G.O. from outside of Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
My condo association decided to turn off the sprinklers because they went over budget with other maintenance. Now I am losing valuable plants that I’ve put in over the years. Can they do this?
Mister Condo replies:
G.O., I am sorry that you are losing your plants and I am sorry that your condo association has decided to save money be turning off the sprinkler irrigation system. As the democratically elected leaders of the association, the Board often finds itself in a difficult position when it comes to managing the association’s finances, especially when those finances are tight. I am guessing that the underlying problem here is common fees that are too low. There really isn’t any other reason that a maintenance project should cause a deficit to something as basic as operating a sprinkler system. The short answer is that, yes, they can make the decision. As a unit owner, you can petition the Board to rescind that decision but there may simply be no money to operate the sprinkler. Ideally, you will encourage them to raise the common fees so there is enough money in the budget for the Board to fulfill all of its duties and provide all of the services unit owners expect. Good luck!
Two things occur to me: first, why was the owner planting things in the common area? That’s not normally allowed. Second, why not purchase a watering can and save those plants?