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October 20, 2008 |
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Published
as a service for the residents of and visitors to the Dadeland neighborhood.
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Your condo life and the condo commando
Recognize anyone you know? If you’ve ever served on a condo board or two, or have been a property manager, you may have run up against a condo commando. No, not all boards have one. But those that do can suffer from paralysis, bad decision-making — or worse. When one person — often the president — is so intimidating that other board members are too afraid to challenge him or her, things can quickly degenerate, driving away good property management and jeopardizing property values. Think about it: A typical 500-unit building has an insured value of about $150 million, not including land value. Should one person be allowed to put that at risk? A condominium association is a legal entity and its directors have a responsibility to shareholders — that’s you, the unit owners — to act in good faith, ethically and honestly, and democratically. Power and ego drive condo commandos, who feel they “have the authority to do what they want, when they want and treat whoever they want how they want,” says the president of a management company. “There has to be leadership and consensus.” It’s important to quickly point out there are many good, dedicated directors out there — and render services on a no-pay basis. But, a commando dominating a spineless board can quickly send a condo association into a negative cycle. For example, not raising condo fees as necessary may lead to a special assessment down the road, earning the ire of owners, who may in turn throw out the board at the next annual general meeting. Board members should face down a condo commando, but few have the strength to do so, says the president of another management company. The long-standing president of another board “threw a tantrum” when the directors wanted to appoint a new leader upon re-election. The directors stuck by their guns — and he quit. The unit owners elect the directors at the annual meeting for a term of one year; the directors then choose a president and the other officers, including vice president(s), secretary and treasurer. Let’s face it: Board members are going to disagree. It’s part of having a full and frank airing of issues. If a director vehemently disagrees with a decision, he or she should state it on the record and have it recorded in the minutes. Once a decision has been made, however, directors should present a common front. If a director can’t live with a decision, he or she should resign, rather than badmouthing the board. “If you undermine your board, usually you are undermining your community,” says the president of another management company. If no one on the board reins in the commando — who often micro-manages day-to-day affairs — a good property manager will bail out. A revolving door on the property manager’s office is a sign there isn’t a good working relationship with the board. When boards understand their role as a team of overseers, it goes a long way toward the smooth running of the building. One manager compares it to directors on a hospital board. “You better know what the patients think of your hospital. You better know that you’ve got a good staff and what the staff is doing and have a pretty good understanding of what’s going on in your hospital,” he says. “But you’re not going to be standing in the operating room telling the doctor to take out this particular kidney.” In other words, condo boards should step back and let property managers do their jobs. Inspecting units after a flood or directing cleaning and security staff are all jobs for the manager. When liens must be registered, that, too, is the manager’s job. Not getting personally involved means everyone gets treated equally under the law. Having good practices in place can also give peace of mind to boards that have been burned by bad management before. For example, make sure contracts are properly tendered for maintenance and repair. Accepted wisdom is that any expenditure over $1,000 requires three quotes from companies with proper references. When directors “go fishing” for quotes but don’t follow through after a manager has interviewed potential contractors, they may find themselves out of luck in the future. Good companies will stop bidding. With 25 years’ experience in property management, one manager says managers usually have a list of preferred suppliers. This can help avoid conflicts of interest — such as when a director recommends a “friend” who turns out to be less than honorable. As in politics, it’s best to avoid even the appearance of a conflict. Once a firm is selected, it is the directors who are responsible for signing contracts. Speaking of contracts, it’s imperative that new board members familiarize themselves with their own management agreements, service contracts, financial statements and minutes. Ditto for their association’s bylaws, rules and declaration. It’s heady stuff, but necessary when running the financial affairs of what can be a multi-million-dollar corporation. A good property manager can be the board’s best ally, guiding directors through the difficult tasks they face. Although the manager answers to the board, he or she also has an obligation to lead the board. For example, say a board has a reserve fund study done, but refuses to implement a plan because the board members disagree with the study or are afraid of having to levy a special assessment or raise fees substantially. A good property manager will remind them of their liabilities under the statutes. Directors bear heavy responsibility these days. They’re unpaid, under-appreciated and can face the wrath of their neighbors while trapped in an elevator or parking their car. It’s not a job for everyone. After taking the tough decisions — such as a balcony or crumbling garage repair, or handling a long, complicated lawsuit — it’s tough to face heat over carpet stains or dead flowers. Scarier still is when someone is either not aware of the big picture or, with malicious intent, whips up the owners to unseat hard-working board members — and then runs and gets elected. One former president’s prudent advice? “You want people on the board who don’t want to be on the board.” Ignore that advice at your condo’s peril. |
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