Looking For Legislative Suggestions For 2017 General Assembly
As we prepare for the 2017 legislative session we would like to invite suggestions from our members.
The CCOC executive committee has discussed potential law changes we would like to initiate.
But it is important for us to get your thinking before we finalize our agenda.
One thing we can tell you now is that we will not be requesting a condo mediation board or for the state to set up an agency to handle condo complaints.
We have proposed several variations and all have met with negative reactions.
Our belief is that the state has no interest in adding additional costs to the budget nor are associations willing to pay for such services.
Please send your suggestions by Dec. 18 to ggombossy@gmail.com.
Once we have our final list we will of course let the membership know.
Understand that they will not approve condo mediation however leaves all condo owners without necessary avenues. Condo laws are also not enforced by the State of CT. Laws are great but in order to be effective they have to be enforced. The State of CT will not get involved. As a result, we are then forced to hire an attorney which is expensive , many of us cannot afford. Without financial ability to hire an attorney, living conditions and quality of life suffer, condo values are negatively impacted, and it is a loss situation which continues. Also, Condo Association managers who are not in compliance with licensing are still operating illegally. State of CT needs to be able to enforce laws to begin to solve these problems.
Unfortunately we all knew or should have known when we purchased our condos that Connecticut does not enforce condo laws. As you state you can sue or replace the board of directors.
it is not easy for units owner to suit it cost a lot of money and the association uses units owner money to pay for attorney to defend against units owner for their wrong doing my condo association has 231 units from that the majority owner own 139 units and the other 98 minority owner are been abuse in every way the state need to be created and do something about this terrible situation the state know about this and they act like it is ok the way it is
and no I dint know that it was going to be this way and most owners dint know about this the association harass discriminate units owner they do what they want bicouse they know they can one would think that this is a lie but it is a reality in todays date and age
The Town of Branford has gone chemical free for all town property, including schools and athletic fields. Condos are private property. Individual owners have no say on what is used on our property. We can only obtain medical exemptions.
Our condo lies within the New Haven Regional Water Authority perimeter, and Lake Saltonstall, a public water supply is close by. Still, our board continues to sanction the use toxic pesticides, fertilizers, etc.
I’ve spoken to Sen. Edward Kennedy but his focus has been on public property only. Individual or groups of condo owners have no recourse. We have a mixed population including children and older residents…..and a lot of pets.
Have not seen any updates or information on legislative agendas or committees on HOA. Website has been same for months. Is there another link or has this Coalition fizzled out.
A very impressive group- what has been you major accomplishments in 2016?
As I am sure you read in this post we are working now on our legislative agenda. Once completed, we will announce to our members. BTW did you forget to include your suggestions?
Hi George,
Not sure how or where I should be leaving my suggestions.
We are a small 36 unit older renovated complex. We constantly have issues where investor owners rent to tenants who bring in bed bugs and won’t let us exterminate because we bill back for those due to folks not following directions to get rid of them. Tenants and sometimes owner are hoarders to the point of not being able to get even in the doorway, or are extremely very filthy with food, soda bottles, and grease all over the walls. They also let water leak thru dripping faucets and running toilets and won’t fix and eventually won’t let us check, open windows and put heat all the way up, and move 4 to 8 people into their 1 bd 700 sq ft apt with them which abuses our small dumpster and our utilities that the rest of us pay for in our common fees. These issues are not slight. They are extreme and we seen to have no real legal recourse. Our docs say we can go in for emergencies but health issues like this don’t seem to be covered. We have one fight with bed bugs going back and forth btwn attorneys for months and is costing our association money with no resolve. Sometimes the tenant brings there own illegal exterminator from NY to CT because they are cheap but doesn’t fix the problem. Once Bed bugs are sprayed they become immune and a different more costly fix is needed but we can’t get it done.
Without legal recourse for some of these things CONDOMINIUMS WILL SOON BECOME SLUMS OF THE NEAR FUTURE.
