Plan, save, cooperate for repairs

With the help of owners, a board should draw up a maintenance plan that lists

when roofs, parking lots and other big-ticket items will need replacement.

Article Courtesy of  The Miami Herald

By DONNA GEHRKE-WHITE

Published March 5, 2006

Condo association boards and owners can work together to improve their complex.

Boards need to tell owners what the association is responsible for, so there won't be any confusion.

Legally, the board is responsible for the upkeep of all common elements listed in condo documents, according to the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation that monitors condos.

Typically, that includes roofs, parking lots, plumbing, amenities and, of course, the actual structure.

With the help of owners, a board should draw up a maintenance plan that lists when roofs, parking lots and other big-ticket items will need replacement. The board should vote on the plan at a public meeting and make sure all owners get copies of the final approved plan.

Condo communities should maintain reserves adequate to make the repairs as planned. If the community in the past has voted to waive the reserves, the board should bring the issue up again for a vote.

The boards should also hire an engineer or architect periodically to check on the structural soundness of buildings.

Both Miami-Dade and Broward counties now require inspections for buildings once they turn 40 years old and every 10 years after that. But damage can still occur when the building is only a few years old.

The boards should keep records of repairs, vendors used and the money spent. Have this readily available for owners to view.

The boards should use their community meetings, newsletters or private cable channels to communicate about repairs and maintenance. Board members should listen to owners and check into their maintenance or repair complaints. They should report back to owners what they found and what action, if any, they will take.

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