Condo Media - April 2021 - 16
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Community Association Law Seminar
That is to say that as with court hearings,
board meetings and any number of social
" hang-outs " that I've participated in over
the past year, the seminar this year went
" virtual. " Truthfully, going into it, I was
skeptical of the format. Under normal
circumstances, the event is a great
opportunity to speak with lawyers from
all over the nation to share strategies,
knowledge, and perspectives for the
benefit of our clients. I was concerned
that much of that benefit would be
lost. I'm happy to say, however, that
wasn't the case. The Law Seminar was
as informative as ever, with excellent
presentations and ample opportunities
to connect with other counsel
" electronically " through virtual exhibit
halls or networking talks. Here are some
of the highlights.
COVID AND COMMUNITY
ASSOCIATION OPERATIONS
2020 has been, and likely will forever
be, defined by the global pandemic.
The spread of the virus has taken (and,
as of this writing, continues to take) a
severe toll on human life, activity, and
productivity. There is a light at the end
of the tunnel, but most agree that we
are not yet out of the woods. Multiple
presentations over the course of the
seminar took a look back at past months
and the lessons we've learned with the
hope that we can use this knowledge to
identify some of the best practices for
how to plan for the future.
Obviously, one of the major concerns
for associations across the country
was how to manage common areas and
amenities in light of the spread of the
virus. Common facilities are one of the
driving factors in choosing community
association life over single-family
living. Amenities such as pools, fitness
facilities, clubhouses, and other such
elements provide value and utility to
community residents. Unfortunately,
as was the case for many business and
life activities, the use of common areas
was nothing like normal in 2020. With
practical, legal, and other concerns
weighing heavily on boards, most
communities were forced, at least
16
CONDOMEDIA April 2021
in part, to close or restrict access to
common areas and recreational facilities.
The seminar presenters reinforced
the principle that we shared with
our clients over the past year - board
members have fiduciary obligations
to their communities to maintain and
control the common areas in a safe
condition and manner. While this does
not necessarily mean that boards have
an obligation to protect residents against
all hazards, case law from a number of
jurisdictions suggests that boards have
duties to address known or suspected
threats in a reasonable fashion. As
such, the general wisdom over the past
months has been that it is incumbent
upon boards, in the exercise of their duty
of care, to adhere to all " best practices "
and guidance from federal, state, and
local authorities in connection with
any reopening policies. Hopefully,
as we head into warmer weather this
spring and summer, the guidance from
government will be more conducive to
pre-pandemic reopening situations.
ELECTRONIC MEETINGS
A presentation about electronic
meetings at an electronic seminar says
a lot about what we've all been dealing
with. One of the major challenges for
community associations across the
country during the pandemic has been
how to handle meetings (both owner
and board meetings). Zoom and other
platforms (that I had never used before
2020) suddenly became everyday tools,
and not just for business purposes.
These platforms have allowed everyone
to conduct a significant amount of
business that may otherwise have been
impossible, and while they are not perfect
substitutes for in-person meetings, we
expect that they are here to stay - at least
in part. The seminar addressed a number
of common questions about the legality
of electronic meetings and voting. Some
jurisdictions already have laws on the
books expressly permitting associations
to hold meetings or voting by electronic
means, but that is not currently the
situation in Massachusetts. This means
that associations in the Commonwealth
considering electronic meetings should
consider updating their governing
documents to expressly permit and
define the use of electronic meeting
and voting platforms. Though we agree
that a return to in-person meetings
represents the most ideal scenario for
most communities, we also think it
would be useful for communities to have
a clear, defined " back-up " plan in place
for voting and meetings.
RACISM AT COMMUNITY
ASSOCIATIONS
This past year was a tumultuous one,
not only on account of the pandemic,
but also with regard to the significant
events relating to racial justice and
equality issues across the United States.
We expect that, like it or not, community
association boards may have a greater
role to play in the future of combatting
racism and other discrimination at their
communities. Community leaders must
be mindful of discrimination in their
neighborhoods, and while this can be an
extremely sensitive and uncomfortable
subject, inaction on the part of the board
could be problematic or even a basis
for liability in certain circumstances.
During an excellent webinar on this
topic, the speakers identified the four
" A's " of overcoming racism in community
associations: awareness, accountability,
action, and adoption. Awareness
sounds straightforward, but in fact
requires (or may require) more effort
and introspection than one may think.
The webinar addressed the fact that
identifying racism can be challenging,
disconcerting, and difficult, and that
there is a spectrum of bias that must be
considered. The presenters suggested
that boards may wish to attend training
to help them identify and acknowledge
racism, as the first step to combatting
it. Accountability speaks to owning
one's actions - on an individual basis
or as a board/collective. Action and
adoption relate to efforts that boards
should, or may have to, take to mitigate
or respond to discrimination. If your
community does not have one already,
developing an anti-discrimination or
Condo Media - April 2021
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - April 2021
Contents
Condo Media - April 2021 - Contents
Condo Media - April 2021 - Cover1
Condo Media - April 2021 - Cover2
Condo Media - April 2021 - Contents
Condo Media - April 2021 - 2
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Condo Media - April 2021 - Cover3
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