$32,000 per unit

KrisJ4 (Hawaii)
Posts: 16

Posted:

Hey all,
At my condos, there is a waste and vent replacement project taking place. At our complex, there are 4 types of units. Some units have 1 bathroom. Some have 1.5 - 2 bathrooms. That being said, they are dividing the whole project evenly and everyone has to pay the $32,000.
What my question is, Why should I have to pay the $32,000 (includes the Demo, pipe replacement, remodel), if my unit is already demo'd with the walls open and wont be having them remodel anything? I talked to the (I am a board member)contractor and the the cost for only replacing the pipe is $4-5k. I am more than ok with them doing that and paying for only what they do. Why should people all pay an even amount, seems unfair?
The letter that is about to be sent out is telling people to vote yes for the project or the monthly fee will go up to $2700-$3000 per month to cover the cost.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,062

Posted:

Kris,

You posted that you are on the board.

If you were not, I would tell you to contact the board to find out the breakdown of the project.

However, since you are on the board, you may not be getting all the info (spam filter, etc.).
You should check with another board member and (if an MC is involved) the MC.

KrisJ4 (Hawaii)
Posts: 16

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By TimB4 on 08/18/2023 10:26 AM
Kris,

You posted that you are on the board.

If you were not, I would tell you to contact the board to find out the breakdown of the project.

However, since you are on the board, you may not be getting all the info (spam filter, etc.).
You should check with another board member and (if an MC is involved) the MC.

As I mentioned, I talked to the contractor directly and the cost of the pipe only is $4-5K.

The President wants all communication to go through him directly. I was asking for months for a breakdown, and schedule of the project. After the President told me to stop asking questions, I contacted the contractor directly and pushed to get answers. I did get the breakdown and with the breakdown, the piping bring replaced is only $4-5k. My unit is currently in the middle of renovations so the walls are open and all the pipes they need access to are exposed. There is no need for them to charge me the full amount in this case.

CathyA3 (Ohio)
Posts: 6,299

Posted:

It sounds like this is a special assessment. There should be supporting documentation that spells out how the board arrived at that number, including the approved bid and contract from the vendor. It should also indicate how they determined who pays what.

Depending on the work being done, I can see the total cost of repairs being either divided evenly or apportioned by par value/percentage of ownership. For example, in my governing documents it does talk about assessments being handled either way depending on what is being paid for. If your governing documents have something similar, it probably won't be up to the board to decide unless it says specifically that they can choose - they have to follow the rules as they're laid out.

Read your governing documents thoroughly - there may be an answer in there.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,062

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By KrisJ4 on 08/18/2023 10:38 AM

As I mentioned, I talked to the contractor directly and the cost of the pipe only is $4-5K.

The President wants all communication to go through him directly. I was asking for months for a breakdown, and schedule of the project. After the President told me to stop asking questions, I contacted the contractor directly and pushed to get answers. I did get the breakdown and with the breakdown, the piping bring replaced is only $4-5k. My unit is currently in the middle of renovations so the walls are open and all the pipes they need access to are exposed. There is no need for them to charge me the full amount in this case.

I'm not saying I don't agree with you.

I'm saying this is an issue for the board. Start talking to other board members and get things modified if you can.
If you can't gain support with the rest of the board, I think you're stuck.

KrisJ4 (Hawaii)
Posts: 16

Posted:

Thank you, I'll see if if we have anything in the documents.

KrisJ4 (Hawaii)
Posts: 16

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By TimB4 on 08/18/2023 12:26 PM

Posted By KrisJ4 on 08/18/2023 10:38 AM

As I mentioned, I talked to the contractor directly and the cost of the pipe only is $4-5K.

The President wants all communication to go through him directly. I was asking for months for a breakdown, and schedule of the project. After the President told me to stop asking questions, I contacted the contractor directly and pushed to get answers. I did get the breakdown and with the breakdown, the piping bring replaced is only $4-5k. My unit is currently in the middle of renovations so the walls are open and all the pipes they need access to are exposed. There is no need for them to charge me the full amount in this case.

I'm not saying I don't agree with you.

I'm saying this is an issue for the board. Start talking to other board members and get things modified if you can.
If you can't gain support with the rest of the board, I think you're stuck.

