How is landscaping prioritized?

Last winter did a lot of damage, but the damage in these pictures — all from the limited common area at 1705, 1707 S Hayes St — was done over several years.

There used to be a tall bush here — reaching the railing.

There were two bushes here. Now we have the remnants of one, a creeper planted by a tenant, weeds, and a tree that was supposed to replace a dead tree on the other side of the steps.

These were two healthy bushes.

Some areas of the condominium seem to be well maintained. Others are neglected. How is landscaping being prioritized? Is anyone inspecting what's done?

Board lowers bar for election fraud

On October 1, 2010, CMS sent a letter informing homeowners that they "may send in the proxy without it being witnessed by another unit owner." This is an invitation for fraud.

Proxies must have controls to assure that they're not misused. The proxies I receive for my stock holdings have my name, address, the number of shares held, etc., and they are submitted to a third party — not a management agent whose contract depends on good relations with the Board.

The color-coded proxies we received represented different amounts of voting rights. If the Board wanted to do away with witness requirements, they could easily have mailed out proxies with the unit owners' name, address, and voting percentage printed on the proxy.

Installed Apple TV, considering dropping DirecTV

Installed Apple TV yesterday, and I'm considering dropping DirecTV.

Apple TV runs off the Internet, and you pay $99 to purchase it — no monthly fees. Depending on your needs, this may be all you need.

What is the legal basis for a 'door prize'?

A "door prize" — waiver of a month's condo fee — is being offered for attending the annual meeting. We find no legal basis for this offer.

What's next? Move in expenses? Southampton is not an apartment house. The Board is required to abide by the condominium documents.