HomeStead Owners Group (HOG)

On The Front Porch - Column by John Michael Spinelli

Apr 29, 2002

?“The Association is governed by the statutory law of the State of Ohio regulating the creation and operation of condominiums, currently Chapter 5311 of the Revised Code of Ohio, and the Condominium Declaration and Bylaws.?”
These words are found on the first page of the condominium association handbook we all received upon becoming a resident of our village. Reading further, the handbook states that ?‘these rules and regulations are necessary in order to maintain a high-quality residential community.?’
So far, so good. However, then comes the wild card statement of ?‘It is subject to change by action of the trustees?’ that enables seemingly impervious rules and regulations to be compromised into mere guidelines at the whim of the Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees is now, and will be for the foreseeable future, the builder, who does not live here now, and will likely not live here in the future. The builder has an agenda guided by the best interest of its business, which, to date, has not necessarily been in the best interest of its customers; namely, those of us who have purchased the product, pay the bills, and are left on the outside of the decision-making process.
The builder, Homestead Communities, LLC, should take a more inclusive posture regarding any further decisions that will impact our village on a permanent basis, and agree to either consult with representatives from the HomeStead Resident?’s Group, or to relinquish control of the Association to elected members of our village, an option it can exercise at its discretion.
Whether it be acquiescing to the requests of a unit owners to add items expressly prohibited by the rules and regulations, such as decks or gardens, it is important the builder ceases to do any further harm to a concept in which we have all made a significant investment.
Condominiums are not single family homes. Even though the builder has marketed this development as ?‘single family detached condominiums?’, we?’re all legally connected at the front door. What one unit owner is allowed to do will inevitably affect us all; therefore, it?’s incumbent that we make decisions based on the whole, and not just a part.