Member Ownership Responsibilities
You are responsible for paying your carrying charges and other fees on time. While you are a homeowner in a very real sense you are also a tenant of the cooperative, and all the members of the cooperative depend on everyone meeting their financial obligations to maintain the building. The Board has a fiduciary duty to the membership to enforce penalties up to and including eviction for non-payment of your carrying charges.
Just as any homeowner you are responsible for maintaining your unit in habitable condition. You are also responsible for not causing problems through negligence that might affect your fellow cooperative members such as flooding your bathroom or failing to repair leaks. You must also maintain any appliances such as a refrigerator or stove such that they are acceptable to any future owners of your unit. You should maintain the unit in the same (or better) condition than you received it. Any costs to make the unit marketable are deducted from the sales price when your unit is sold.
The Cooperative relies on Members to volunteer for tasks, either individually, as a team, or as a committee.
For example:
The Finance Committee meets to discuss the budget and recommend changes in the carrying charges (rent) to the Board.
The House Committee discusses interior building improvements, including re-carpeting and painting common areas, gets samples for Members to consider, and gets quotes for the Board to approve.
The Security Committee maintains and reviews the building’s security cameras and addresses safety concerns.
The Recycling Team creates a schedule for Members who volunteer to take out the recycling bins twice a week.
The Garden Team maintains the front garden and plantings (tub and tree beds) and sets the schedule for volunteers to water.
The Membership Committee reviews applications for membership and recommends candidates for Board approval.
The Marketing Committee seeks new members by preparing informational material, and hosting open houses for viewing available units.
Individuals contact vendors such as the exterminator, plumber, electrician, or maintenance workers to supervise building repairs or regular maintenance, and report back to the Board.
At some point, almost everyone serves on the Board, team, committee, or volunteers more than once. These tasks should not seem difficult. One of the best features of living in the Cooperative is having neighbors working together to maintain the building as a long-term, congenial, affordable home.
Cooperative Responsibilities
The Cooperative is responsible for the common areas of the buildings, which includes the repairs and maintenance of the interior plumbing, electrical, and safety systems. The HVAC systems in each unit are also maintained by the Cooperative but you are expected to allow access periodically (at least one per year) to maintain the portions of the equipment within your unit.