Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Per Household or per person?

[R Philip Dowds (rpdowds]

Like the majority of condo associations and HOAs, most of our expenses are 
divided and assessed in proportion to size of unit: A 2000 sq ft unit pays 
about twice as much as a 1000 sq ft unit.  One minor exception is the community 
water bill, which is divided up, not per unit or per fixture, but per 
individual:  A couple with one child in a 1400 sq ft unit will pay more than a 
couple without in a 1600 sq ft unit.  But this is a very minor expense.

If you are in formation, you might not know very much about future unit sizes.  
A per member, rather than per unit, assessment, might make sense during the 
formation period.  Interestingly enough, our community does consensus on a per 
unit (per household) basis, where each of our 32 units has equal standing.  
Other communities do consensus on a per member basis, excluding (usually) 
dependent minors.  Then there is always the tenant / renter controversy: In 
America, all citizens have an equal voice (so we say) in public affairs and 
decisions — but at Cornerstone, only people with their names on a deed have a 
voice.  ???

So there are least three options for dividing up the rights and 
responsibilities:
  -- per household, whether large or small;
  -- per ownership share as defined on the master deed; and/or ...
  -- per member -- if you can agree on who is a member.  Our consensus process 
excludes minors and tenants, but our water bill assessment includes them.  
Taxation without representation, anyone?

Cornerstone Cohousing, Cambridge, MA
RPD

On Mar 18, 2013, at 11:12 PM, John Leet <jwleet [at] aol.com> wrote:

> 
> We are Panama Cohousing Village, in the formation stage in  Panama.  One of 
> our member is single and is objecting strenuously to paying "twice as much" 
> as those of us in coupled relationships for our expenses relating to 
> marketing for new members. 
> Can you share with us what costs you assess per household, and what costs you 
> asses per person?
> John Leet
> jwleet [at] aol.com,  www.panamacohousingvillage.com 
> _________________________________________________________________
> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: 
> http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L/
> 
>