Page 21 - New Jersey Cooperator February 2019

NJCOOPERATOR.COM THE NEW JERSEY COOPERATOR — FEBRUARY 2019 21 With locations in Northern and Central NJ Visit us on the web at www.WilkinGrp.com | 201.560.0900 Wilkin Management Group, Inc. 30 Years of History Wilkin Management Group, Inc.ilkin Management Group, Inc. Visit us on the web at www.WilkinGrp.com | 201.560.0900 W For over 30 years, Wilkin Management Group has held to an unshakeable corporate philosophy of Creating Value for Our Clients. Our People, Process and Performance demonstrates an un-wavering commitment to do so. eliminate the need for off -site storage of paper documents and fi les. Consultants will also oft en set up online applications for the self-managed association or cor- poration, such as building links, etc., as part of an overall plan. Real Life Keith Emmers lives in a four-unit con- dominium in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to living in this very small and intimate association, he was both a resident and board member at Park West Village, a large and established co-op on New York City’s Upper West Side. “Th is is a totally diff erent experience,” he says. “A small building is totally ad hoc. “We hired the cleaning woman of one of the owners to clean the hallways once a week. Th at unit owner pays her, and we reimburse the unit owner. Each unit has its own HVAC, so there’s a very small common area utilities which we pay to- gether. We also have a cable bill for fi re monitoring for the common areas. Our maintenance payments go into a com- mon account from which the association treasurer pays the bills. We keep a spread- sheet on Google, which can be viewed by anyone in the group. “Responsibilities are divided up among us,” Emmers further says. “Th e president of the association works from home, so when we need someone here for an inspection he usually covers. To date, there haven’t been any confl icts. Everyone gets along. We don’t keep an attorney on retainer, but if we need legal services, we have someone we can call.” Comparing his experiences in both a large co-op and a small condo, Emmers says: “Living in a big building is easier. In a small building there are times when I would like more help, but everyone is so collegial that it makes me feel good about doing things.” In an interesting twist, Kathy Ryan lives in a 67-unit condominium community in Johnston, Rhode Island, which is self- managed and has been for the 19 years that she has lived there. She has also sat on the board for 16 of those 19 years. Th e board has seven members and meets once a month. At that meeting they handle the day-to-day business of the association, as well as dealing with any complaints from unit owners. Complaints and comments are left in a “black box” by residents. All monthly bills are reviewed and paid by the treasurer. Th e treasurer also completes the annual taxes, so there’s no need for a bookkeeper. Th ere are no in- terior common areas, so there’s no need for a paid cleaning staff . Th e common areas consist of the lawns and parking lots, for which the association contracts a landscaper and a guy with a snowplow. In this version of bedrock New England democracy, the board calls a meeting of unit holders when a major decision has to be made, and a vote is taken to determine how to proceed. And, according to Ryan, the unit owners actually show up! Making the decision to self-manage your co-op corporation or condominium association is a big one, and one not made lightly. Much depends on the complexity of the individual situation. Large, ameni- ty-laden properties might fi nd it diffi cult to do. Th ere also has to be a willingness on the part of the residents to assume the responsibilities generally associated with a managing agent. Th ere’s no magic wand to be waved. Th e decision, though, does not appear to rest on the perceived savings in purchasing goods and servic- es that many owners attribute to having good management. Instead, the fi nancial decision should rest on a comparison of what the cost of management is on a per- unit basis, and whether that cost is equal to, greater or lesser than a do-it-yourself approach. In the end, going it alone also requires the commitment to actually do it yourself – the fl ip side of the same coin. n A J Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for Th e New Jersey Cooperator, and a published novelist. SELF-MANAGEMENT continued from page 11 the mediator–which boards may be hesi- tant to incur. But informal ‘mediation’ by fellow board members, relevant profes- sionals – architects, accountants, attor- neys, for example – or managing agent can assist in arriving at a bipartisan solu- tion to an issue on which certain board members are in disagreement. “In some circumstances,” Fleiss con- tinues, “such ‘mediation’ may involve little more than other board members discussing an issue with two diametrical- ly-opposed colleagues at a meeting of the board, using the available information – including expert recommendations – to try and bring the views of those disagree- ing members closer together. “In other circumstances, the relevant professionals may try to bridge gaps be- tween board members’ positions by an- swering questions and discussing options regarding the matter at issue. Where the other board members or the expert cannot or will not ‘mediate’ a resolution between two stridently-opposed board members in this manner, it often falls to the managing agent to do so.” n Mike Odenthal is a staff writer/reporter for Th e New Jersey Cooperator. MANAGING... continued from page 15