President's Message WWW.CAINE.ORG A DELICATE BALANCE W hen one moves into a condominium or HOA, they must be prepared for a variety of changes that come along with their new type of home ownership. Perhaps now they can enjoy a Saturday afternoon without having to cut the grass or shovel snow in that record Nor'easter. There are many other benefits of living in a condominium that revolve around simplifying one's home ownership. However, there are some other factors that come with this new home, as well. You no longer have complete independence on how things get done. Multifamily living requires a variety of guidelines and rules that must be observed to keep things running in harmony for all concerned. This can range from how to properly dispose of your trash and recycling to where your guests are permitted to park when visiting. Everyone in a community is expected to follow the rules and guidelines as set forth by the governing board. Rules and guidelines are not static and can change over time as situations in a community change. Once in place however, they are expected to be followed by all concerned. When rules are broken, there needs to be consequences. This part of the process is the enforcement piece that is unfortunate but necessary as lack of enforcement results in inconsistent management and can create community discord. This is particularly challenging when enforcing rules with neighbors-it is not a popularity contest and governing has never been an easy task at any level. Boards get to experience this challenge as volunteers, but in the end, an even-handed approach will always work best. Just keep things simple and don't create so many dos and don'ts that make a place unattractive to live in. It's still August ... keep your cool. Sincerely, Nicholas B. Boit, CMCA 2019 CAI-NE Chapter President 2 CONDOMEDIA August 2019http://WWW.CAINE.ORG