Condo owner charged for asphalt cleaning

     By Barbara Holland, CPM
      Q. I came home from work and found a notice on my door from my homeowners association. It read: "We noticed your parking space has oil stains. The association has decided to have them cleaned on July 11th at 9 a.m. Please arrange to have your space open at this time. You will be assessed a pro rata portion of the total cost. ..." The notice then states if there are any questions to call the management company.
      I admit it looks bad. I pay $90 a month for a maintenance fee, which they spend on the clubhouse, pool and so on. I don't use these facilities, but I know that is not the point.
      There are also stains in the visitor parking areas, which were caused by unknown cars. Are they going to count how many stains there are and divide it among how many people who live here that they know park there? That's not right.
      Can they make me pay? I want to call them but I need to know my rights first.
      A. Replacing the asphalt of a parking lot is extremely expensive. The life expectancy of a parking lot can be increased by keeping it free from oil and water as well as by sealing it.
      The board does have an obligation to monitor the lot. If there are stains in your individual parking space, the board has the authority to charge you for the cleaning of your space. If there are stains in the open spaces, the board would normally pay for the cleaning from their operating expenses, as opposed to assessing all owners.
      Questions for Barbara Holland may be sent to Association Q. & A., P.O. Box 7440, Las Vegas, NV 89125. Her fax number is 385-3759.
      Barbara Holland, Certified Property Manager, is president and co-owner of H&L Realty and Management Co. She is a member of the Institute of Real Estate Management and is the author of two books on the subject. Holland is a past president of the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors.

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