Question: Can a condo association hire a handyman to do minor odd jobs such as light painting without worrying if this person is a licensed contractor?

Answer: If you are hiring someone to do work for the association, that person should be properly licensed, bonded and insured. No exceptions. Remember that the board is acting on behalf of all the members and needs to run the association in a businesslike manner.

Question: If my washing machine hose breaks sending water cascading into my neighbor's unit, whose insurance pays?

Answer: Depends. Some homeowner association insurance policies pay all claims. If your access to association insurance is restricted by the association then the claim would fall on you or your neighbors’ insurance. In that case, unless there was negligence on your part, your neighbor’s insurance should pay. While the neighbor may not like it, that is what insurance is for and all owners are responsible for having it for reasons just like this one.

Question: Our board meeting minutes are so sanitized that one gets the impression that "all is well in Happy Valley". Nothing could be further from the truth. Important items clearly stated at the meetings are noticeably missing or show a different outcome than took place in the minutes that often take over 30 days to be posted. And the secretary does not record the minutes- the management company does. Is this proper? Homeowners requests that their comments at the pre-meeting Homeowner Forum be included in the minutes have been ignored. Help!

Answer: You can request at the Q&A session or by way of a board member that the minutes be amended if you believe critical information was either left out or recorded improperly. If the misinformation is glaring or may have been done intentionally, it is fair to ask if there was a motive behind it. The minutes should be clear and comprehensive enough so that someone that not attending the meeting would understand what was discussed and what actions were taken.

It is common for the management company to record minutes although I don't recommend it. Managers are hired to advise the board. If they are busy doing secretarial work, that might not get done and the board loses a great value. Recording minutes is not difficult and the elected secretary should do it.

The Minutes need only include items of the board business meeting. That is why Homeowner Forums are often included prior to the start of the meeting. If an owner has a specific concern that requires board action, that item should be included in the meeting agenda for discussion. The agenda is usually assembled in advance by either the Board President or manager.

For more on this subject, see www.regenesis.net

Published: December 15, 1999

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Richard Thompson owns Regenesis, a management consulting company that specializes in condominium and homeowner associations. He is a nationally recognized expert on HOA management issues. Regenesis publishes The Regenesis Report, a monthly newsletter for HOA boards, developers and managers. To subscribe, go to Regenesis.net. He can be contacted by email at .