L.A. from outside of Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
Our condo board refuses to put in speed bumps to regulate traffic speeds through the townhome complex. Instead, they put up signs saying “slow down, we love our pets and children”. This reactive approach scares a lot of us since there are a lot of young children that live in the complex. Can they be reported for negligence or do we all have to wait until someone gets hit by a car before that?
Mister Condo replies:
L.A., the streets and condo parking lots are association-owned property. As such, they are under the purview of the Board. If they have placed signs up asking residents to slow down, that is their prerogative. If there have not been any accidents or pedestrian strikes by vehicles, it could be argued that the signs were enough. Speed bumps are not a requirement anywhere as far as I know, especially on private property such as condos. You can send a letter to the Board stating your concern for the safety of pedestrians in your community. The Board may or may not take action on your request. However, the Board Members are elected by the majority of unit owners. If the majority of unit owners want speed bumps, it would make sense to elect Board Members that will follow the will of the majority of unit owners. Perhaps you or one of your like-minded unit owners would consider running for the Board in order to see that gets done. That is the best way to make sure you get what everyone wants. Good luck!
You should add that everything has a cost, and that the board has a fiduciary responsibility to evaluate cost-benefit. Non-board members only request, but the board must consider the request and how to pay for it, how to enforce the rules, and whether by doing so opens up other issues, such as insurance liability.