THE FLORIDA HOA & CONDO BLOG

Don’t Shoot the Messenger!

By Darlys Walker

Published June 6, 2012

There is water leaking in my unit… HELP!!! This is the MOST common maintenance call a CAM will receive. A maintenance technician or contractor (depending on the Management Firm) will be dispatched to investigate. The water appears to be coming from a busted water heater located in an adjacent unit.

Here comes the dreaded question, “Who is responsible for all my damage, the Association IS going to pay for this, right?”

The Maintenance or Management person is at once put into a position; where no matter how they answer…it will be the wrong thing to say!

As CAM’s, we realize that as a homeowner who has suffered damage to their unit, their home and their belongings. That all they really want is things put back the way they were,

Most of us really do care about your happiness in your home. But we don’t write the laws or the condo docs/bylaws, which determine where liability lies.

Really, we don’t say, “The water heater services your unit, therefore it’s your responsibility to file it with your insurance carrier” simply because we don’t like you or your dog! CAMS don’t make the decisions. We simply facilitate the processes provided to us.

So please remember this the next time you have an issue in your home and you don’t like what you are being told. Don’t shoot the messenger; just elect better leaders who will impose fairer laws.

Darlys Walker

Darlys Walker, Founder and CEO of Condominium Concepts Management, Inc. (CCM), is recognized for her straight talk, subject matter expertise, and valued insights regarding real

state management, leasing, and HOAs. Her company serves a diverse portfolio of properties, from 16-units up to 600 as well as large mixed-use developments.

From its beginnings in 2000, CCM has become a well-respected asset manager and now works with over 100 associations with 16,000 units served by over 300 employees. Darlys and her team deliver resources and responsiveness through six regional offices - in Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, Charleston, Nashville and Atlanta.

Darlys Walker is best known for her passion and precision, understanding that the only difference that matters in today's demanding marketplace is service delivery ... doing what is promised and what is right. She knows that every community serves two masters ... the property owner/developer and the resident/homeowner. "If we are not equally responsive to both, we are not doing our job," she states.

Her clients say it best: "Darlys really knows her stuff" ... "at the top of her profession and it shows in the caliber of her clients" ... "delivers quality resources that match up well with needs and expectations that are really rigorous."

She is a licensed Real Estate Broker in four states, holds an Associate's Degree in Marketing and has earned the Accredited Real Estate Manager designation from the Georgia Institute of Real Estate Management. Also she is one of few certified as a Lead-Based Paint Abatement & Removal Trainer in Georgia.

Darlys Walker and her team have been selected to manage the condominium conversion process and day-to-day operations for many of the Southeast's most high-profile condominium communities including luxury high-rises, mid-rises and garden-style homes. Most recently she has been recognized as an expert in 're-versions' of communities from condominiums to leased homes, as well as repositioning projects. A visionary and a tireless perfectionist, Darlys demonstrates hands-on leadership, working individually with each client and staff associate to achieve defined business outcomes and satisfaction.



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For more information about Darlys Walker and Condominium Concepts Management, Inc. please visit www.condominiumconcepts.com.