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the residents/unit owners are going to be forced to move out. If you’ve ever been on the board of an association having to deal with a local village planning or development committee, or perhaps with the city of Chicago, you know that the wheels tend to turn rather slowly from the planning stage to execution of the repairs. In many situations, full comprehension of how wide the scope of the project is going to be needs to be completed by licensed engineers. Contractors need to be brought in, estimates need to be provided and plans need to be drawn, all of which need to be approved by the local governing authority. Using the scenario described in this article, the funds are not available in reserves to pay for the repairs. As a result, a large special assessment may need to be passed and collected or perhaps a loan needs to be secured by a lender. The four-season climate we live in can often exacerbate the issues if the repair timeline happens to occur in the fall or winter months.


The “recipe” described earlier doesn’t always have to end with unit owners being faced with possible evictions. Failed recipes in our community association kitchen can take many other forms. Less tragic results can include poorly made dishes, such as a single unit owner in a smaller older building that has water coming in through the ceiling, walls or windows. A townhome association with multiple buildings sprawled over a large acreage of land with a handful of the buildings experiencing significant water damage from a leaky roof. A parking lot for a condominium association that has potholes so large that they are deemed a life safety risk. Perhaps it’s the only elevator in a building or maybe one of only two that are available to service the unit owners. It could be an outdoor walk away which serves as the only means for owners to enter their units. The results of a bad recipe can take many forms, all of which could present unit owners with a bad taste simply because the board members chose to use a list of bad ingredients.


So how do we avoid being screamed at by the crazy chef with an English accent and instead get the guy in the convertible to look at us and say “Holy Moly, Stromboli”?


The idea of what it takes to plan a perfect meal or bake the perfect dish always starts with proper planning. Ask an accomplished chef and they will tell you a delicious recipe comes from having the right ingredients in the right portions, made according to a well thought out plan known as the recipe. Is it really any different when looking at the common elements for a community association? The preparation of a solid financial plan and care of the common elements is strikingly similar to the ingredients that go into a delicious dish, delicacy, pastry or meal. If one key ingredient is left out of a recipe, it can completely


10 | COMMON INTEREST®


change the way it tastes. If one key common element is left to fall into disrepair or is not properly taken care of, it can wreak havoc on an entire association. Planning the perfect meal or dessert takes planning and proper execution. Planning for a community association to have common elements that are well-maintained and repaired or replaced as needed is no different. It takes a board that is committed to the recipe and it takes leadership and discipline to make decisions that can sometimes be challenging.


In many kitchens, there is a sous-chef. This is the chef who is second-in-command, right behind, and in support of, the executive chef. If we hearken back to our previous example and move it into a restaurant setting, the executive chef could represent the board for the community association, or perhaps narrower in scope, the board president. The role of sous-chef might be played by the property manager. There are many knowledgeable managers in this industry who had nothing but the absolutely best interest in mind for their community associations. They could be described as the friend who is honest with you regardless of whether or not you want to hear it. It’s the person who is going to tell you if the dish you just made is going home with them because it is so amazing, or putting their arm around you and showing you the garbage can! They guide the board members with both a vision and the practical plan to keep the community on a successful track. They know which ingredients to use and at what temperature to pre-heat the oven to achieve community-association-management perfection.


Unfortunately, there are also some managers who lack the ability to not only provide guidance to the board but also lack the courage to stand up in the face of a difficult situation when the truth needs to be told. Just as in the kitchen of a top-rated eatery, the executive chef (board members or board president) dedicates themselves to the successful preparation of the meal with a sous-chef (property manager) standing nearby to support and assist with the heavy lifting. If you have a good, strong and knowledgeable property manager who isn’t afraid to be that friend that tells you the dish you just made belongs in the garbage can, keep them and listen to them. Collaborate on the ingredients known as your common elements and what is needed to repair or replace them. Adopt a budget that makes sense even if it means raising assessments.


A quality manager can make or break the future of your property. If you have a manger that doesn’t understand the ingredients list and can’t bake their way above the quality of a fast-food drive-thru meal, you may want to change “restaurants”, or at least change the chef.


• Winter 2021 • A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter


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