Storm/screen doors

Started by DianeK5 • 1 replies • 1491 views

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DianeK5 (Minnesota)
Posts: 1

Posted:

I am the president of the association for a 64-unit townhome complex in Minnesota. These were all formerly foreclosures and were snapped up by investors. I own 37 of the units, and there are about 20 other owners with ownership of the rest of them. Except for maybe 2 or 3 units, they are all rentals. Over the years, the property has been allowed to fall into disrepair, and we are now beginning to address the capital improvements that are necessary. The other owners are not involved at all and don't appear to care. So I'm left making the decisions.

Many of the tenants would like to have screen doors. I am open to the possibility, but I am afraid of maintenance issues that would result from adding this new item to treat badly. My thought is that the association would pay to have doors put on, initially, and then unit owners would be responsible for them in the future.

I would like feedback on the advantages/disadvantages of having storm/screen doors on units. I'm thinking a mid-view with a self-storing screen. I just feel like this is probably a bad idea, but I would also like to see the tenants happy. I would like to have one if it were me. I guess the big issue is how durable they are because there tons of kids running in and out of the units and a large portion of the tenants have pets.

Any comments would be appreciated.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059

Posted:

First, are you considered a condominium or an HOA (as a town home development could be either one)?

Second, Who is responsible for the upkeep of the outside of the town home (as this could be an HOA responsibility or a homeowner responsibility regardless if it's an HOA or not)?

Third, when you say you are the one making the decisions, is there a Board of Directors that actually holds meetings or are you simply making decisions on your own without board approval?

Adding screen doors would be considered a capital improvement (if its a Condominium or HOA responsibility to maintain). Therefore, you will need to follow your governing documents on the procedure for approving a capital improvement. Many documents require membership approval.

Personally, based on your comment that " My thought is that the association would pay to have doors put on, initially, . . . " it sounds like your trying to rob the Association of funds to pay for something an owner should be responsible for. Association funds are to be used for very specific things. Using funds for things other than those approved by the governing documents can open the door to legal action.

If the owner is responsible for the maintenance, then it's the owner who should spend the money to add the improvement.

Why not simply adopt a rule on the style and color of the screen door that will be approved. Then have each owner decide if they want to put the investment into their investment to install the doors.

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