Directors Serve Until Someone Else is Elected

Occasionally, we work with boards of directors that have not held an election for some time, usually because nobody else has ever expressed an interest in running as a candidate. A recent decision from the Michigan Court of Appeals makes clear that the board’s decisions are not invalidated just because elections have not been held.…

Tips on How to Handle Disputes With the Condominium Developer

A. DON’T DO IT YOURSELF Turn the matter over to your experienced community association attorney – otherwise, you will be outgunned and outsmarted, as most developers are sophisticated businesspeople with an army of lawyers. B. DETERMINE WHAT MAY BE AT ISSUE Circulate a questionnaire to all co-owners regarding construction defects and other problems. If the defects…

Who is the Developer of my Condominium?

The Michigan Condominium Act, specifically MCL 559.106(2), defines a “Developer” of a Michigan Condominium as follows: (2) “Developer” means a person engaged in the business of developing a condominium project as provided in this act. Developer does not include any of the following (a) A real estate broker acting as agent for the developer in…

A Roadmap to Discovering and Resolving Common Element Construction Defects

The improving real estate market has resulted in decreased home inventories, which has created an increased demand for new construction condominiums. Many potential purchasers will look to buy new construction condominium units with the expectation that the general common elements will be free from construction defects.  This expectation often arises from two common myths.  First,…

Defending the Condominium Developer

A condominium association’s board of directors, which is responsible for administering the affairs of the association, is initially appointed by the developer until a certain number of units is sold. When the owners of the individual units (called “co-owners”) take control of the board, they may conduct financial and physical audits, and those audits may…