K.M. from Chicago writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
We live in a 4-flat in Chicago. Inside the garden unit is an ejector pump with a battery backup. It is located behind a panel, in a closet. The pump is quite old & needs replacing as do the batteries. The question is, who pays for these items? Are they considered “limited common areas”? Many thanks!
Mister Condo replies:
K.M., since the ejector pump was likely a part of the original condo or conversion, it is likely addressed in the condo governing docs. If not, it is open to interpretation but I think it is fair to assume all 4 units benefit from the proper functioning of the ejector pump so it would be best to treat it as a common element, limited or otherwise. The unit owner of the unit that houses access to the panel would need to provide access to the association as needed. In most small condos like yours, the unit owner himself would simply replace the batteries as needed, provide a receipt for the batteries and seek reimbursement from the association. If the unit needs to be replaced, the association would likely hire a contractor to perform the work and the unit owner would simply provide the access. Hope that helps.