Gov. Malloy Signs Important Bill For Condo Owners
Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy Monday signed a critical law for condo owners that requires banks to reimburse condo associations for maintenance in case of foreclosures.
The reason the bill was critical because two judges had ruled that the state statute governing reimbursement of condo fees was limited to a one time six month payment.
State Rep. Matthew D. Ritter (D-Hartford) said the bill was adopted during the last day of the General Assembly be an overwhelming vote from both parties. He said he believes the governor will sign the legislation.
Ritter said the bill clarifies that condo associations can be reimbursed for nine months of condo fees. If the foreclosure takes longer the association can continue to receive 9 months of fees every year.
Banks in return wanted more notice if a condo association was planning on taking a foreclosure action. The bill requires associations to provide banks with a 60 day notice.
The bill had the support of both the Community Association Institute of Connecticut, whose members are mainly property managers, condo attorneys, and present and former board members as well as by the Connecticut Condo Owners Coalition, which represents condo owners.
Thank you for all the good work you do.
It is good to have you working for the benefit of Condo owners.
Super job, thanks for looking after condo owners Many of us are senior citizens and some young owners who are trying to get a good start.
Quick question, What happened to the right to dry proposal?
Thanks Catherine. The right to die proposal died.
Is it legal for a condo manager to vote using an owner’s proxy?
Wendy, difficult to address your query without more information, but hopefully response below will be helpful.
A proxy is nothing more than a limited power of attorney, given by a unit owner to another person/unit owner who will be attending the meeting to act and vote on issues presented before the body.
This process provides that unit owners unable to attend the meeting [s] are not deprived of their right to vote.
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However, a property manager under contract to an Association does not fall ,under most common interest communities’ governing document guidelines, as a resident/unit owner.
Conversely, a condo manager [self managed community?] who is a unit owner may be named as proxy holder by another unit owner.
You will need to read your governing documents to determine if voting is restricted to only members of your Association.
Wasn’t there a condo law that was passed a few years back that property managers could not assist in getting signatures for board elections? And, as Gail stated, do check your bylaws because our community was self managed and we who were on the board could obtain signatures.
Thank you so much Gail. I will check my documents.
I would like to see CCOC survey its members about the future of CCOC, laws unit owners would like to see enacted, fully opening up committees to unit owners, leadership opportunities, etc. Survey results should be published to CCOC members, even if not published in CT Condo News.
This type of information is valuable to help CCOC grow and develop. The communication of this to essential to keep member engaged. Member feedback both good and bad really is critically important if we are an organization “by the people, for the people.”
I am happy to spearhead this project if George Gombossy and Gail Egan are willing to agree that I put together a team to prepare the survey and tabulate the results, and CCOC agrees to send and eblast to members.
Let’s measure our success and shortcomings. Now is the perfect time to undertake this task now that the legislative session is over and summer is here. We need to prepare for the future and that should include the voice of each and every unit owner/CCOC member who would like to provide feedback.
I am interested in feedback from other CCOC members on the approach presented above. Please leave a reply below.
I agree because I felt we did not know anything that was going with legislation until the day before we could go to a hearing. And I feel we should be privy to meeting minutes to what topics that were on the table with CCOC, especially their detail discussions with CAI. And, what I like to see is when we post in this site that all members get a notification that a new comment was added. The communication could be stronger. I feel we are left in the dark. I know prior to this group there was great communication and constant information. To add, I’d like to see members be invited to CCOC board meetings.
condodk
This will address your posted comment as well as your June 24, 2013 email to me requesting a response within 10 business days.
CCOC analyzed member and non-member issues which was the basis when developing proposed legislation for this year’s session. Our guide lines were those issues that First: were of critical importance to owners and, Second: would be helpful to owners.
This information was the basis for our legislative agenda and our meetings with the governor’s office, Attorney Jepson and staff, certainly our key legislative leaders, and lawyers who specialize in condo laws. We also sought input from the CAI Connecticut chapter and worked closely with Kim McClain, CAI-CT Executive Director, Atty. Scott Sandler, CAI Legislative Action Committee Chair and CAI lobbyists on proposed legislation that would benefit all unit owners.
Through CAI’s diligence and effort condo associations will now be reimbursed for nine months of condo fees. If the foreclosure takes longer, the association can continue to receive 9 months of fees every year. Reference G. Gombossy’s article June 24.
Additionally, Rep. O’Neill’s bill that CCOC initially opposed was narrowed to apply to common interest communities having more than 2,400 residents. This was a major victory for the residents of Heritage Village and CCOC was pleased to support the amended bill.
CCOC, in preparation for future sessions is developing a poll to assist with other issues that are of major relevance to condo owners. We will be seeking input from our legislators CAI, and, most certainly the comments and emails received from CCOC members and non-members.
As you may be aware, surveys today have improved tremendously and provide automatic tabulation by virtue of the response values. The available software will also provide CCOC to quantitatively analyze open-ended comments and, if using open-ended comments, will work with CCOC to code these responses thereby allowing for tabulation. This will be done by CCOC at no cost to its members.
We welcome input from all condo owners wanting to improve life for all common interest community residents.
If you have any concerns that you feel may be relevant for future legislation, please feel free to post in this venue.
@ Gail: So when are the unit owners (members/non members) being surveyed? And, regarding the non members — how will they be reached to provide potential future proposed legislative bills. And, @ Kevin – as you stated and I agree with “…CCOC would use the CT Dog to focus on expansion and the polling of it’s core membership for future collective concerns that could potentialy be addressed or proposed with legislators, or Condo Trade Organizations and their memberships, who’s personal and fiduciary interests can be at odds with owners and communities.” In my opinion, stronger communication is strongly needed; more than now; than what the last year provided. Thank you.
I believe surveying the membership will provide feedback for rating CCOC service to members, its strength in advocacy, its ability to fairly represent condo owners, its ability to cause/effect change, you might ask where the CCOC has failed in the eyes of membership. It should be published in every venue possible in order to gather a larger sample.
I would take that survey in an eblast… or paper… eblast would be cheaper.
The CCOC activities under the current unelected leadership has done a wonderful job bringing administrative and organizational issues into the light and forefront that has provided oppotunities for legislative consideration leading to improved and helpful legislation. BRAVO and THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING and A JOB WELL DONE!
Now that the the CCOC leadership has established an effective and credible platform to speak from, I am hopeful that the CCOC would use the CT Dog to focus on expansion and the polling of it’s core membership for future collective concerns that could potentialy be addressed or proposed with legislators, or Condo Trade Organizations and their memberships, who’s personal and fiduciary interests can be at odds with owners and communities.