adverse employment change or deterioration in health. Assessments are the lifeblood of a community association and restricting it can have
Enforcement of the declaration, by-laws and/or rules can be a most difficult trick.
long-term consequences and even create life-safety issues if repairs are put off for too long.
Enforcement of the declaration, by-laws and/or rules can be a most difficult trick. A review of recent court cases demonstrates just how personal the idea of enforcement can become. Issues such as exterior building facade appearance, landscaping, the number of cars in the driveway, overnight parking and whether a unit can be rented have all been pervasive throughout the years. More recently, what is considered acceptable behavior at unit owner meetings and the board’s response to such behavior has been in focus. We all see each other in the lobby, at the pool, walking our pets, driving down the street or at unit owner and board meetings. Being a volunteer and having to enforce a rule with regard to a neighbor can, at times, make one want to disappear. It can be overwhelming, stressful and cause enmity between previously agreeable neighbors. Since all politics are local, fair and equal enforcement can sometimes be called into question. The idea of conflict-free living within a community association might be an illusion, but board members who practice a discipline of fair and equal treatment while being guided by the governing documents, can at least keep themselves from feeling like
the assistant who is having knives thrown all around them, hoping one doesn’t get too close.
During my travels throughout
the local world of community associations, one of the more common themes heard is the struggle to attract qualified, interested and focused board members. Like a hypnotist on stage looking for volunteers, getting unit owners to take an interest in serving on the board can be a challenging task. On some level, it does makes sense. Consider that to the average hard- working unit owner -- who by the way rarely, if ever, attends a board meeting -- spending the third Wednesday of each month in a room with several other board members making decisions on which garbage firm to hire sounds about as inviting as swallowing a sword or being sawn in two. But what that average unit owner may not understand is how important that garbage firm decision is, along with the hundreds of other decisions being made at the board meetings. The quality of life in the very community where they reside is shaped at every board meeting. Board members make decisions that directly impact how many dollars are left in unit owner’s pockets each month. They negotiate contracts, hire and fire vendors and professional service providers. Board members impact how a property looks and when it’s repaired. They can shape the long-term financial health including driving the association right into a buzz saw. But it is often only when a
Locally Sourced
Call us today or visit us online for our list of services.
630-627-3303
www.hillcrestmgmt.com 40 | COMMON INTEREST® • Spring 2019 • A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
