Responsibility for Maintenance of Unit Doors

         Although owners usually are responsible for maintaining what they own, there are important exceptions in condominiums.

          For example, in our Market Street at Town Center Condominium, unit owners own the entry door of their unit, that door being part of their unit; but the painting of the exterior of that door--the surface of the unit entry door that faces the corridor--is the responsibility of our Unit Owners Association, and is to be paid for as a Common Expense of our Association.

         To what extent are individual unit owners responsible for maintenance of the doors of their units that open to corridors or to the outdoors?   To what extent is our Market Street at Town Center Condominium Unit Owners Association responsible for maintenance of those unit doors?  In other words, what is the split of responsibility for maintenance of unit doors that open to a corridor or to the outdoors?

         The Chart of Maintenance Responsibilities that is Exhibit "A" to our Bylaws helps answer these questions.   That Chart specifically addresses items described as "Unit entry doors, window wall sliding glass doors and French doors (if any)."  In Column IV, “Unit Components Under Unit Owners Association Responsibility,” it includes “Painting of exterior of Unit entry door and portions of door and door frame which are exterior.”  Column V of that Chart holds the individual unit owner responsible for "Interior of Unit entry door, all door hardware, weather stripping, door sill.  Routine maintenance of window wall sliding glass, french doors and sliding glass door screens."

         I believe Article XII of our Declaration also helps answer the above questions.  I quote that Article XII in its entirety:  "EXTERIOR  MAINTENANCE:  There is reserved to the Unit Owners Association of the Condominium the exclusive right to provide for all painting and maintenance of the exterior of all of the Units and structures in the Condominium and such maintenance of the exterior of the Units and structures in the Condominium shall be a Common Expense to be paid for as part of the expense of upkeep of the Unit Owners Association."

         I interpret the reservation of the exclusive right to the Association to mean that our Board of Directors gets to decide what exterior maintenance is required and when.  But I don't think those reservation words would permit our Board of Directors to say that the Association isn't going to do certain exterior maintenance, but then require individual unit owners to do that same exterior maintenance that our Board decided the Association wouldn't do.

        The Chart of Maintenance Responsibilities I referred to above is recorded at pages 2078 through 2081 in Deed Book 16608 of the Fairfax County Land Records, and can be viewed online at this link:  http://www.marketstreetattowncenter.com/docs/MaintenanceSchedule.PDF

        The EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE article of our Declaration is recorded at page 2002 of that same Deed Book 16608, and can be viewed online at page 48 of 51 at this link: http://www.marketstreetattowncenter.com/docs/CMC.pdf

         If you wish to comment on this or any matter of concern to our Market Street at Town Center Condominium Unit Owners Association, please join my forum at http://mstcuoa.proboards.com and post your comment there.  Or/and, email me at rasmussen305@gmail.com.