Condo bans owner from charging his Volt

[MX793]

Yeah, that's not really how that works. When you have a specific codified line item, you have to police it, which means legal changes to the HOA bylaws and the like.

Obviously it would mean a change to the condo/HOA by-laws.  Never said it didn't.  Everything I said above are hypothetical line items that could be picked up in the by-laws.  It's not like it's completely unenforceable once the by-laws are in place and it's not like HOA by-laws are never changed or amended.  My community had a no pets policy in the by-laws originally.  That was removed and new by-laws regarding pets were added.

The condo association saw show stoppers, which is really the only word that matters.

And I think the condo association is being asinine about it and it could have been addressed in a manner that didn't require a $3000 power meter to be installed and that would set the community up for dealing with plug-in hybrids if/when more residents start purchasing them rather than starting to force everybody to install individual power meters in their parking stalls.

[MX793]

There is no condo building on the planet that doesn't have separate meters for each unit.

My condo has no separate water meter for each unit.  Water is covered by the HOA fee.  Everybody pays the same for water, even though some units have 3 or 4 people living in them while others only have 1 or 2 (and presumably use less water as a result).

[Soup DeVille]

My condo has no separate water meter for each unit.  Water is covered by the HOA fee.  Everybody pays the same for water, even though some units have 3 or 4 people living in them while others only have 1 or 2 (and presumably use less water as a result).

Clearly, you live in a college dorm or an illegal tenement slum.

[J86]

My apartment building 'covers' water and trash as well...

[Tave]

Yeah, I've lived in two separate apartment buildings with common water. Both happened to be large houses that were later broken down into units.

[GoCougs]

 C'omon guys, you know perfectly well I was talking about separate power meters, you know, the actual subject of the thread.

[Tave]

It really doesn't matter. A shared utility is a shared utility: same outcome.

[J86]

i didnt read the thread, just the post prior to mine

[93JC]

i didnt read the thread, just the post prior to mine

You didn't miss much, just a lot of GoCougsian repeat-the-same-stupid-ignorant-statement-over-and-over-in-the-hopes-it-will-come-true bullshit.

The Volt owner in question is not "monopolizing the use of a shared amenity (outlet)": it's his outlet, it came with his parking stall, which he has the legal right to do whatever he wishes with it. All the other stalls are provided with outlets as well so that people can plug their cars' block heaters in in the winter. This is prototypical of outdoor condo parking lots throughout the country.

What is at issue is that one of his neighbours doesn't want to 'subsidize' the electricity used to charge his car's batteries. Charging an electric car is almost certainly neither explicitly permitted or banned in the condo bylaws. The condo association, in their esteemed ignorance, went along with whichever dingbat neighbour brought up this 'issue' and 'decided' charging a car consumes an inordinate amount of power.

[GoCougs]

It really doesn't matter. A shared utility is a shared utility: same outcome.

Ha, ha, apparently not for moochers like this Volt owner.

[Payman]

Ha, ha, apparently not for moochers like this Volt owner.

Fail again. HIS outlet in HIS parking space, paid for by HIM.

[GoCougs]

Fail again. HIS outlet in HIS parking space, paid for by HIM.

Then why the issue? Perhaps I'm tainted with my experience of having owned an apartment building and having seen more than a few be given an inch and in turn take a mile. Unless I see a WAY different and detailed account of the issue as outlined in the first post I see a guy mooching and asking for special favor at the expense of his fellow condo neighbors.

[Raza]

Then why the issue? Perhaps I'm tainted with my experience of having owned an apartment building and having seen more than a few be given an inch and in turn take a mile. Unless I see a WAY different and detailed account of the issue as outlined in the first post I see a guy mooching and asking for special favor at the expense of his fellow condo neighbors.

Douchebaggy neighbors getting all nosy and douchey about shit that doesn't really concern them.  "I believe you're using 3 more cents of electricity a day than I do, eh.  What's that all aboot?  Hockey, curling, polar bears as pets."

