P.A. from Bristol County, Massachusetts writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
We have a board member who owns 2 condos, doesn’t live here, and is an electrician. He is never here, only to collect rents, and is hired by the management company to do electrical work. Is that a conflict?
Mister Condo replies:
P.A., while I am sure the Board could avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest by hiring an electrician who was not a unit-owning member of the association, I really don’t see the conflict of interest here. If the electrician were also a member of the Board and was involved in the decision to hire him or herself, I would have a problem with the hire. The reality is that electricians are typically in high demand and not always in the best supply. As long as the Board is making a solid business decision in hiring the electrician, there is likely no conflict of interest. All the best!