O'Buck v. Cottonwood Village Condominium Ass'n

750 P.2d 813, 1988 Alas. LEXIS 33, 1988 WL 17208
CourtAlaska Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 4, 1988
DocketS-1786
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 750 P.2d 813 (O'Buck v. Cottonwood Village Condominium Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Alaska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
O'Buck v. Cottonwood Village Condominium Ass'n, 750 P.2d 813, 1988 Alas. LEXIS 33, 1988 WL 17208 (Ala. 1988).

Opinion

OPINION

RABINOWITZ, Chief Justice.

In this case the owners of a condominium unit brought suit against the condominium association challenging a rule banning the mounting of television antennae anywhere on the buildings. After a non-jury trial, the superior court entered judgment in favor of the association.

We hold the rule banning antennae valid and thus affirm.

I.

John and Janie O’Buck, plaintiffs and appellants in this case, purchased a unit in the Cottonwood Village Condominiums in June 1981. At that time, the unit was pre-wired for a central television antenna and for Visions, an antenna-based cable system. It is impossible to watch television in the unit without an outdoor antenna or cable because of bad reception. The availability of an antenna was an important consideration for the O’Bucks in deciding to purchase their unit because they have four televisions and frequently watch different programs.

In 1984, the Board of Directors of the Cottonwood Village Association ("the Board” or “the Association”) had to address a serious problem of roof leakage in the condominiums. Among the several causes of leakage were badly mounted antennae and foot traffic on the roof related to the antennae. The Association paid $155,000 to have the roofs repaired. In order to do the work, the contractors removed all the antennae from the roofs. Before any of the antennae were reinstalled, the Board adopted a rule prohibiting the mounting of television antennae anywhere on the buildings. The purposes of this rule were to protect the roof and to enhance the marketability of the condominium units. The Board further decided to make the MultiVisions cable system available as an alternative to antennae. The Board rejected other alternatives such as a satellite dish or antennae mounted on the sides of the buildings. The Board offered to pay the fifteen dollar hookup fee to MultiVisions and to pay for the depreciated value of the old antennae. The O’Bucks were paid $284.20 for their antenna, which had been damaged when contractors removed it from the roof. The O’Bucks now have one television hooked up to MultiVi-sions. Their other sets have no reception, and it would cost ten dollars per month per set to hook them up.

The O’Bucks subsequently filed a complaint against the Association seeking damages and an injunction against enforcement of the rule. After a non-jury trial the superior court ruled against the O'Bucks on all issues, denying them any relief. The superior court awarded the Association $8,000 in attorney’s fees, which constituted nearly 80% of the Association’s total actual fees.

In this appeal, the O’Bucks argue that the Board had no authority under the Declaration and Bylaws of the Condominium Association to adopt the antennae rule, that the rule was unreasonable, that the procedure by which the Board passed the rule was flawed, that the O’Bucks have an easement for their antenna, and that it was an abuse of discretion for the trial court to award the Association such a high percentage of its attorney’s fees.

*815 II.

A. Was the Board Authorized to Pass the Rule?

The O’Bucks challenge the Board’s authority to adopt the rule. We conclude that the Board had authority to enact a rule banning television antennae from buildings under either of two provisions in the Declaration of Condominium, the “constitution” of the Association. See AS 34.-07.010-.070.

First, article IX, section 4 of the Declaration authorizes the Board to adopt rules and regulations governing the use of the common areas, which include the roofs and walls of the buildings. That section provides:

Rules and Regulations. Rules and regulations may be adopted by the Board of Directors concerning and governing the use of the general and limited common areas providing such rules and regulations shall be furnished to owners prior to the time they become effective and that such rules and regulations shall be uniform and nondiscriminatory.

Second, article XIX, section 1(d) of the Declaration authorizes the Board to require unit owners to take action to preserve a uniform exterior appearance to the buildings. That section provides:

In order to preserve a uniform exterior appearance to the building, the Board may require the painting of the building, decks and balconies, and prescribe the type and color of paint, and may prohibit, require, or regulate any modification or decoration of the building, decks and balconies undertaken or proposed by any owner. This power of the Board extends to screens, doors, awnings, rails or other visible portions of each condominium unit and condominium building. The Board may also require use of a uniform color of draperies or drapery lining for all units.

(Emphasis supplied.) The superior court relied on this provision in reaching its decision.

Given these two provisions, the Board had authority to ban antennae either on roof-protection grounds (under article IX, section 4) or on aesthetic grounds (under either section), both of which were given as reasons for the antennae rule. 1

The O’Bucks argue that other provisions of the Declaration and Bylaws imply a right to own antennae that is superior to the Board’s authority to ban them. Therefore, they argue that any antennae rule could be passed only after amendments to the Declaration and Bylaws, which would require approval by 60% of the unit owners. 2

The O’Bucks infer the right to mount television antennae on the buildings from article V, section 5 of the Declaration, which protects the ownership of private property in common areas:

Certain items which might ordinarily be considered common areas, such as, but not limited to, screen doors, window boxes, awnings, storm windows, planter boxes, antennae, and the like, may, pursuant to decision of the owner and speci *816 fications in the Bylaws or administrative rules, be designated as private or individual items to be furnished and maintained at individual expense, in good order, according to standards and requirements set by the Board by rule, regulation or Bylaw.

(Emphasis supplied.) They also cite article VIII, section 1(g) of the Bylaws, which provides:

No Unit Owner or occupant shall, without the written approval of the Board of Directors, install any wiring for electrical or telephone installations, television antenna [sic], machines or air-conditioning units, or other equipment or appurtenances whatsoever on the exterior of the Project or protruding through the walls, windows or roof thereof.

(Emphasis supplied.) The O’Bucks also cite several provisions of the Declaration and Bylaws which explicitly prohibit or authorize the prohibition of other things, such as pets, modification of buildings, and posting of bills.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
750 P.2d 813, 1988 Alas. LEXIS 33, 1988 WL 17208, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/obuck-v-cottonwood-village-condominium-assn-alaska-1988.