Maintenance, repairs & damage

The pipe is "yours" when it breaks and "common" when it is convenient; the window, the balcony, the exterior wall, the plumbing inside the wall: the line between what the association maintains and what the owner maintains is the most costly source of day-to-day disputes. It is extremely common for each party to interpret the documents in their favor and for the repair to be delayed while the damage grows. Correct resolutions read the declaration and bylaws looking for the exact definition of "unit" and "common elements," and document the technical origin of the problem with a professional before arguing. On this page (free) we offer an overview of how maintenance is typically divided. As a member of Mi Junta ($29 per month, covers all categories) you receive help to analyze your community's documents, organize technical evidence, draft the claim, links to applicable regulations, and support until the repair is made.

A leak from the floor above ruins your ceiling, or a common pipe bursts and the association expects your insurance—or your pocket—to pay for everything. These are the most stressful incidents of community living: active damage, three parties involved (neighbor, association, insurance companies), and no one accepting responsibility while the water keeps running. It is a frequent scenario in buildings with aging plumbing. Successful resolutions involve documenting from the very first moment (photos, videos, dates), demanding immediate mitigation of the source, and assigning responsibility based on the actual origin of the water and what the documents and policies dictate. On this page (free), we provide general guidance on how these incidents are handled. As a member of Mi Junta ($29 per month, covers all categories), you receive help organizing your file, drafting formal notifications to the association and the neighbor, links to applicable regulations, and support throughout the entire claim process.

The association has the right to enter your unit for certain work and inspections, but in practice, abuses arise: entries without real notice, schedules imposed without considering your work, "routine" inspections that seem like selective scrutiny, or master keys used without a log. It is a frequent and delicate conflict because it mixes a legitimate right of the community with your privacy and security. Balanced resolutions require written notice with the required advance time, identification of personnel, a log of each entry, and channels to reschedule when there is reasonable cause. On this page (free), we summarize the typical limits of this right of access in general. As a member of Mi Junta ($29 per month, covers all categories), you receive an analysis of the demand received, help drafting responses and reasonable conditions, links to applicable regulations, and ongoing support.

You receive a charge for a scratched gate, an elevator broken on your moving day, or a hallway wall stained "by your contractor": damages to common areas attributed to your unit, sometimes with solid evidence and sometimes just by coincidence of dates. It is a frequent conflict after moves and renovations. Fair resolutions require evidence linking you to the damage, real repair quotes (not inflated estimates), and the opportunity to respond before the charge is applied to your account. On this page (free), we offer an overview of how these charges should be substantiated. As a Mi Junta member ($29 per month, covers all categories), you receive help to challenge weak attributions, demand quotes and breakdowns, draft your response, links to applicable regulations, and guidance until the case is closed.