Matt Conway and George Colli Signs
Common interest communities are interesting legal creatures.
Most condo owners own both more and less than they may think (that’s another blog post for another day).
Displaying a political sign is a way for a homeowner to show support for a candidate.
Driving around my neighborhood I see signs everywhere: “Obama/Biden” “Annie Hornish” “George Colli” “John Kissel” “Matt Conway” “Vote No” “Vote Yes” and my favorite, “Bears for Barack.”
The problem with condos is that what appears to be a unit owners front lawn often isn’t their front lawn.
It is common for condo association bylaws to prohibit the display of signs on the lawns in front a unit or even in the windows of a unit.
There is no statutory right to display a political lawn sign in front of a Connecticut condo.
Click here to see how other states address the issue of displaying political signs at condos.
I am a condo owner, and decided to try a political sign. Needless to say it was met with opposition immediately. I can’t say I disagree. The problem I have is that religious statuary, chairs, garden flags, hanging plants, wind chimes and any other items a unit owner likes seem to be OK. Our bylaws are straight forward. I can’t have a For Sale sign, but political signs are not mentioned, nor are the other items above. They do allow for a holiday wreath on the door.
Thanks for mentioning that “what appears to be a unit owners front lawn often isn’t their front lawn” how true this is in a common interest community. I would recommend reading the Bylaws and Rules in detail befor you sign on to a condominium community.
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margie Reply:
February 1st, 2009 at 12:51 am
All condos have rules and regulations that have to be followed, like it or not, buy or don't buy. However, a good Board of Directors needs to address the problem of statues, flags, signs, holiday displays, plantings, etc., in an amendment to the Rules and Regulations so that fair is fair to all. We have done that in our Association and it has made a big difference here.
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Tipper, you make an excellent point. In my condo neighborhood I see the very things you are referring to. Where do you draw the line?
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Bob. Where to start? It's called the Condo Documents. In them you will find the Declaration, Rules, Bylaws and other items needed. This is the contract you and every other unit owner signed when they agreed to join the community. It seems that few actually read them. This combined with a strong Board of Directors is the only solution. If the human factor or competition is allowed to flourish clutter will become overwhelming. I'm not saying that everything is bad, just that everyone needs to live on the same page. That's the intended purpose of the Condo Docs. You could suggest a management company if your board is unable to execute their required fiduciaries of the Unit Owners, and don't give up. You probably have many legal rights also. In addition I have tried education of the unit owners without success since the Board of Directors seem unable to enforce the rules. Keep me posted.
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margie Reply:
February 1st, 2009 at 12:55 am
Tipper you are so right. Buyers DO NOT read the Declaration, Rules, Bylaws, etc., before they purchase their unit and when the violations start and they receive letters from the management company, they threaten to get a lawyer and when they do the entire association pays for their stupidity.
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Margie,
I agree, a community is just that. I'm opposed to someone joining a community and deciding that the rules can change to meet their agenda. If I purchase land in a foreign country, and expected to change the law of the land I would probably be very disappointed. I would rather read the rules and agree, then to get in and be unhappy. However if everyone (majority) in the community agrees with me then of course lets change the rules, otherwise read the documents and comply, or buy somewhere else. You are right, and as I mentioned a strong ethical Board of Directors, and sound rules with compliance are the key to a successful Condo community. Good to hear from you.
Quick question. How/why is your association paying the legel fees if they are not found at fault?
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