If you have signed a Sales Agreement to purchase a Maplewood Condominium town home, you are responsible for the contents of this page as well as all the information in the drop-down menu icons. Please read both pages (BUYER and OWNER) before passing next onto the links below.

CONTACT ASSISTANCE | CERTIFICATE OF RESALE | BOARD OF DIRECTORS | CONDOMINIUM BY-LAWS & POLICY | DECLARATION | DECLARATION PLAN 1.jpg | DECLARATION PLAN 2.jpg | CODE OF REGULATIONS | REGULATIONS OF THE COUNCIL | CONDOMINIUM OWNER PAYMENT SCHEDULE | SUMMARY OF ALL CHARGES | CONDO FEE & ASSESSMENT BREAKDOWN | PEST CONTROL PROGRAM | INSURANCE MATTERS | MEETINGS | COMMON PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PLAN | HISTORY OF MAINTENANCE, REPAIRS & CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS | PROFESSIONALS & COMPANIES SERVING MAPLEWOOD

CERTIFCATE OF RESALE & BY-LAWS

After signing a sales agreement, prospective buyers undergo a process of becoming new owners of a Maplewood Condominium town home. From the date of execution of the sales agreement, the seller has 15 days to formally request the Certificate of Resale, in writing, from the association, and receive it, review it, and pass it onto the prospective buyer. The seller must give this document and related materials, unchanged, to the prospective buyer. From the date of the signed receipt for the Certificate of Resale, the prospective buyer has 5 days to review it, as well as read all by-laws and policies that govern ownership.  Up to the expiration of those 5 days, the prospective buyer can void the sales agreement. After such time, the prospective buyer must fulfill the terms of the sale agreement and finalize the purchase.

As soon as you receive the Certificate of Resale, make an appointment for an Orientation Meeting!

CONDO BUYER BEWARE

Condominium ownership is not simply a “lifestyle choice” offering flexibility and latitude whenever desired. It is also not a form of ownership whereby one’s total responsibility is automatically consigned to others simply due to regular payment of fees. Such myths must be dispelled.  A condominium is a complex and legal form of ownership whereby all actions and inactions are strictly governed and subject to a body of written regulations and policies that are periodically revised and updated.  Owners have rights and obligations. In addition, the condominium is formally structured where elected members fill governing positions that carry substantial administrative and managerial responsibility, and whose legitimate authority is granted through the by-laws. Hence, condominium ownership is not a loose collection of ideas and neighbors, but rather a legal form of ownership governed systematically and purposefully by an organized entity that follows protocols. Your ownership is inherently tied to other owners through this automatic membership and the ultimate responsibility for the property lies in the hands of all owners as a collective. By nature, this form of ownership naturally expects owners to be mature collaborators, dutifully fulfilling their obligations, and actively participating as needed (and also when specifically requested).  It is said that owning a condominium is not for the faint of heart!

As a prospective buyer, it is your responsibility to review the Certificate of Resale, related materials, and the by-laws, since this will govern every aspect of your ownership. Prospective buyers often overlook the importance of condominium materials because the buying process is already stressful. One erroneously assumes all condominiums are alike, and there may be an inaccurate sentiment that the association will be lax or inconsistent in its observance of regulations. However, the governance of the condominium association is precisely at the core of what is actually being considered for purchase, and not the side bar.  It is crucial to thoroughly understand the significance and scope of the long-term responsibilities of condominium ownership in order to correctly determine if there is a desirable match between your needs and what the specific condominium offers. Condominiums are diverse in terms of their by-laws and scope of operations, and it is not uncommon for one variation in the by-laws to define the difference between a highly desirable match and an ill-fitting one.

Since the window of opportunity to absorb such a volume and complexity of information is narrow (5 days), Maplewood Condominium offers help during this process in the form of an orientation meeting. This window of opportunity to meet the Board of Directors, satisfy questions and concerns, and investigate managerial and financial operations, is highly encouraged, and is easily and quickly arranged by contacting the Association directly. This offering is uncommon among most condominiums, setting Maplewood apart, and is consistent with the community’s “homeowner occupied and managed” orientation. While such a meeting is conducted in a friendly and welcoming manner, please be aware that this is not intended for social purposes (“meet and greet”), but rather is designed as a highly focused and serious presentation of the consequences of your intended investment.

Experience has demonstrated that owners fair better in the short and long run with this initial contact. The reason is due to the fact that the Board of Directors are able to quickly place into perspective many ownership concepts that are not easily grasped via one reading of the regulatory material. Many times, seemingly minute sections of the by-laws actually have great significance, and in other cases several sections of the by-laws taken together have meaning that is greater than the sum of their parts. Clarifications on such matters, and others, create a solid basis for understanding what you are actually purchasing, and what your exact obligations are to such type of real estate investment. A giant misconception of condominium ownership is that everything is “taken care of by someone else”, “everything on the outside of my condo is not my responsibility”, and “the Association has no real authority” — all concepts that are grossly incorrect:

1. The Board of Directors, comprised of three elected officials, is the governing body of the Association. Their authority is granted by Association by-laws.
2. The business of the condominium is taken care of by owners themselves, as well as through an elected Board of Directors, which are customarily owners.
3. Owners do have much responsibility to external aspects of their respective condominium.
4. Not all condominiums are alike in their adopted by-laws or operational policies.
5. The extent to which services are provided depends upon respective by-laws and operational policies. Such variations can make a large difference in terms of what a buyer is actually looking for.
6. A condominium is a legal form of ownership, not a form of lifestyle, and it never foregoes maintenance obligations in its entirety.

ORIENTATION MEETING

Condominium ownership is very complex and is often overwhelming after reading much documentation. For such reason, the Board of Directors offers its knowledge and help by extending an invitation to a personalized orientation meeting after a prospective buyer has had an opportunity to review the Certificate of Resale and read the regulatory material contained on this website. While this is highly recommended for all prospective buyers, such encounters are especially critical for first-time homeowners, first-time condominium owners, and those that intend to lease their premises. During such a meeting, prospective buyers get a review of the by-laws, plus are brought up to date on the financial health of the Association, along with issues of fees and planned assessments, current and planned future projects, annual meeting procedures, and most importantly the long-term common property plan, hence matters that cannot be known other than though this meeting. Our experience has proven that foregoing this contact leads owners to be affected by all regulations and policy, but remain confused and disconnected for the duration of their ownership in the community.

Due to the manner by which Maplewood Condominium operates, this initial contact helps ease owners into Maplewood condominium life, avoids grave future misunderstandings, and creates a solid basis for understanding owner obligations. Owners have expressed so much gratitude in the Board’s ability to relieve the daunting task of absorbing and making sense of the regulatory material, as well as the stress of entry into a new place where neighbors are yet unknown.  Every condominium does not operate in the same manner. This meeting gives prospective buyers an opportunity to understand what may be, or may not be, an appropriate match about Maplewood Condominium.