Something Smells Off

Being originally from Chicago, I have seen hustling and have even been victim to a scam myself. Having recent roots in Nigeria, I now laugh at emails from "Nigerian princes, ” even when they are from a white man living in Texas. More recently, a “Danish prince” scammed an American Nigerian woman and her family out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. That was not so funny to me.

I first noticed something was odd when I asked about disability parking where I live. I had just moved into my "luxury" condo and I was told that it does not exist in our building because each parking space is deeded to a unit. Being somewhat familiar with the Fair Housing Act as a sociologist, I knew that would be in violation of federal law. But I said nothing because I was sure it was just a simple misunderstanding that would be cleared up soon.

Parking is very tight in my building--there are a lot of units that would like parking but have unavailable. But the idea that a law abiding HOA would make no accommodations for people with special needs seemed very illegal to me. I could be wrong, but I don't believe people are supposed to financially benefit from potential housing discrimination!

It was not cleared up soon. The condo board did not respond. The building management company and HOA manager said indeed there was no disability parking.

The front door to the lobby has been automated the entire 3 years that I have lived here. I asked about replicating this with the other doors to the garage floors, the gym, and the community room automated. I thought it would bring us into the 21st century of most US cities to have a button you push to open the door. It would make it easier to enter the building for people like me who use walkers. It would also enable people with groceries, strollers, or those with little arm strength to open the doors. I sent information on our county’s programs to fund accessibility projects in the region. I don't think they are following up on it.

I had expected us to vote on it as an HOA, but there was no need. The executive board told us that they had looked into the cost of the changes and that it would cost $40,000. It did not seem like they had shopped around to see who could do it for less. But the answer was no.

I was told that issues of building accessibility had "come up before" and that "nothing had come of it." This pointed out to me that this was not just a "me" issue. It seemed to me that other people had talked about building accessibility issues but had been dismissed in the past.

I was not going to let that happen again.

I filed a complaint with HUD. The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights conducted an investigation. The condo declarations showed that in 2007, our building had been forced to create handicap access parking because of state and county laws around housing. Initially, it had not done so but it was forced to create it.

What happened to those spaces? Could people who need those spaces do a swap?

The MCCR finished its investigation early this year.

Meanwhile, the exec board decided with the building management company to give the manager and repairman a $30,000 raise. It seemed a bit high to me, but the board alone makes personnel decisions, I guess. (Building xpenses more than $15,000 are supposed to be voted on individually by the HOA, I think.)

I asked whether the $30,000 pay raise from 2024 to 2025 was split evenly between the manager and the repair man or if it wasn't some other amount. I was told that they do not have to disclose that information to me as a owner. It turns out that while owners can put a formal request for all the financial records of the HOA, it does NOT include personnel records. I suppose it's a way to prevent discord. I still think it's a lot, but the board decides.

About two years ago, we replaced the building access system at the front of my building. We were told that it cost $11,000. It does not have a camera or an app (like the last building where I lived). About a year ago, I heard somebody from at the HOA meeting say, "We ended up, not having to pay for the system,” because of amazing negotiations.

But I thought we had paid $11,000 for it?

I emailed the condo board about it but got no response. I guess I see now why board members are only supposed to serve three years according to our declarations.

I hope other unit owners ask to see the HOA financial records. It's the law. But it won't be me! I'm done.

In 2024, the HOA had a meeting in which we approved a $30,000 increase in salary for the building maintenance worker and building manager. I thought it was an absurd raised for one year. I made a big stink about it. The following year, they showed us the same data but interestingly, the salary of employees was missing. I asked why that line was omitted and they said it's because they changed the accounting firm

Tell me that does not look suspicious at all!

The MCCR investigation revealed that they had sold the parking. "Who sold it? To whom?" Those were questions that I brought up at board meetings. They were shut down very quickly.

Parking is very tight in my building--there are a lot of units that would like parking but have none available. But the idea that a law abiding HOA would make no accommodations for people with special needs seemed very illegal to me. I could be wrong, but I don't believe people are supposed to financially benefit from engaging in housing discrimination!

Then I found out that the exec board had decided with the building management company and the HOA manager to give the manager and repairman a $30,000 raise that year. Rather than voting on it as an individual line item as stated in the Condo Declarations, they made it as part of the entire budget to be voted on. Expenses more than $15,000 are supposed to be voted on individually by members of the HOA. That was not done.

I asked whether the $30,000 pay raise from 2024 to 2025. was split evenly between the manager and the repair man or if it wasn't some other amount. I was told that they are not they do not have to disclose that information to me as a owner. Of course, that is against the law. The truth is that I can put a formal request for all the financial records of our HOA and they have to be provided to me as a unit owner. Yet when I ask a simple question about how much we're paying an individual salaries, I get shut down.

About two years ago, we replaced the building access system at the front of my building. We were told that it cost $11,000. It does not have a camera or an app (like the last building where I lived). About a year ago, I heard somebody from at the HOA meeting say, "We ended up not having to pay for the system,” because of amazing negotiations.

But I thought we had paid $11,000 for it?

As a dark-skinned woman with a disability, it is very easy to ignore me when I say, “This does not pass the smell test." It's not because people are “bad.” I think it is just what happens when you live in post-colonial society that tells us (in subtle and unsubtle ways) that white is right. It's also what happens in a society that pretends disability is not right around the corner for the majority of us as we age.