[Atomic]

Fail again. HIS outlet in HIS parking space, paid for by HIM.

super point. i think i overlooked "his own" outlet, assuming it was shared. moocher? hmm... not so fast, i say... what is important is what is in the lease.

[Atomic]

Clearly, you live in a college dorm or an illegal tenement slum.

ouch 

you call 'm as you c'm, soup

[Byteme]

Well, the $1.00 a night to charge seems right.  8 Kwh at 12.5 cents per Kwh.

Engine block heaters for cars typically run 400-600 watts so one would need to run about 13.3 to 20 hours straight to equal that.

The condo ought to assess him a $350 a year surcharge plus a one time charge of $500 for driving a smugmobile and let it go.

[Byteme]

Fail again. HIS outlet in HIS parking space, paid for by HIM.

Likely not.  Even if his condo is individually metered the parking garage is probably common area, like landscape lighting, and paid for out of annual fees. 

[SVT666]

I've designed the HVAC and plumbing for well over 50 condo buildings and water is always a common utility.  Electricity is always separately metered, and in most cases, even the outlet at the parking stall is on the individual meter and the owner can just throw the breaker at the panel in their suite when not in use to prevent others from using it.  It might be different in Ontario, but out west here, it's been like that for as long as I can remember.  Even an apartment building that I used to live in that was built in the 70s was like that.

[Payman]

Likely not.  Even if his condo is individually metered the parking garage is probably common area, like landscape lighting, and paid for out of annual fees. 

Even if it's a common parking area, he would have paid for his parking space when he bought the condo, which up here usually includes its own outlet for plugging in block heaters, for vacuuming the car, power tools, etc. I bet there's nothing in his contract about not being allowed to charge his car.

[Byteme]

I've designed the HVAC and plumbing for well over 50 condo buildings and water is always a common utility.  Electricity is always separately metered, and in most cases, even the outlet at the parking stall is on the individual meter and the owner can just throw the breaker at the panel in their suite when not in use to prevent others from using it.  It might be different in Ontario, but out west here, it's been like that for as long as I can remember.  Even an apartment building that I used to live in that was built in the 70s was like that.

The  condo my sister and brother in law live in receives one electric bill each month, low commercial rate.  It'd divided evenly between all condo owners so they pay a set amount each month.  That sure doesn't encourage individual econservation.

[Byteme]

Even if it's a common parking area, he would have paid for his parking space when he bought the condo, which up here usually includes its own outlet for plugging in block heaters, for vacuuming the car, power tools, etc. I bet there's nothing in his contract about not being allowed to charge his car.

Who knows how old the place is. Electric cars might have been a pipe dream when he bought in.  I doubt it's even addressed in the contract. 

[SVT666]

The  condo my sister and brother in law live in receives one electric bill each month, low commercial rate.  It'd divided evenly between all condo owners so they pay a set amount each month.  That sure doesn't encourage individual econservation.

I've never seen that before, but it must be a pretty old building.

[Tave]

I've never seen that before, but it must be a pretty old building.

I was looking at a lot of apartments this summer and definitely noticed a push among the newest complexes to include as many amenities and utilities as possible. It's a point of sale and convenience to offer the renter a single bill each month instead of forcing them to contract out separately with each provider. It makes sense too; part of the reason some people choose to live in apartments is because it's a lot less hassle than the tic-tac nature of home ownership.

Most places required separate electric service but there were a few that included everything: water, electric, trash, internet, cable, etc...

[omicron]

Oh, and the absolute maximum amount of juice he can pull through a standard 15A outlet amounts to about 1.8 KwH/hour. Even if he did that 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it would cost the HOA about $24.20/week.

The most pertinent post of the thread.

[Byteme]

I've never seen that before, but it must be a pretty old building.

Probably from the 70's would be my guess. 

When I lived in Austin I moved around year to year.  Sometimes I lived in an ABP (all bills paid) apartment, sometimes I lived in a separately metered apartment.  In every case water was common to everyone.