LETTER: Watertown Condo Owner Opposes a Bill on Beacon Hill

There are several bills submitted to the legislature regarding Condominiums. Most of them probably are updating the present Condominium laws. I have been a Board member of the Village Condominiums in Watertown for over 25 years. I view all of these bills as harmless as we abide by these in our Condominium documents - EXCEPT FOR H.1091. This bill is badly flawed in that it changes the election process of condominium associations in dangerous ways:

• Any election held by any organization of unit owners shall be decided by a plurality of those ballots cast on the day of the election or annual meeting. There shall be NO quorum required. This severely changes Chapter 183A and is a terrible idea. A majority of unit owners was always required.
• No proxy ballots are to be allowed and no unit owners are permitted to designate their vote to another unit owner.
• The Board may solicit other board candidates who are non-unit owners, contractors or vendors.

Non-unit owners, contractors or vendors should never be on a Board of Trustees. They would have no investment in the condominium and do not own a condominium. This bill is fraught with trouble. Disallowing unit owners to designate proxies disenfranchises them.

Pat Gold
Watertown Condominium Resident