Subscribe to Blog

Your email:

Follow Us

Looking for answers?

condo association blogCan't find the answer you're looking for?  Ask your question here and we'll post it in our blog.

Browse by Topic

Most Popular Posts

Condo Association Management Blog

Current Articles | RSS Feed RSS Feed

Condo association ethics - fining dead owner and collecting from estate

Posted on Thu, Sep 16, 2010 @ 07:30 AM
  
  
  
  
  
Add to delicious  delicious  
  
Does anyone know if a property manager is allowed to charge a deceased person for burned out light bulbs while the condo is on the market and then go to the closing and collect $3,750 from the estate of the deceased person? This is what our property manager bragged about doing when someone asked her if the school teacher's condo sold. She volunteered this information when someone asked her if the school teacher's condo sold. We would have never known she did horrible things like this if she didn't volunteer this information and I think she was bragging about what she did. Of course, we don't know what is done with the fines and I believe it is going to pockets close to our president and our property manager. This action by our property manager okay by our HOA or at least the president of the HOA is beyond what I think an ethical person would do. This action makes me sick. We have been mistreated just like the wonderful deceased school teacher has been. The sons of the school teacher didn't attend the closing as they are out of state and the lawyer just handed over the money to this wicked property manager. I would think that the sons are not aware of the awful thing that was done. It was not for the maintenance fee but for burned out light bulbs as bragged about by the PM. I hope no one else in this country has to put up with this kind of horrible person. Sadly, the person who brought this management company to our condo is the present president. Is this even legal?
Tags: ,

Comments

Yes, it is legal to collect from an estate. In fact, that is the purpose of the estate. The administrators of that estate (in this caset he sons) sound like they were asleep at the wheel and not paying attention to what was actually owed by the decedant. Now, while she may have been distasteful in boasting about what she did, I doubt seriously the entire balance was simply a light fine. My best guess is that the sons stopped paying assessments and stopped taking care of the place after their monther passed. I'd also bet it took a while to sell. In that case, yes, there would be a sizable balance and most likely a lien for assessments which had to be satisfied upon the sale of the property. Boasting aside, the property manager did exactly what she was hired to do. 
 
Darron
Posted @ Thursday, September 16, 2010 9:27 AM by Darron
The HOA has rights which are not waived or set aside by a members / homeowner's passing. If there were outstaning obligations to the HOA, it is reasonable to pursue recourse thru lien activity. That said, $3750 for light bulbs seems difficult to believe. Bragging that they collected $3750 for light bulbs is insensitive at best. Accounting for where the monies went should be available to all HOA members. Unfortunately many board members (or elected representatives of all kinds) across the country have or will put favored parties in a position to profit by servicing the HOA needs as managers, vendors etc., and not always is the intent or are the results bad for the HOA. "Self dealing" is a human tradition. Politics comes into play whenever you have more than 2 people and money involved. It happens almost everywhere and often we can only hope our elected representatives (HOA or otherwise) make choices that benefit those they represent. When they don't, use the processes in place to remove them.  
 
 
 
Perhaps you could suggest (facitiously) at the next board meeting that the HOA pay for a little sensitivity training if board members or property managers are really bragging about shaking down someones estate for $3750 worth of light bulbs. It seems like a sad story but the elements of it are all too common.  
 
 
 
 
 
Posted @ Thursday, September 16, 2010 9:46 AM by John D.
I am totally in the dark here. Would someone please explain about the lights bulbs? I cannot imagine someone using that many bulbs in a lifetime and yet the estate was billed for $3750 in burned out bulbsfor 1 resisdent who is now decease. please respond 
 
Posted @ Thursday, September 16, 2010 12:04 PM by s
Strange story, my instinct tells me something has been left out or mis-stated.
Posted @ Thursday, September 16, 2010 4:55 PM by michael e katz
Post Comment
Name
 *
Email
 *
Website (optional)
Comment
 *

Allowed tags: <a> link, <b> bold, <i> italics