Emotional Support

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Association Academy.210526 2

Please join Husch Blackwell’s Condominium & HOA Law Team for this informative seminar. We’ll review fine collection, common zoning regulations and practices, the importance of cyber insurance, and recent updates from the Department of Housing and Urban Development on emotional support animals.
Continue Reading Association Academy: Condo and HOA: Zoning, Cyber Crimes, Fine Collection, and Emotional Support Animals

Dog by Pool

A unit owner claimed that she needed an emotional support animal because of a disability, and provided a doctor’s note to the condominium association supporting this need. The unit owner selected a dog as the emotional support animal, and as a reasonable accommodation the association agreed to allow the dog into a no-pet building.  The unit owner demanded the right to take the dog everywhere, including into the swimming pool, making various arguments and attaching various Fair Housing Act articles relating to the need to allow people with disabilities equal access to the property of an association. 
Continue Reading Emotional Support Animal – Even the FHA Has Limits

Issues on Newspaper

Under the law in most states, and certainly in Wisconsin, the Board of your condominium association controls any changes to the exterior appearance.  This is generally based on a statute that can’t be changed even by the governing documents.  However, things are changing.  Across the country many laws are being passed that require the Board of Directors of various condominium associations to approve certain changes to the exterior.  This can range from artificial turf to solar panels.  In addition, the world is changing relative to emotional support animals, sexual harassment and security. 
Continue Reading 2018 Condo & HOA Issues

Wine & Cheese

Governing Documents for Condominium and Homeowner Associations don’t age well. They are not like a fine wine.  They are more like cheap cheese.  Remember, they were likely written by a developer who really only cared about them until it had sold all of its units or lots (assume 10 years or less).  So if your documents were written before 2008, it is unlikely that they have anything in them to deal with:

  1. Emotional Support Animals;
  2. Drones;
  3. Short Term Rentals (AirBnB was founded in 2008 in San Francisco);
  4. Medical Marijuana; or
  5. Unit or Lot Owners buying insurance to cover a large insurance deductibles that could be assessed against them if their actions cause an insured loss.

Continue Reading Our Governing Documents Have Aged Nicely

DISCRETION

My points below exaggerate problems that I commonly see, but the advice is sound:

  1. “Are your three brain cells still talking to each other?” Knowing how to deal with difficult people is a prerequisite to property management. Don’t aggravate a situation by making a challenging person even more difficult to deal with – this won’t solve the problem. Attempt to always maintain a professional, positive attitude. We all fail or become less than we want to be at times. Forgive yourself and others, but even in forgiveness bad actions by unit owners have consequences.
  2. “This is the insurance company/policy you should approve.” Property managers are usually not licensed insurance brokers or agents, and their recommendation may be wrong. Does your association insurance cover you for those types of opinions if they are wrong? Property managers can certainly identify options.  However, the Board, ideally on the advice of an insurance committee, should be deciding on the amount and types of coverage purchased.
    Continue Reading 6 Things Community Property Managers Should Never Say