BOT – Page 2 – Hallmark Condominium

MEEB Newsletter: April 2025

Written by Amanda on April 21, 2025. Posted in BOT, Pull Up a Chair.

STATE LAW REQUIRES BUILDING OWNERS TO REPORT ENERGY CONSUMPTION

CONDO ASSOCIATIONS MUST COMPLY – THEY DON’T HAVE TO PANIC

Say what? That is how many condominium trustees and owners have reacted to the notice informing them of their obligation as building owners to report the energy usage in their buildings by June 30. For many recipients, there were two surprises in this notice: That this reporting requirement exists, and that trustees or apparently random condominium owners are considered to be “owners” of their buildings. We will explain both.

First, the reporting requirement stems from a state law (“An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind, Large Building Energy Reporting”) enacted in 2022, requiring all buildings larger than 20,000 sq ft. to report their consumption of energy of all kinds. That law takes effect this year.

MEEB Newsletter March 2025

Written by Amanda on March 21, 2025. Posted in BOT, Pull Up a Chair.

REMOVE OR NOT – ROGUE BOARD MEMBER

QUESTION: A member of our board is not a team player – to say the least. He regularly bad mouths decisions with which he disagrees, encourages owners to complain about the decisions and even to remove the trustees who supported them. One board member thinks we should vote to remove him. Is that an option?

MEEB Newsletter Feburary 2025

Written by Amanda on February 21, 2025. Posted in BOT, Pull Up a Chair.

QUORUM OBTAINED?

PROBLEM: Our condo board does not always meet the quorum required to make decisions at board meetings.

MEEB Newsletter Janurary 2025

Written by Amanda on January 21, 2025. Posted in BOT, Cambridge, Owners Area, Pull Up a Chair, Residents General.

NEW MASSACHUSETTS LAW CREATES A STATEWIDE RIGHT TO CHARGE ELECTRIC VEHICLES

CONDO BOARDS CAN’T BAN CHARGING STATIONS

When Boston and Cambridge enacted “right-to-charge” ordinances in 2019 and 2022, respectively, codifying the rights of electric vehicle owners to install charging stations in multi-family buildings, industry executives predicted that Massachusetts lawmakers would eventually follow suit. They were right.

A sweeping climate bill enacted at the end of last year includes a statewide “right to charge” provision, prohibiting condominium associations and homeowners’ associations from banning or unreasonably restricting the installation of charging stations in areas used exclusively by owners. The state law closely tracks the language in the local ordinances, with a few tweaks clarifying the authority of HOAs and condo associations to review installations and to regulate them. We’ve compiled the following list of FAQs to help condominium boards understand and comply with the new law.