Condo Media - January 2021 - 25
CALL THE
LAWYER
other,
but you
can tell
what's going
on. With Zoom,
you can't see the
body language, and
people are not necessarily paying attention
or even in the room. "
Brooks insists that there is no substitute for
in-person meetings in many circumstances but
believes that virtual meetings are here to stay,
saying, " We'll just have to adapt. "
BROOKS SAYS SOME CONDO ASSOCIATIONS are happy
enough to invest in his presence at all meetings as a matter
of course. But, more commonly, he is summoned to attend
when trouble is brewing. Some examples of such trouble,
he says, include issues related to transparency of information
or a threatened removal of the board of trustees.
He says at the root of many problems is that people
don't properly consume the information provided. " What
I observe usually is that many who complain are the ones
who don't read their newsletters or show up at board
meetings, which are usually open, so when their condo
fees go up 6 percent, they rush to judgement, thinking
the board is embezzling money. "
As the hired gun at these meeting, he says his job is
to try to calm them down and respond to their concerns
about the information they received and may have
misread or not understood. In the case of a fee increase,
" I might say, 'I know it sounds outrageous for fees to go up
6 percent, but they haven't increased in 10 years. We need
to consider inflation and not defer required maintenance.' "
He says he also comes prepared with " comps " - fees at
other condos - and may need to remind them of what's
included in the fees, such as lawn mowing, snow plowing,
and association insurance. He may also encourage
those who complain to review the information that the
association board, which is made up of homeowner
volunteers, puts out, including newsletters and published
meeting minutes, and suggests perhaps they join an
association committee or attend open board meetings.
GOOD BEHAVIOR
Brooks says maintaining order at a meeting
means doing the things your mother would
tell you to do: " Be polite, respect people's time,
and let everyone speak, one at a time, and not
for too long. " Both he and McNabb stress the
importance of having an agenda, preferably
one that is timed and contains no more than
six or seven items for discussion.
McNabb says to most of all, be prepared.
" Get the info in the hands of the board well
in advance of the meeting so they have a
chance to review it and come to the meeting
ready to discuss the issues. "
■ ELLEN R. MEYER, MBA,
IS A FREELANCE WRITER AND EDITOR
WHO SPECIALIZES IN HEALTH AND
HOSPITALITY COMMUNICATIONS.
January 2021 CONDOMEDIA
25
Condo Media - January 2021
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - January 2021
Contents
Condo Media - January 2021 - Cover1
Condo Media - January 2021 - Cover2
Condo Media - January 2021 - Contents
Condo Media - January 2021 - 2
Condo Media - January 2021 - 3
Condo Media - January 2021 - 4
Condo Media - January 2021 - 5
Condo Media - January 2021 - 6
Condo Media - January 2021 - 7
Condo Media - January 2021 - 8
Condo Media - January 2021 - 9
Condo Media - January 2021 - 10
Condo Media - January 2021 - 11
Condo Media - January 2021 - 12
Condo Media - January 2021 - 13
Condo Media - January 2021 - 14
Condo Media - January 2021 - 15
Condo Media - January 2021 - 16
Condo Media - January 2021 - 17
Condo Media - January 2021 - 18
Condo Media - January 2021 - 19
Condo Media - January 2021 - 20
Condo Media - January 2021 - 21
Condo Media - January 2021 - 22
Condo Media - January 2021 - 23
Condo Media - January 2021 - 24
Condo Media - January 2021 - 25
Condo Media - January 2021 - 26
Condo Media - January 2021 - 27
Condo Media - January 2021 - 28
Condo Media - January 2021 - 29
Condo Media - January 2021 - 30
Condo Media - January 2021 - 31
Condo Media - January 2021 - 32
Condo Media - January 2021 - 33
Condo Media - January 2021 - 34
Condo Media - January 2021 - 35
Condo Media - January 2021 - 36
Condo Media - January 2021 - 37
Condo Media - January 2021 - 38
Condo Media - January 2021 - 39
Condo Media - January 2021 - 40
Condo Media - January 2021 - 41
Condo Media - January 2021 - 42
Condo Media - January 2021 - 43
Condo Media - January 2021 - 44
Condo Media - January 2021 - 45
Condo Media - January 2021 - 46
Condo Media - January 2021 - 47
Condo Media - January 2021 - 48
Condo Media - January 2021 - Cover3
Condo Media - January 2021 - Cover4
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