cconrad1965
New Member
1. Bought my side of duplex May 2006. Zoned as a condo, signed paperwork that I acknowledged it was a condo.
2. MLS listing stated "no condo fees".
3. No condo meetings, no collection of dues, etc.
4. Neighborly agreement to meet when gutters need to be cleaned and to find someone to clean the gutters, also met to decide who would replace the gutters (the other neighbor found three quotes, we decided on one and each paid half).
5. Neighborly agreement to split lawn mowing as needed.
6. We snowblow our own driveway, he snowblows his. We share doing the city sidewalk.
7. 2 months ago we notified him that we were going to remove a dying, overgrown cedar tree on corner of house (my side) and remove the bushes directly in front of the windows (my side). He then informed me that I could not because the landscaping would be affected and that we had to meet as a condo association to discuss this.
8. I informed him that I never recieved any bylaws of a condo association at closing. The only paperwork I have is a genaric paper that states what condo bylaws could be as a guide. I do have a copy of bylaws the previous owners signed in 1983...but I never recieved anything like this at closing that would have my name as well as his (the neighbor).
9. We also signed paperwork that indicated that we would pay 50/50 for any exterior repairs or repairs to common areas (such as the attic). In other words, that there would be no condo dues.
10. When I told him the tree and bushes would come out, he asked for something in writing that we (my boyfriend and myself) would be responsible for debris removal and removal of a stump from a maple tree that also needs to come down, and replacing with top soil and grass seed. We had no problem with that.
11. He also told us that he wanted to know when we were going to do this so that he could also remove his tree and bushes so that the landscape mirrored each other. with immediate replacement of bushes/plants so the front is not "barren".
12. This week he hands me paperwork that states the following:
-remove the large oak tree next to our driveway (we indicated that we were going to get it trimmed of it's dead branches as it is a huge oak tree, but we were not going to remove it)
-remove teh cedar tree on the front conrner of the property
-remove the bushes along the front of the property
-remove any debris and restore the area to a finished landscape with a "new look"
He expects my boyfriend and I to sign this and he and his wife will sign it and have it notorized. Nowhere does it list what THEY are going to do to the bushes/tree on their side. Nowhere is there anything that says we have the right to change our minds. I feel like by signing this, he can take us to court for not removing the trees and bushes in a timely manner, or even if we change our minds.
13. Creating a fire hazard: last year he blamed us for creating the ice dams because we used our bathroom fan which vents into the attic (which has several roof vents, two huge side vents, and many eave vents), because by using the fan, it caused the attic to be too warm causing the ice dams. Forget that everyone in WI last year had ice dams. According to building codes, as long as there are attic vents, the hose from the bathroom fan/vent can be vented into the attic. If there are no attic vents, then it must be vented outside.
14. For months, the bathroom fan sounded funny-whistling, screeching. We just thought is was old (The house was built in 1979).
15. Went up into the attic to attach the hose to an outside vent. Discoverd our vent hose was CUT, filled with insulation, and covered with plastic and duct taped. So everytime we used our fan, it was working against itself-and could have easily burned out/started a fire.
16. HIS vent hose comes across from his side, onto our side, and is attached to the outside vent above our side of the attic. NOT on his side. We unplugged the hose, attached to the vent, and of course took tons of photos.
Should he cut our hose again, and plug it up, is this criminal property damage? Does he have the right to tell us when/where/what we can plant on our side of the house?
Each side owns their own side, each side pays their own taxes. The only thing we share a bill in is the water bill.
He used to own the whole thing, and rent one side. Then he moved to the side he rented and sold the other half. I am the second owner of this half.
Is there really a condo association? Is what he is doing legal?
Thank you
Cindy
2. MLS listing stated "no condo fees".
3. No condo meetings, no collection of dues, etc.
4. Neighborly agreement to meet when gutters need to be cleaned and to find someone to clean the gutters, also met to decide who would replace the gutters (the other neighbor found three quotes, we decided on one and each paid half).
5. Neighborly agreement to split lawn mowing as needed.
6. We snowblow our own driveway, he snowblows his. We share doing the city sidewalk.
7. 2 months ago we notified him that we were going to remove a dying, overgrown cedar tree on corner of house (my side) and remove the bushes directly in front of the windows (my side). He then informed me that I could not because the landscaping would be affected and that we had to meet as a condo association to discuss this.
8. I informed him that I never recieved any bylaws of a condo association at closing. The only paperwork I have is a genaric paper that states what condo bylaws could be as a guide. I do have a copy of bylaws the previous owners signed in 1983...but I never recieved anything like this at closing that would have my name as well as his (the neighbor).
9. We also signed paperwork that indicated that we would pay 50/50 for any exterior repairs or repairs to common areas (such as the attic). In other words, that there would be no condo dues.
10. When I told him the tree and bushes would come out, he asked for something in writing that we (my boyfriend and myself) would be responsible for debris removal and removal of a stump from a maple tree that also needs to come down, and replacing with top soil and grass seed. We had no problem with that.
11. He also told us that he wanted to know when we were going to do this so that he could also remove his tree and bushes so that the landscape mirrored each other. with immediate replacement of bushes/plants so the front is not "barren".
12. This week he hands me paperwork that states the following:
-remove the large oak tree next to our driveway (we indicated that we were going to get it trimmed of it's dead branches as it is a huge oak tree, but we were not going to remove it)
-remove teh cedar tree on the front conrner of the property
-remove the bushes along the front of the property
-remove any debris and restore the area to a finished landscape with a "new look"
He expects my boyfriend and I to sign this and he and his wife will sign it and have it notorized. Nowhere does it list what THEY are going to do to the bushes/tree on their side. Nowhere is there anything that says we have the right to change our minds. I feel like by signing this, he can take us to court for not removing the trees and bushes in a timely manner, or even if we change our minds.
13. Creating a fire hazard: last year he blamed us for creating the ice dams because we used our bathroom fan which vents into the attic (which has several roof vents, two huge side vents, and many eave vents), because by using the fan, it caused the attic to be too warm causing the ice dams. Forget that everyone in WI last year had ice dams. According to building codes, as long as there are attic vents, the hose from the bathroom fan/vent can be vented into the attic. If there are no attic vents, then it must be vented outside.
14. For months, the bathroom fan sounded funny-whistling, screeching. We just thought is was old (The house was built in 1979).
15. Went up into the attic to attach the hose to an outside vent. Discoverd our vent hose was CUT, filled with insulation, and covered with plastic and duct taped. So everytime we used our fan, it was working against itself-and could have easily burned out/started a fire.
16. HIS vent hose comes across from his side, onto our side, and is attached to the outside vent above our side of the attic. NOT on his side. We unplugged the hose, attached to the vent, and of course took tons of photos.
Should he cut our hose again, and plug it up, is this criminal property damage? Does he have the right to tell us when/where/what we can plant on our side of the house?
Each side owns their own side, each side pays their own taxes. The only thing we share a bill in is the water bill.
He used to own the whole thing, and rent one side. Then he moved to the side he rented and sold the other half. I am the second owner of this half.
Is there really a condo association? Is what he is doing legal?
Thank you
Cindy
