M.L. from outside of Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
I own a condo in a converted 1860-era house. I have the first floor and upstairs neighbor has 2nd and 3rd. We don’t have a formal association. We just split shared expenses 60/40 (I’m 40). It has worked fine but now there is an issue. We desperately need a new roof. But they keep stalling and finally have come clean that they don’t have the money. What recourse do I have?
Mister Condo replies:
M.L., if you have a condo agreement as part of your purchase agreement, you have a formal association. You and your fellow owner just haven’t been following it, which is fairly common in your two-unit condo. You are about to learn first-hand what happens when one of the unit owners doesn’t have the money for the needed repair and it isn’t pretty. The short-term answer is that unless these folks agree to pony up the money for the new roof, you’re not going to get a new roof. The long-term solution is that you will likely need to sue in order to get them to pay. Since they aren’t likely to do that, they may need to look into other options like mortgaging (unlikely) or selling (ideal). This could take years and you still won’t have a new roof until a new buyer is found who is willing to not only buy their portion of the condo but also pony up 60% of the expense of a new roof. One other option you may have is for you to pay for the new roof and hit them up with a lien for their portion of the roof. You will need an attorney to draw up the papers, which will have to be in compliance with your condo’s governing documents as well. As you can see, this is a most unfortunate event for all involved. There is one other option I didn’t mention and that is for you to sell and make this someone else’s problem. I don’t know if that is an option for you but I wouldn’t hesitate for a minute to get out of this potential money pit if given the opportunity. All the best!