N.T. from New York City writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
We live in a small, (12-units) high-end HOA. Our lobby furniture is a bit out of date, and not everyone is willing to contribute to the considerable cost of new furniture. A couple of the owners are thinking of asking for independent contributions, and it looks as if there may be enough “Angels” for a redo. Is this a good idea? Maybe this is more of a philosophical question, but it’s possible that the ones who don’t contribute, the majority, will feel odd walking through a lobby that is not “theirs”.
Mister Condo replies:
N.T., I love philosophical questions and don’t get nearly enough of them! As long as these “angels” work with the Board and get their approval to both remove the dated furnishings and install the new furnishings, I don’t see a problem. If these “angels” act without the authority of the Board, I see a big problem. Also, these “angels” need to understand that this is a donation and not an “in kind” payment nor does it mean these amenities are now for their exclusive use. Trust me, as long as these “angels” do it the right way, the entire community will benefit from this generous donation. Good luck!
I’m a pessimist by nature. I would not be surprised if there would be some mean condo owner who would sue the association for making “material alterations” without a majority vote. No good deed goes unpunished…especially in condo world.
Our cabana main room was tired and quite threadbare. (We are a 120 unit garden-style condo.)
We had a resident who managed to find a free (and nice) sofa, 10 chairs, a really nice circular table and he not only delivered he hauled away the old stuff. The agreement was that if we didn’t like it, he would take it to a thrift shop and find other stuff. Most people loved it. He is a frequent user of the cabana and it was a win-win for everybody.