CooperatorNewsSouth FLorida 2021

Fall 2021
SOFL.COOPERATORNEWS.COM
Elevator Refurbishment
Managing a Major Service Disruption
BY A J SIDRANSKY
Jacquelyn Duggan is a building manager with Gumley Haft , a
New York-based residential property management fi rm. She man-
ages a seven-story, single-elevator building on Manhattan’s East
Side that recently underwent a total refurbishment. Th e property
was built at the turn of the 20th century, and so is over 100 years
old. Th e single elevator required modernization and refurbishing.
205 Lexington Avenue, NY, NY 10016 • CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
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Large or small, wealthy or humble, con-
do, HOA, or co-op, all multifamily com-
munities must keep up-to-date records—
of fi nances, meeting minutes, and rules
and regulations, to name a key few. In
some cases, it’s even required by law.
Th at’s not to say that every association
should have a cavernous records room on-
site; we’re living in a digital era, aft er all.
But mandatory or not, keeping thorough,
well-organized records is crucial, and can
spare a board or manager from repeating
past mistakes.
Legal Obligations
While there are some broad principles
guiding how to handle record-keeping in
a community association, specifi cs oft en
vary based on state law.
(It’s worth stating that simply following
the law is not always adequate. Even if a
certain practice is not necessarily required
in your state, it may be a practice worth
adopting in your association.)
Jack Facey, partner with Facey Goss &
McPhee P.C. in Rutland, Vermont
“Vermont has adopted much of the
Uniform Common Interest Ownership
Act (UCIOA)—and specifi cally has ad-
opted the sections thereof relating to the
keeping of association records. Sections
3–118 deal with the records of the associa-
tion which must be kept. Th e provisions
were made applicable to pre-1999 condo-
No matter how well constructed and carefully maintained, no mechanical system lasts
forever—and that goes for elevator cabs and equipment just as much as it applies to roofs
or boilers. At some point, your building’s vertical transportation comes to the end of its
useful life, and the inconvenience of refurbishment and replacement becomes a reality for
residents. If you live on a lower fl oor—say the fi rst, second, or even the third story—the
inconvenience may not be too severe. If you live in a building with multiple elevators, it’s
unlikely that more than one will be taken out of service for upgrading at a time. But if you
live in a building with a single elevator and reside above the fi rst few fl oors, or if you have
trouble climbing stairs at all, let alone carrying packages up or down, an elevator upgrade
can become a real nightmare.
“Single-elevator buildings are a challenge,” says Joe Caracappa, an elevator consultant
with Sierra Consulting Group, a New York City-based elevator consulting fi rm. “Th e ques-
tion is: how do you get the people up and down for six to eight weeks while the work
is being done and completed? [Th e answer] is usually walking up and down. When the
elevator is out, it’s out. It can’t be used temporarily.” On the other hand, Caracappa con-
tinues, multi-elevator buildings are easier. “You always have another car: a freight car or
the other passenger elevator,” he says. “But if it’s just a single elevator, well, no one can use
the elevator during the process, and it must be tested by the city before it can be put back
into operation.”
Planning for the Inevitable
Editor’s Note: Th is article originally ap-
peared in CooperatorNews South Florida’s
February 2019 edition. We present it again
in light of the tragic condo collapse in Surf-
side earlier this year to highlight the impor-
tance of regular, properly conducted struc-
tural inspections.
For building owners and property man-
agers who may soon be facing the 40-year
building recertifi cation process in Miami-
Dade and Broward Counties, Benjamin
Franklin’s adage about ‘an ounce of preven-
tion’ is fi tting.
Th e 40-year Building Safety Inspection
Program was created in 2005 and has be-
come eff ective throughout Broward Coun-
ty since January 2006. It’s modeled aft er
Miami-Dade County’s program, which
is now more than 30 years old. Broward’s
program calls for structural and electrical
safety inspections for buildings 40 years
old or older and every 10 years thereaft er.
One- and two-family dwellings, U.S. and
State of Florida government buildings,
schools under the jurisdiction of the B.C.
School Board, and buildings built on Na-
tive American reservations are exempt.
Under Section 8-11(f) of the Miami-Dade
County code, Miami-Dade County ex-
empts buildings under 2,000 square feet;
the Broward County code excludes all
buildings under 3,500 square feet.
Th ese inspections are designed to pro-
tect people from possible building failures.
Building owners and property manag-
ers should consult with structural engi-
neers to have a proper inspection com-
pleted as their building nears 40 years of
age. When it comes time for a 40-year
property assessment, the property owner
will receive a notice that an inspection is
Keeping an Oft en
Digital Paper Trail
Best Practices for Maintaining
Community Association Records
BY MIKE ODENTHAL
40-Year Building
Inspections
Is Your Condo Ready?
BY BARNEY WEINKLE, AKAM LIVING
SERVICES, INC.
continued on page 10
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