P.O. from Massachusetts writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
Our condo association refuses to treat mice in a building of three connected townhouses. They say it’s a unit problem not a condo issue. We feel it’s a maintenance issue. What say you?
Mister Condo replies:
P.O., mice infestations are no laughing matter. Many buildings in in the Northeast will experience a mice infestation at one time or another. Those pesky critters seem able to get into just about any building. Depending on who owns the space in between the townhouses and where the mice actually are, the owner of that space should be the responsible party for the cost of the extermination. Either way, it’s time to get a rodent exterminator involved. If the Board maintains it is not their responsibility, you may have little choice but to hire the exterminator yourself. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t pursue reimbursement via legal remedy. If the mice are clearly in a common area, speak with a locally qualified attorney to see if you have a case and how much it will cost. If you do have a case, the Board may simply settle with you once they check with their own attorney to see if they would win or lose in court. I am sorry that it has come to this but the Board has forced your hand by refusing to pay for the extermination of the rodents. All the best!
You can also contact your local health department, typically, they will come out and inspect and may be able to discern entry places of rodents and source(s) (for instance, perhaps additionally there an area in close proximity to the condos there is a food source or breeding area attracting them). Additionally, many municipalities spell out responsibilities regarding rodent infestation. Mice in your unit(s) you would most likely be responsible, but the association may also be, due to rodents having points of entry into the structure(s) from outside into to the interior, that you need to dig out the condo docs to check.