Condominium and Cooperative Law in Ohio

Cooperatives and condominium developments are examples of arrangements known as "common interest communities."

These residential communities are composed of a single piece of land, occupied by one or more buildings, each of which contains more than one housing unit. The units are owned or leased by the people who live in them, but the buildings themselves, and the land they sit on, are owned either collectively by the residents, or by some third party. The residents are responsible for the upkeep of the buildings and the common areas of the property (walkways, lawns, swimming pools, etc.). To that end, they usually pay a periodic fee to cover maintenance.

If you just look at one of these communities, you won't be able to tell whether it's a cooperative or a condominium community.

The general difference is that, in condominium communities, the units are purchased and owned by their residents, and they also collectively own the common areas of the development. In a cooperative community, the land and buildings in which the housing units are owned by a single corporation or association. The individual units are rented by the inhabitants, not purchased.

Laws and Regulations Concerning Common Interest Communities in Struthers, Ohio

While there are a lot of Struthers, Ohio laws that will affect the residents and owners of condominium and cooperative communities, there are few that are actually specific to such communities. Instead, they are mostly governed by laws of more general application, such as contract law, zoning laws, and landlord/tenant law.

Generally, the rules established by the owner of the property, or the entity tasked with managing it, are going to have much more of a day-to-day effect on your life than any state laws governing these types of communities.

The manager or owner of the land on which your residence is located will likely have a lot of rules concerning what can and cannot be done in and near the houses. These rules usually mandate cleanliness, keeping noise to a minimum, and regulate the presence of pets.

The enforceability of some of these rules may depend on Struthers, Ohio's laws controlling relations between landlords and tenants.

Can a Struthers, Ohio Attorney Help?

If you are in a dispute with your homeowners' association, a neighbor, or your landlord in Struthers, Ohio, a reputable real estate lawyer may prove extremely helpful, if the dispute cannot be otherwise resolved.