Re: Cohousing vs. HOA Communities
From: Sharon Villines (sharonsharonvillines.com)
Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2005 15:56:43 -0700 (PDT)

On Aug 30, 2005, at 4:46 PM, Pete Holsberg wrote:

Here's what gets me. Suppose X, who has lived in a coho for N years decides to sell his house to me. I haven't participated in the design. Will I experience the coho differently from the original owners?

Yes. But this is also true of people who joined before design started and those who joined when it was almost finished. But design is an ongoing process. We are currently discussing ways to modify our commonhouse so we have more active play space -- room for a ping pong table for example. Everyone who cares about this participates in the discussion and nothing will be done until all the concerned residents agree -- consensus. The Board cannot make the decision. We won't follow the recommendations of the management company. No resident manager decides.


We have similar facilities. A clubhouse with indoor and outdoor pools, two card rooms, a "fitness center", a pool room, a TV/library, a large dining/meeting hall and a kitchen. Puttin ggree, tennis courts, bocce courts.

As I said in the bottom of another message, what is the ratio of residents to square footage of thee facilities and do residents have access 24/7 without going to find a key?

Are these management duties done by volunteers?

Our bylaws specify that all members are responsible for providing labor as well as paying condo fees. They also say we can levy a payment if people do not participate in maintenance or governance activities. We have been loath to enforce this but push is coming to shove as some of the burning souls are getting tired. (I long for my old condo on many days).

Bottom line, residents are not exactly volunteers.

We have an elected board of trustees who have absolute power over our lives simply because the documents which we (mostly unwittingly) signed at closing gave them that power.

This is definitely a major cause of the alienation in condos. Entirely an unnecessary condition. Condo living makes so much environmental and social sense but the governance practices are not very humane or sensible.


How do you enter into contracts with contractors for work on the common areas? Who owns the common areas? How much does an owner pay for "dues" for the common areas? How is that determined? How is collection enforced?

This is done the same way it is done in a condo. Each unit owns a percentage of the common areas and pays fees accordingly. It varies in detail from one community to another but it varies from state to state for condos as well. We have no problems with collection. If we did our bylaws provide for a lien on the property.

We hire contractors directly. Our management company cuts the checks (when we remind them a few times).

Are the contracts that original owners sign whnen the coho is formed binding on the next buyer of a house?

Yes. We have a list of people waiting to move in. The people who have moved in, have generally been as or more interested in the community than those who moved out.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org


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