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Now that the new year is firmly planted under our feet, we’ll probably see a small quickening of activity around us. It’s going to be a slow go, if all the indicators we’re observing on the street are accurate. The market continues slow. Many are scrambling to get some balance. And bad habits are difficult to break.

But it’s election year….finally. Most often about six months before the big day we see a loosening up of the economy. Since the current establishment has little to nothing to gain from such a surge, it may not happen this time, but we can hope.

Meanwhile, we can start making a difference. It is true that there’s not a whole lot we ordinary folk can do to impact the bigger picture, but we can certainly make a difference in our corners of the world.

That means that neighbors can start taking an interest in working together. It means being more pleasant to each other and less ready criticize and participate in back biting. It means contributing to the common cause in condominiums, social groups and market places. It means recognizing that we can’t continue to expect everyone else to do the work while we sit back and criticize them. It means doing our part - taking ownership of how our piece of the world functions.

It’s not much different in business. Business owners, their employees, Federal Government and other organizations can make a significant difference without much effort - just as soon as they recall that the customers they serve are the source of their profits.  It means that we all recall that customers disillusioned and dissatisfied with inferior products and services find ways to go elsewhere or do without. A change of perspective will go far in the way we treat the people we do business with. 

In this economy it won’t take a heavy hand or manipulation to effect change. A simple smile and and effort to serve the common good - even go the extra mile -  will go far to building solid growth in all sectors. Forget trying to psychoanalyze and second guess your market…and stop treating people like numbers. People really do know what they want and need. They do comparison shop. And, most have learned to resist many of the marketing tactics designed to foster impulse buying — if for no other reason than that they have precious few dollars to spend frivolously.

It really isn’t that difficult to hold the door open for the other guy, to let them get in front of us in a traffic jam, or to stoop down and pick up a piece of litter tossed carelessly by someone else (or ourselves). None of these - or countless other small acts take more than a second or two. These really aren’t difficult to do. None of these acts will even make a dent in our harried lives…they certainly won’t make us late for dinner. But, oh! Imagine the impact, if we all participate.

Condominiums are a very popular lifestyle for those who think they want someone else to take care of maintenance and upkeep of their living quarters. In theory, it does afford an alternative — of sorts.

You buy a unit in a multi-dwelling building. You own your unit and all the headaches of building and landscape maintenance and upkeep are handled by paying an assessment. A Board of Directors oversees the work — and by law that task is done without compensaton to the Board Members. 

In larger condominium complexes, assessments tend to be somewhat higher than in smaller ones. They have elevators, spas, swimming pools, workout rooms, atriums, etc. to maintain.  A management company typically is hired and paid out of assessments to do the grunt work of scheduling and overseeing building projects and collections.

Smaller complexes cut costs by eliminating most of those necessities. They retain the option of having management companies oversee the day to day affairs, under the direction of the Board of Directors - a fee that can result in substantial costs for small complexes. Or, if they’re really conscious of expenses, the Association may opt to be “self managed”. 

For the longest time I thought self-management was an ideal arrangement. Everyone works cooperatively to ensure that the property is well managed and maintained. Today, I’m not so sure. If you think you’d be interested taking your complex to self-managed status…think first!

1. Who on the Board has the expertise and time to stay abreast of the ever changing rules and regulations?

2. Who on the Board has the expertise and time required for the accounting  (yes QuickBooks does make it much easier - but, it still requires someone to put forth some time, effort and diligence to keep books up to date).

3. How are projects to be handled? Yes, you have a maintenance man or janitor. How are plumbing and landscape handled? Day to day maintenance is obvious but what about seasonal tasks and larger projects that arise only from time to time….who can and will oversee the resurfacing of the parking lot, tuckpointing, painting of common areas, re-roofing?

4. Who is available to handle crisis situations? Yes, they do arise - and not normally at a convenient time. Someone has to be available to respond at a moment’s notice - will that be the Board Members, too?

5. Who will keep ahead of local ordinances and community planning…the Village meetings and City Planning Departments that make rules and regulations that will significantly impact the value of your property?

Boards are designated to do most of this work in self-managed condominiums. Do they understand the level of involvement they are called on to undertake? Are they able and willing to donate that level of time and financial cost to the good of all? Do they understand that all their efforts to enhance the property and ensure it’s continued value, will be done free gratis? 

Do the Association members who elect them realize that there’s a matter of social justice - and that they, too, should be contributing to the common good….or do they expect that they’re entitled to sit back and do nothing while their Board does the work?

A self-managed building requires a very unique blend of owners who are intelligent, responsible and willing to work together for the common good. You may be fortunate enough to have that now, but will that continue, say, 10 or 15 years from now when the units are sold to new owners?

Condominium owners today consistently say “I bought a condominium so I wouldn’t have to take care of it”. OK, that’s fair. Then either the Association Fees need to be large enough to hire a professional management company or compensate the Board who will be expected to sholder the load.  It’s just not enough to have assessments that pay the hard costs of materials and a janitor. The human labor needs to be balanced - either with full participation of the ownership or compensation to the Board members. When all is said and done it’s the human labor that enhances the value of property. It needs to be recognized and compensated accordingly.

The challenge comes when owners simply don’t have the capacity to fully participate in a self-management venture. Elderly, and physically or mentally handicapped owners generally are limited in their ability to fully participate, even assuming that they want to.  Young owners, too busy “getting ahead” tend to be far less able and willing to carry their fair load. And, when you have members who have proven themselves unreliable or unethical, self-management can become a nightmare in a hurry. Every one of these will put additional stress on your venture. Too often the “self-management” falls in the laps of 2-3 dedicated unit owners who carry the weight of the whole - until they’re burned out or die trying.

Think twice. Is your dream of self-management really do-able? Or are you looking for an idealistic dream that can’t possibly exist?

Condominiums are pretty nifty. They give residents a place to hang their hats while - generally minimizing all the work and expense of maintaining a free-standing property. But, this easy lifestyle can be desceptive.

Too many invest in a condomininium thinking that they will have no more responsibilities than a renter does…not so. Community living has its drawbacks and a unique set of responsibilities.

For one, owners pay assessments which are designed to cover the costs of maintenance and upkeep of the property. And, for two, all owners must pro-actively care for their common investment if they don’t want it to devalue.

Here’s just one example. Condominiums most often are positioned in the more congested and highly traveled areas of a city. They are located - and create - a high density area. This means more traffic (and need for courtesy).

A condominium here in Oak Park has a fairly expansive yard for the enjoyment of the residents. It affords grassy areas and gardens that the owners can freely enjoy. But it’s surrounded by other condominiums and single family homes on what has recently been turned into a highly trafficed through-street. People in the neighborhood - both neighbors and passers through  - think nothing of respecting this as private property. They walk their dogs through the yard leading to extensive damage of the grass and bushes on the property. They toss cast off debris (paper, fast food wrappers, empty liquor bottles and coke) cans in the yard never taking into account that they’re damaging private property. They dare the owners to speak up and tell them that this is not a public park.

With congestion comes a need for heightened vigilance and consideration on the part of all. Owners need to be willing to police their property more closely, lest the trash and damages mount leading to falling property values. And, neighbors and passers-by need to respect the rights of the owners.

Oak Park does have a mounting problem. Laxity may well undercut the Village’s reputation  and quality lifestyle. It doesn’t have to. But there it is….a challenge to all and a call for Pride of Ownership and appreciation of Private Property Rights.

Will the residents of this community rise to the occasion? Or will the area be allowed to slump to the level of inner-city slums? Time will tell.