonly known as drones, are becoming increasingly popular both for recreational and business uses. Technological advancements have increased those potential uses and brought the costs down. Given the popularity, constant technological...