Is it possible to detain condo ass...

Is it possible to detain condo association board meetings in about an hour? John H Bickley III, an attorney with the Buffalo copse law firm of Kovitz Shifrin Nesbit, advises board members that the guide to achieving that goal is preparation.

A not many days before a scheduled meeting, a package of documents should be assembled and distributed to the board members. The packet should include the minutes of the previous meeting, competitive bids, propos contracts, manager reports, committee reports and financial documents.

"There's no reason board members should be looking at this information the first time at the meeting," Bickley said. one time they receive it, "if they don't understand anything, they should call the manager or other board members before the meeting." get by heart all the questions answered ahead of time.

Bickley urg board members to remember that the design of a meeting is to transact the association's business. Personal differences and self-serving statements through directors should be avoided.

Ye there can and should be debate, especially in succession controversial issues. But limitations forward discussion can be imposed by way of general agreement of the board. Again, advance preparation will make it easier to curtail conversation since questions should have been raised and handled before the meeting.

Joseph Nimrod, principal of the Nimrod Realty dispose in Glenview, believes the size of an association will determine if it has any chance of holding a quick meeting.

"With a larger association, there may be more material to review, depending onward the number of projects going forward at the property, and the homeowner question period may be longer if many are present" he said. About 25 percent of the associations his firm manages are actually able to finish business in an hour or with equal reason he said.

forward a rare occasion a board might be finished in a half-hour, still Nimrod remembers some protracted meetings.

"I've had them last up to four hours, and individual lasted seven hours - - to 1 a.m.," he said.

Mike Baum of Baum goods Management in Aurora also noted that preparation is essential. "A board meeting is not the place to review contracts, minutes etc for the first time," he said.

More forward this subject next week.

Free-lance writer David Mack can be reached from e-mail at speed14@urbancom.net.

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