An Appreciation

“‘Thank you' is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.”

- Alice Walker

This is my 200th condominium law column. (Who knew there was so much to write about?!) As such, I write to thank a number of those with whom my path has crossed while practicing condominium law these past 24 or 25 years.

Thank you to the condominium owners I have met. We read and hear too much about the pure nastiness that is on the rise in our society. People have been shot at condominium meetings, yelled at, sworn at, interrupted when speaking, and personally insulted, all of which makes it hard for well meaning people to attend meetings and which prevents well qualified people from running for a board of directors or sitting as an officer.

But far and away, the vast majority of owners are wonderful. They care more about the Association than they do about their personal agenda. Imagine that. People actually setting aside their personal agendas for the greater good.

I have met an extraordinary number of kind, thoughtful, pleasant owners. Many more than the naysayers and problem owners. They give me hope not only that associations will be run properly, with thoughtful budgets, well maintained grounds, and a steady plan to tend to infrastructure issues, but that there really are more nice people than not in condominium associations.

To the property managers, who clearly have one of the most thankless jobs in the world. Almost every email and phone call is negative. There are ants in their Unit. Why was the maintenance project not done yesterday? What is management going to do about the noisy neighbor? How dare they assess a late fee for not paying the condominium fees until 30 days or more after having been due?

There should be a study to determine the difference between the life expectancy of property managers and the general population. It can't be good for property managers.

Yet so many of them still want to help. They want to make sure good contractors are hired and do a good job. They actually want an association to come in under budget. They want the places to look nice. And they have the most extraordinary patience because despite all the abuse rained down upon them and the vitriol levied against them at meetings and via emails, they are still overwhelmingly kind and polite. Wow. Just wow. Thank you.

My thanks to the Portsmouth Herald for taking a chance on me ten (10) years or so ago and letting me submit these columns. (And my special thanks to the unknown editors who have likely cringed over some of my spelling mistakes, punctuation errors and grammar issues. My gosh. Thanks so much for putting up with my writing.) They have never bothered me about missing a two-week deadline, and have allowed me to help, I hope, make condominium associations better places to live.

Thanks to those who have read these columns, pondered them, perhaps chuckled a bit, and who have tried to implement the suggestions in your association. Thanks so much for reading, listening and trying to make your Association a better place to live, if not for yourself, then for your tenants. Condominium associations really can be a wonderful place to live. Never give up trying to make that become and stay a reality.

And, of course, thanks go to my wife and daughter, for putting up with the long hours. The 6+ day work weeks, the average of three night meetings a week for too many years to properly count, and just the time away from the two of you. It's helped get our daughter set for college, and, perhaps more importantly, helped her confirm for me she would never want to become an attorney. So it's all worked out. As for my beloved, hang in there. The end is near. My only fear is you will discover you actually enjoyed not seeing me three nights each week.

I am closer to the end of my career now, than to the start of it. It is not likely I will make it to 300 columns. At some point I hope to semi-retire and go back and teach high school social studies, part-time. Some say they cannot imagine willingly going into the hell of trying to teach hormone-ravaged teenagers in this day and age. I remind them I'm a condominium lawyer and would much rather be in the comparatively bucolic setting of a high school classroom than in another condominium meeting.

Thanks to all.

P.S. If anyone knows a friend of a friend who is a publisher, let me know. I have written a book based upon these many columns. Not to worry; no one has been named.