Regency House recall: High rise trouble!

The Regency House is the residential high-rise on Central just north of the Heard Museum.

The building, a condominium, is facing an unpleasant situation: More than five million dollars (!) of long-deferred maintenance.

After months, if not years, of discussion, the building’s board finally figured out a plan, and announced assessments to pay for it.

They ranged from $40,000 to $70,000 for each unit, depending on size.

Said one resident: “The only thing I fear more than their setting the assessments was not setting the assessments”—i.e., avoiding the problem further.

One of the stereotypes about condo owners in town, which may or may not be justified, is that they lean toward the senior citizen side, demographically, and these folks, being on fixed incomes, vociferously oppose increases in the homeowner fees.

Over years and then many decades, as the fees stay low and maintenance is deferred, the buildings become vulnerable—and the residents become even more opposed to taking on the job, given the large expenditures involved.

All that said, you can still imagine the fix folks there are in, particularly in this housing market.

It’s particularly a nightmare for people who just can’t afford the assessment, even with a loan … they’d have to sell their units, taking a huge financial loss both by having to sell in this climate and still having to eat the assessment.

So what happened at the Regency House after the board came up with a plan to, finally, face reality and make the needed repairs?

Then residents announced a recall campaign against the board.

And Tuesday night, they recalled three members of it.