Have not seen any updates or information on legislative agendas or committees on HOA. Website has been same for months. Is there another link or has this Coalition fizzled out.
A very impressive group- what has been you major accomplishments in 2016?
(1) I would like Condominium Associations to be required to reply to owner’s written correspondence and to answer questions asked by owners at monthly meetings. The Common Condominium Association, in Old Greenwich, CT has stated at meetings, “we have no obligation to answer your questions”. Therefore, the once a year and only way possibility to receive an answer is at an annual meeting. At annual meetings, the reply is, “it is under consideration”, never to be heard of again. The board should be required to answer owner’s questions and not ignore subjects they choose to.
(2) Owners comments, made at monthly and annual meetings should be accurately and correctly recorded and included in the meeting’s minutes. The Common Association’s secretary records non-specific owner’s comments, or owners comments are edited or excluded from the minutes at the direction of the association’s president. The association’s president stated “owner comments are not required to be included in the minutes. My written request to allow owners comments to be included and “approved” by the owner who made the comments to insure correctness was denied.
(3) I have made written suggestions and requests to the association president with copy to the management company requesting this correspondence, be distributed to all board members. This correspondence goes unanswered despite follow up requests requesting conformation of the distribution. I was told by the association president that correspondence directed to all board members directed to the management company or the president is discussed between the president and the management company who then decide if distribution as requested is made. I believe this is censorship. Correspondence directed to all board members should be distributed as addressed.
(4) Meeting addenda’s should be specific and list items to be discussed. Presently, all the Common Condominium meeting addenda’s are generic, non-specific and list only “committee reports”.
(5) Owners who attend Committee Meetings should be allowed to comment. Presently, owners are allowed to attend these meetings as “observers only”
Therefore, there is no benefit in attending.
Thank you to all the continued efforts of the CCOC who are working toward improving and enforcing the rights of Connecticut Condominium ownership.
We need to have passed a law that mandates no-smoking in condos as New York has. I think it is ok to allow smoking in townhomes that have separate entrances, but co-ops, condos and apartment stule Association buildings should not allow smoking as the invisible, killing, cancer gasses passs through condo walls, unlike the barriers in town homes.
This includes all smoking, buring of marijuana, etc. where harmful gasses and the potential of fires can exist
We have a clerk treasurer who is a dictator, he appointed a committee to make decisions formerly voted on by the 26 homeowners. Anyone who opposes any of the illegal activities is subject to loss of services, property damage, and frivolous fines, while committee members and supporters violate the association rules without penalty. We have a licensed property management group, but they will not go against the person who signs their check. Homeowners are afraid to go to the meetings and be targeted. If people could safely report violations without risking repercussions they would. I think once a year home association members should be sent a private survey and legal action should be taken if necessary.
To amend Connecticut Genera Statues 47-270(c) that purchaser cannot rescind purchase agreement using the five day rule and make another offer on a condo in the same complex for at least three months. Also, a valid reason should be given as to why they are rescinding contract because of the resale documents. There needs to be a reason.
I had purchaser drag on requesting information on resale documents by keeping time open to terminate and then rescind my offer without any reason and two days later make an offer on a unit that was advertising as third bedroom which was illegal under zoning and condo rules.
this situation is just terrible this state don’t care about condo units owners this is just so wrong units owners don’t have 10 thousand to pay for attorney fees to enforce their rights this is just ridiculous ,ridiculous ct state need to do something to find a solution to stop all this abusive board members the law only work one way and that is the condo association way by violating the bylaws in every posible way.
I am right there with you ! I am having that problem at cedar ridge in Middletown Ct. I wish I knew all the crap I have discovered before I bought this place. Maybe I can help someone else. We have a board who is not transparent and sneaky. They have their own little gang and they don’t represent all the condo owners. Now if we want anything done to protect our rights we have to hire an attorney. Now that costs money. Rich and poor and the poor suffers at the hands of the privileged.