Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: New Member Screening

[Pare Gerou (paregerou]

Have you tried a carrot rather than a stick?
We are assuming that absolutely nothing else will work but having them
leave. So, how about an investment group with like-minded neighbors-  Make
the person an offer and buy them out.  Then resell.  If that is too deep
for everyone's pocket, then how about investing less and offering a cash
incentive to leave?  If it is too detrimental socially to make such an
offer publicly, then have it done through a third party real estate agent
to enable anonymity.  If any coalition of neighbors against another
understandably feels wrong no matter what, then perhaps you have a
potential buyer on your wait list willing to make an offer.  What else does
this person want or need that you could help facilitate in return for
finding a place to live where they are happy?  Helping them figure out what
they really want and need outside of the community, and facilitating
getting that, sounds like a win win for all.


Pare Gerou


Pare Gerou
1725 Belvedere Place
Charlottesville, VA 22901
434.962.7801

On Mon, May 18, 2015 at 10:39 AM, Ann Zabaldo <zabaldo [at] earthlink.net> 
wrote:

>
> Hi Tom and all —
>
> If you are organized as a condominium you cannot by law restrict a sale or
> resale.   It’s private property owned by an individual and a homeowner has
> the right to sell to whomever he/she wishes. (Exceptions:  race, religion,
> creed.)
>
> However … there are some steps a cohousing condo CAN do to increase the
> likelihood of a “good match” between the buyer and the community.  I will
> be presenting a workshop on this very thing at the upcoming CohoUS
> conference in Durham in just another 12 days or so.  Please join the
> discussion as I show how at Takoma Village we articulated and modified our
> resale process, developed a pool of qualified buyers, enriched our
> orientation of new members and in the process substantially turned around
> our workshare participation by members.  We’re much, much better at helping
> people decide if they are a “match” for living in our community.   In just
> over a year, we’ve also brought in more than $20,000 in contributions to
> the community by sellers grateful to have our team help them w/ the resale
> of their home.  These contributions are being used to fund our new solar
> installation.  It’s a win-win for everyone!
>
> The session is from 3:30-5:00 p.m. on Saturday. It’s titled:
>
> How Our Resale and Rental Team Rebooted Workshare, Reinvigorated Our
> Community and Raised $15,000 for Capital Improvements
>
> (we’ve raised another $5K since I submitted the proposal!)
>
> Looking forward to seeing you at the conference!
>
>
> Best --
>
> Ann Zabaldo
> Takoma Village Cohousing
> Washington, DC
> Principal, Cohousing Collaborative, LLC
> Falls Church, VA
> 703.688.2646
>
>
> On May 18, 2015, at 9:42 AM, Tom Smyth <tom [at] sassafras.coop> wrote:
>
> >
> > Hello.
> >
> > Do any cohos have methods of screening prospective buyers? Are there
> legal
> > ways to refuse someone? On what grounds?
> >
> > How do cohos with waiting lists manage new buyers? Are there waiting
> lists?
> > Can the association have any say over who sells to who?
> >
> > I'm unclear on how much clout the bylaws can have over all of this and
> > where state law would override.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > --
> > Tom Smyth
> >
> > Worker-Owner, Sassafras Tech Collective
> > Specializing in innovative, usable tech for social change
> > sassafras.coop *·* @sassafrastech
> >
> > Resident, Touchstone Cohousing
> > touchstonecohousing.org
> >
> >
>
>
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