Article
Courtesy of The Miami Herald
By
DONNA GEHRKE-WHITE
Published
March 5, 2006
Animosity and old grudges can get in the way of owners
working together to keep condos well maintained.
Trouble usually starts when the talking stops, says
Florida's assistant condo ombudsman, Bill Raphan.
At board meetings, owners needs to respectfully tell board
members what repairs they believe are needed. Or they need to just as politely
explain why they don't want to spend the money.
Boards need to listen and then communicate what they see
as their buildings' priorities. They may agree that work is needed, say, on the
pool deck but explain to owners that the building's painting must come first,
Raphan says.
''You
have to have the proper balance,'' he says. What you don't want is a "scream
fest.''
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