L.C. from Cook County, Illinois writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
What can be done about an HOA breaking the rules? My condo doesn’t allow music on the 3rd floor deck, except with earbuds or headphones. But, once a year the board of directors decides to have summer social, that very few people attend, and they get a DJ. Most of us don’t want to hear this loud music all afternoon.
Mister Condo replies:
L.C., I am sorry that you and your neighbors have to put up with a raucous party once a year. My guess is that while many of you don’t care for the party noise, the Board feels the party is an event that encourages socialization amongst unit owners and residents. Surely, there are some folks who live in your condo that are happy to enjoy the rooftop space and maybe even some tunes and dancing. Deciding to hold a party like this is the purview of the Board. If you can convince the Board that this type of noisy event does more harm than good to the community, they may decide to discontinue the party. Otherwise, short of getting new Board members who see it your way, the annual event is likely to continue. You might want to suggest they try a headphone-based version of the party, also called a silent disco. Read about it here – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_disco. I have attended such events and they are both fun and quiet! All the best!