W.O. from Upstate New York writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
Who is responsible that contracted repair work is done correctly and finally signs off the work done. Condo board or condo manager?
Mister Condo replies:
W.O., the ultimate responsibility for quality of work lies with the condo board but it is not uncommon for the Board to give the condo manager the power to sign off on work done by a contractor. In fact, sometimes the work is directly overseen by the condo manager on behalf of the Board. Condo managers derive their powers from their management agreement with the Board. It is common practice that contractors are hired and managed by the condo manager. After all, Board members are volunteer leaders who often have many other responsibilities that would preclude them from being on property and overseeing the day to day business dealing of the association, including contracted work. Also, many condo managers are experienced in dealing with contractors so the Board entrusts them to manage their work. If the association is unhappy with a contractor’s job that was signed off on by the manager, they would notify the manager so that future projects were better managed. Hope that helps.