Goodspeed: Condo associations have the final say – News – Enterprise News

BY LINDA GOODSPEED/CORRESPONDENT

MondayApr27,2020at7:00AM

Condo association documents state that unit owners may not modify common elements without the approval of the associations board of directors. And the board can deny such requests for many different reasons. As a result, a unit owner does not have any legal right to install an electric vehicle charger on the wall of the associations garage or tap into the associations electrical panel and system without the approval of the board of directors.

QUESTION: I own a condo in a 45-unit complex. I recently bought an electrical vehicle and want to charge it in our parking garage where I have a deeded parking space. I went to our board of directors and asked for permission to install an electrical charger on the wall next to my parking space and tap into the associations electrical system. I offered to pay for the installation and all the electricity I would use. The board denied my request.

Do I have a legal right to install an e-vehicle charger next to the parking space that I own and tap into the electrical system if I provide and pay for my costs?

ANSWER: Your question highlights one of the main differences between living in a condo association and owning a single-family home.

In a single-family home, you can install an electrical charger on the wall of the garage without anyone elses permission. In a condo association, whether you own your parking space or not, the walls adjacent to your parking space are a common entity along with the electrical panel and associated wiring that services the garage.

Condo association documents state that unit owners may not modify common elements without the approval of the associations board of directors. And the board can deny such requests for many different reasons.

As a result, a unit owner does not have any legal right to install an electric vehicle charger on the wall of the associations garage or tap into the associations electrical panel and system without the approval of the board of directors.

Your question is a good heads-up to any condo owner thinking about purchasing an electrical vehicle. Make sure you approach your associations board of directors before buying the vehicle so you dont end up in the unhappy position of buying a car you cannot charge in your parking space.

Linda Goodspeed is a longtime real estate writer and author of In and out of Darkness. Email her at: lrgoodspeed@comcast.net.

Read more here:
Goodspeed: Condo associations have the final say - News - Enterprise News