COLUMN: Owner wants ghosts included in rules

Q. As a former resident of Massachusetts, I always thought that ghosts resided in old Tudor homes and dilapidated Victorian mansions. I never imagined I would find them in our Spanish-style condominium complex in Southern Nevada, where I serve on the board of an association.

Three weeks ago, I received a series of frantic calls from our property manager. Apparently, the earth had shifted beneath one of the condos and opened a crevice, releasing spirits who were caught between heaven and the other place.

The unit owner said the cold draft coming from around the doors and windows was proof that the door between life and death had opened inside her home. She saw ghostly images in the mirror and spirits flying around, eventually descending to the floor.

I was the first board member on the scene, and two police officers soon followed. While one officer searched the condo, the other jumped up and down on the carpet in an attempt to crush the spirits, but they simply moved to another area of the room. The officers told the owner that nothing else could be done and that perhaps the spirits would return to their world when the earth shifted again.

She said the ghosts continued to harass her, and complained that the board and management company were insensitive to her predicament. She claimed the governing documents were not being enforced, specifically the section on "quiet enjoyment" of the community.

Upon learning that ghosts were not mentioned in the rules and regulations, the woman demanded a meeting with me and my fellow board members. To make matters worse, her attorney threatened to take us to court, claiming that the association should be held liable for his client's lack of sleep and deteriorating health.

Once we started brainstorming to find a way to return things to normal, the earth must have shifted again, because the woman said the ghosts had disappeared.

What do you think? Should we modify our governing documents to include ghosts?

A. That is entirely up to you. But if you decide to do so, I suggest that you first ask an attorney whether ghosts are defined as "residents" or "guests" under the law.

Having managed properties in New England, I'm quite familiar with such occurrences as witches and spirits, and there are several rules and regulations that boards in that area have effectively implemented.

One such rule requires owners to register their ghosts with the management company. An owner has two weeks to complete a registration form and remit it, along with a $50 registration fee, to the association. Failure to comply with this rule may result in fines assessed against the owner on a weekly basis.

Another policy is to hold the owners responsible for their spirits' activities, including any damage they may cause. In addition, if the spirits use the clubhouse facilities at night, the owner is charged a user fee of $25 for each night.

Some boards even reserve the right to decide when and how an exorcism of the home will be performed.

By the way, according to case studies that I have read, your association has an excellent chance of winning in court.

And here is one final piece of advice: Don't believe everything you read.

Happy Halloween!

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 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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