2008 Issue 2

Welcome to the Association Hotel
By Michael Zimmer

Are you experiencing an increase in what seem to be unreasonable demands from your unit owners?  Lately what residents expect has dramatically shifted to the impossible which prompted the question why? 

Recently demand for hotel style services have been on the increase.  At first I thought it was just our complex because we alerted residents several months ago that we would require a higher than normal increase, but spending an hour in our property manager’s office I heard the same types of demands as the office answered calls from other complexes.  In that hour I experienced calls from residents demanding separate schedules for cleaning of common areas associated with their unit, use of different types of sidewalk treatments for their sidewalks to ease personal cleaning habits, and a call for the association to keep children from playing around the back of their building after school because they don’t like children.

I feel the increased demands are the result of the additional financial pressures many of our residents are already facing as a result of the drastic increase in the cost of living.  Some are facing the need for second jobs or overtime just to survive and looking in every direction for a way to stretch their income or keep expenses from increasing.  The additional pressure to make ends meet is pushing people to the edge of sanity and what would normally be a small inconvenience turns into just another obstacle in their already stressed day.

Around my complex, I am receiving complaints from residents that have lived here for years and experienced much worse times in our history, as a once failed conversion from the late 80’s, who are now complaining about a plow company that did not clear a space when they expected it cleared or a dirty hallway carpet which was dirty because someone dragged in sand and mud from the recent storm and is not scheduled to be cleaned by our contractor for a few days.  It is obvious that the problem is far greater than the level of service our complex has historically offered.

I have found that the best way to deal with the rise of complaints is with education.  Many of our unit owners never got involved with the process and do not understand how and why their fees are assessed.  Often unit owners approach the board like the amount charged is randomly picked based on what we think we can charge and we get to spend the money willy-nilly on whatever we choose. 

During these times it helps to shift from a stance of defense to one of offense.  An offensive position includes:

• Listening to unreasonable requests with the understanding that they are not personal attacks.
• Explaining why the association can only provide services for the common good and can not address personal needs.
• Educating unit owners as to why common charges are increasing and the type of bidding process that is used to locate and procure contractors.
• Providing details on how they personally can get involved with the process to assist the association in holding the line on spending and or reducing demands for services.

We know that is impossible to keep everyone happy and these tools will not diffuse every situation, but I have been able to turn around an entire room of unhappy unit owners by simply offering the facts of where, how and why we are spending their hard earned money.

Michael Zimmer is the President of The Meadows of Southington Condominium Association, Inc. Michael has served on the board of directors for this 166 unit complex in Southington for over 15 years and has held the position of President for the last 12 years.  He can be contacted via email at mjzimmer@bigplanet.com