Smaller Condo Unit Owner Paying an Unfair Share

N.D. from New Haven County writes:

Dear Mister Condo,

My condo association needs to have a special assessment to replace the roof on a brick apartment type building. The special assessment they have come up with is the same for each home owner not taking into account the different sizes of the units which range from efficiency, 1 & 2 bedroom units. As an owner of a very small efficiency, I find this unfair. What can I do?

Mister Condo replies:

N.D., most condominiums employ a percentage of unit ownership formula to determine the cost allocation of common elements that need to be replaced. That way, folks with the more valuable units foot a larger share of the common expenses. Your condo documents detail how expenses like a new roof are to be divvied up by association members. If your documents do not declare the percentage of unit ownership formula as the basis for such division of cost, then you may just have to grin and bear it. Not that it is any consolation but I completely agree with you about the unfairness of all units paying the same. Clearly the entire building benefits from a new roof but if one unit owner owns 10% of that building and you only own 5%, you should not pay the same as the unit owner who own twice as much. Check your condo documents and see if the Board has correctly determined the assessment. If not, bring it to their attention so they can correct the error. All the best!