The building manager in condominium property has an important and often thankless role. They are expected to maintain order in the building, organise common matters and implement the decisions of the owners’ meeting. When this is not done properly, tension builds quickly. Disputes arise over fees, repairs, documentation and the way the building is managed.
In practice, many condominium conflicts do not begin with a noisy neighbour or a leaking roof, but with a lack of clear management. That is why it is important to understand what the manager’s rights are, what duties they have and when they may be held responsible for action or inaction. If you need assistance in such a case, you may start from the page on Condominium Management.
What is the role of the building manager?
The building manager is not the owner of the building’s collective will. They do not stand above the owners’ meeting and cannot replace its decisions by acting alone. Their main role is to organise day-to-day management, implement what has been adopted, keep the documentation in order and represent the condominium association within the scope of their powers.
This is exactly where the first misunderstanding often arises. In practice, the manager is sometimes seen either as someone with no real authority, or as a person who can decide everything on their own. Both extremes are problematic. The legal framework requires a balance between the decisions of the owners’ meeting and the day-to-day organisation of the building.
Where do disputes most often arise?
The most common conflicts concern the collection of fees, the organisation of repairs, the convening of owners’ meetings, the keeping of minutes, access to documents and communication with owners. Sometimes the dispute is whether the building manager is performing their duties at all. In other cases, it is alleged that they have gone beyond them.
Tension is especially common where unpaid contributions are involved, because some owners expect active steps to be taken while others dispute the amount or the legal basis of the charges. On that subject, it is also useful to read the article on unpaid fees in condominium property.
When do the manager’s actions create legal risk?
Problems arise where proper records are not kept, where minutes and decisions are not preserved, where the legal basis for collecting sums is unclear, or where an owners’ meeting is not convened in time. In such situations, the dispute rarely remains a personal one. It affects the condominium property as a whole.
There is also risk where action is taken without sufficient authority or without the necessary owners’ meeting decision. This is often seen in disputes over repairs, expenses and common areas. At that point, the issue is no longer only whether the manager is active, but whether they are acting within the limits of what is permitted.
When is it sensible to seek legal advice?
Legal assistance is useful where there is serious tension surrounding the management of the building, where the manager’s actions are being challenged, or where there is uncertainty as to what decisions have been adopted and how they should be implemented. This is equally true where a change of manager is being considered, where there is a dispute over documents, or where questions of responsibility are already being raised.
These cases are often linked to the way in which the owners’ meeting in condominium property was conducted. If there has been a flaw there, it will usually affect the management of the building afterwards as well. That is why the matter should be approached as a whole.
For advice on the building manager’s powers, duties and management disputes in condominium property, you may contact Law Office Anelia Ivanova. Timely legal review often helps bring the dispute under control before it becomes more serious.
Can the building manager in condominium property make decisions alone?
Not on every issue. The building manager organises day-to-day management and implements adopted decisions, but cannot replace the owners’ meeting where a decision by the owners is required.
When does a dispute over the building manager’s liability arise?
Most often where documents are missing, decisions have not been implemented, fees are being collected on a disputed basis, or it is claimed that action has been taken without sufficient authority.
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