I think I am out numbered on this one. There is only one other member that agrees with me at this point. I do fear I may be stuck.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

We're 200+ high rise condos and assessments have been split evenly among all Units. Coming up is some required balcony repairs . Some balconies are 100 sf, typical, but a few units including one that needs a lot of work has 3 balconies & decks for a total of 300 sf. And of our 300+ balconies only about 25 need work. But we all pay because the balconies are exclusive use common areas.

Similarly, the HOA pays for a required annual inspection of the fire suppression system's sprinkler head in our condo ceilings. My 1,150 sf Unit has 12 heads, but some 2,800 sf penthouses have 30. We have 31 different unit configurations so calculating any common area repair/replacement (e.g.,riser clean-outs) based on unit size would be really complicated and require a lot of measuring, etc. etc. And EVEN units of the same size have different, let's say, lineal footage of common area drain lines, based on where the units are located in the building, and how far form the main drain lines.

I'm afraid you will be stuck with the $32k unless you do find something in your governing documents, Kris.

SheliaH (Indiana)
Posts: 6,964

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By TimB4 on 08/18/2023 12:26 PM

Posted By KrisJ4 on 08/18/2023 10:38 AM

As I mentioned, I talked to the contractor directly and the cost of the pipe only is $4-5K.

The President wants all communication to go through him directly. I was asking for months for a breakdown, and schedule of the project. After the President told me to stop asking questions, I contacted the contractor directly and pushed to get answers. I did get the breakdown and with the breakdown, the piping bring replaced is only $4-5k. My unit is currently in the middle of renovations so the walls are open and all the pipes they need access to are exposed. There is no need for them to charge me the full amount in this case.

I'm not saying I don't agree with you.

I'm saying this is an issue for the board. Start talking to other board members and get things modified if you can.
If you can't gain support with the rest of the board, I think you're stuck.

What Tim and Cathy said.

How is it that everyone has to pay $32k and they don't have details on the pricing? And if you're on the board and the president told you to stop asking questions, I wonder what's wrong with the rest of your colleagues. You don't say how many are on the board, but each of you have one vote- this president seems to have a but of a dictator streak, and you need to get him in check - now. There's nothing wrong with one person dealing directly with a vendor, but that doesn't mean he should get his way on everything.

$32k does smack of a special assessment snd you didn't say if the homeowners took a vote. If they did, itx too bad that question didn't come up when this was bring debated. If there was no vote and it's required by your documents (which you should already be familiar with, especially as a board member), that's a bigger problem- and you can't just blame the president.

It may be too late, but see if there are other neighbors who feel as you do and encourage them to attend the next meeting and bring thus up. The president might tell you to zip it, but that's more difficult to do in front of several people.

If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it. Marcus Aurelius

JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265

Posted:

Kris

Did the owners not have to vote on the assessment?

ElleN (Idaho)
Posts: 4,420

Posted:

-- Does every unit at this condo pay the exact same monthly assessment? If not, please explain the basis for the different assessments.

-- It's highly likely that the contractor just assumed your unit's wall would have to be removed and re-constructed. Now the contractor does not have to do this. Instead, you paid for removal and will pay for re-construction. The total bid should be adjusted accordingly. We are talking about $25,000 or so. That's enough for the board to consider what you say carefully. It may justify hiring an attorney to write a letter.

-- Does your HOA's declaration have a section that speaks to how the cost of repairs to common elements serving less than all individual units may (shall?) be assessed to the specific units? If so, please quote this verbatim here. This section may help you make your case.

-- Owners and individual directors should not communicate with vendors without approval from the board. Doing otherwise burdens the vendor with repetitive communications and a greater potential for miscommunications.

-- Please answer all questions asked in this thread. Doing so helps yield better responses.

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

The 32K per unit sounds strange. Doesn't mean not possible. A HOA assessments are based on equally splitting the costs amongst it's membership. Unless your HOA has it set up differently per size etc... Otherwise HOA expenses are split equally amongst all the owners. Plus if the owners decided they wanted the HOA to pay for instead of the individual, then you all must pay. A HOA is ONLY funded by it's members for it's members.

Whether or not you are in the process of remodelling is irrelevant. It just lucky you already had the walls open.

Former HOA President