I dont work on a personal computer/MAC, it’s more of a dock that is used to connect our equipment which we use to take measurements to the internet which we use to access various databases for work. From my understanding hardwiring is mostly for security reasons, and whether that’s due to red tape bureau policies or actual necessity I don’t know. Working wirelessly is available as a temporary measure with supervisor approval, but work is meant to be done either in the office or at home with the dock wired in, anything else in terms of a long term solution isn’t mentioned in the telework agreement or agency requirements so I don’t think proposing alternatives will be feasible sadly
Forced entry in this sense is being used as any entry that occurs without the owners consent regardless of any reason. The bylaws state this is only for maintenance matters that it can be used in the first place, so in the realm of showing the space I would imagine the owner is responsible for doing so and not the association. It’s strange because I assumed if the unit is vacant finding a listing for it be it sale or rent wouldn’t be hard, but sure enough there is nothing of the sort online from what I have seen. That worries me because to me it points to an owner that could be dead, off the face of the planet, or whatever else, and waiting for that to change so they can give consent in a situation where I don’t have indefinite time seems like an unreasonable expectation.
And I absolutely agree. The fact that everyone in the stack has internet but me due to the fact that in the past management allowed the original wiring to be ran that they are now refusing to maintenance just seems like a leap in terms of my right as a tenant. I have the same rights as everyone else in the stack, and while internet is not a right such as say water or electricity, the right to maintenance of building related issues still stands in my opinion.
But you said the unit was vacant, thus there would be no owners to worry about. Also, I didn’t figure by “forced entry” you meant breaking down the door–just going in without consent. But again–there’s no need for consent when it’s a vacant unit, right?
Vacant just means not occupied currently. Someone does own the unit, but it’s not being occupied by a tenant or the owner themselves.
Good point. Getting legal advice is always smart so you understand the lay of the land and what facts and options are real and what’re not. What I really meant was don’t have that lawyer take action like writing a letter or filing a motion until you’ve exhausted all other maneuvers. Because that triggers not intransigence, but extreme caution and very deliberate speed. Both of which are the opposite of the OP’s goals.
Back to @Bacom15:
AIUI one of you challenges is that you don’t know who the board members are so you can’t contact them personally directly. It is crazy to me that that info is not posted on the property someplace along with other official info. Beyond that, your unit owner / landlord should have that info.
Last of all, the condo association is, legally speaking, simply a non-profit corporation organized under the laws of your state. I would expect you could visit the website of the Secretary of State, poke around looking for “corporate registry” or similar, then search up the corp’s info. Those records will almost certainly show either a law firm or the property management company as the “resident agent”, which is the official legal point of contact for outsiders trying to contact the corp. Beyond that it should show the name of the president and at least one other officer. In my board under FL law the name and address of all 4 officers (Pres, VP, Secy & Treas) are matters of public record right there on the website for all to see.
The only remaiing challenge is the name of the corporation won’t be exactly what you normally call the building, but it’ll be close. If they have a search by address feature I’d use both the building address and the property management company’s address. You may also be able to search by resident agent in which case try the property management company again.
I suspect your board is being given extreme CYA advice by the PM, and is taking that with no thought to the consequences. They may also be a very aloof group who just sets policy and has no hands-on role in operating the building. “Not my problem” is an easy bad habit to fall into in that case.
For several years, I’ve been loosely associated with a few organizations that seek HOA reform.
When another horror story arises, my general advice is to get the media to cover your story whenever/wherever possible. Get the court of public opinion on your side. The outcomes tend to be much better than the judicial outcomes.
I think you being new to HI is probably a disadvantage, but that doesn’t mean your story won’t raise eyebrows and create useful public pressure.
It also gives you the opportunity to craft the narrative however you want to, sparing/praising those you perceive to be helpful and focusing attention on the parts of this process that seem willfully broken.
Oh yeah, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is great! A must-see.
I’ve spent decades on my condo’s board, including as president. I don’t think you as a member of the general public can get the names of the board, but the owner of your unit almost certainly can. I suspect Florida is an outlier in this regard. Though the association has to have a “registered agent” on file with the state, that’s just someone (like a law firm) that can be served papers if the corporation is sued. They may have little or no contact with the current officers.
If you’ve ever said that the condo association actually has an outside management firm, or an onsite manager, I missed it. I think most of what’s happening here is just plain inertia. The “manager” is a retiree owner who doesn’t see this as an emergency and thinks it will be a lot of bother. The owner is only slightly more motivated to try to light a fire under the manager or the board. When I mentioned (in message 2, probably) getting a lawyer involved, it wasn’t with the idea that you’d “win in court.” It was that they might make a phone call or write a letter that would use the right words to suddenly inspire interest on the part of the manager or the board.
In the short term, I think your best bet is to take the professor next door a plate of her favorite food and see if she’d be willing to do you a big favor by putting in a WiFi router (at your expense) resting against the wall of your unit.
I agree, you or your landlord, or both need to talk to the board members, and find out what the real issue is. Playing pass-messages-along with people in between who may have their own agenda is not the way to resolve these things.
IMHO (and I’ve technically been on the board of a very small condo association), wanting to get the unit owner’s permission before entry is completely reasonable, and no doubt you and your landlord would want the same consideration before the board let someone barge into your unit. However, the unit owner also needs to be reasonable with the baord, and one who ignores them for a month has pretty much given up their right to complain about the board authorizing entry.
Of course, there may be other things really going on with the board. As one possibility, sometimes owners who live in their units aren’t happy about units being rented out.
Finally, as another solution, you could look into satellite service (your landlord might help out with the cost, if the alternative is you leaving and him having an unrentable apartment).
This sounds worth trying (it has been suggested previously).
I’m in agreement with the people who say that you probably need to look for somewhere else to live. This place doesn’t suit the requirements for your job.
But, to be a bit harsh, your failure to determine the deficiencies of internet access in the unit before you signed the lease does not constitute an emergency for the condo board or for the owner of the condo below. While to you, it certainly feels important, it isn’t like heating or water or fire or any of the standard reasons that a condo board will enter a unit without owner permission.
Also - I know, personally, that if I found out that the HOA had broken into my condo because someone’s tenant’s (not even a homeowner) internet was slow, I’d be pissed as hell.
You know, I bet the county has information on who owns the unit. You might be able to search for them yourself.
But I also think you should be looking to move.