Skylights – the continued window con

Skylights – the continued window con

Another letter from the “Board of Trustees”???  Another attempt to push yet more costs onto the owners.  More costs, that don’t belong to individual owners, but, the Burnt Tavern Manor Condo Association.

With yet one more notice of what “owners are aware of”, seventy-two owners have been informed, or should I say “reminded”, of their ownership of the skylight windows.  The notice also included the recommendation to have the skylights replaced, as the frames are reaching the end of there life and rotting.  The skylight windows exist for half of the Twin Lakes units.  At what could be a typical cost of $2,500 per unit, this is a large shift of responsibility to the owners.  I say “shift” for a reason.

The Metro Office has frequently attempted to push the cost of different components of the building onto the owners, for years.  Items like doors, windows and sliding glass doors.  And now the skylights.  A false statement of ownership and the hope, that we, the owners, have no knowledge of what’s the “truth” and no ambition to seek out the “truth”.  Just like leading sheep to the slaughter.  Or in this case, cash from our wallets and reduction of our property values.

Strong statements and accusations, you think?

If you are the owner of any unit with a window or door, then, you need to know what you really own and what is the responsibility of the Association, for maintenance and replacement.

Per the Master Deed, as recorded in the County of Ocean, NJ:

“…all window glass and sliding glass doors appurtenant to each dwelling
unit shall be limited common elements for the exclusive use and
maintenance of the owner of occupants of the dwelling unit …”

To explain this in simplest terms;  every unit owner does, in fact, own and are responsible for the glass of the windows and the sliding glass panels of the sliding door systems.  The frames around the windows and sliding doors are considered a part of the outer wall construction, whether a wall or roof, and is referred to as a “rain wall”.  Since glass is not a requirement to a shelter, just a preferred pleasantry, it is like lights outside your door.  It’s something that makes your home more enjoyable.  So, if the glass breaks, you the owner, are responsible for it’s replacement.  Replace some broken window glass or sliding glass door panel, all you want.  You, as owner, would not, and are actually forbidden, from being responsible for the proper weather proofing required of the outer structure of the building.  The window and door frames, as structural components, can only be maintained legally by the Association, all as per the Master Deed.

So, we are possibly faced with a question, in the back of our minds.  With the long-term intentional over-charging of the Twin Lakes units, combined with the multiple attempts to force Association costs onto the Twin Lake owners,

“Is the Twin Lake units being targeted”???

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 The notice as sent from Metro Associates ; Skylights 09-17-2016