Wroble v. Hassler

19 Mass. L. Rptr. 432
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedFebruary 23, 2005
DocketNo. 040104A
StatusPublished

This text of 19 Mass. L. Rptr. 432 (Wroble v. Hassler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wroble v. Hassler, 19 Mass. L. Rptr. 432 (Mass. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

Walker, Joseph M., J.

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs Robert D. Wroble and Lois Wroble, and La Baron of New Bedford, Inc. (“La Baron”) (collectively “the plaintiffs”) commenced the present action seeking declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and damages, including multiple damages pursuant to G.L.c. 93A, §11.2 The plaintiffs own and control a hair dressing salon/hairdressing academy located within the 244 Liberty Street Condominium complex at 244 Liberty Street in Brockton, Massachusetts. The plaintiffs occupy and use Unit 1A within the commercial condominium complex.

Defendants Richard Hassler (“Hassler”) and Gordon Asack (“Asack”), who serve as volunteer non-compensated Trustees of the 244 Liberty Street Condominium Trust (“the Trust”) have moved for summary judgment in their favor on the grounds that the modification of rules and regulations that the Trustees have taken to alleviate parking and parking lot access to the condominium complex were accomplished within the proper authority granted the Trustees in the Declaration of Trust. (Article V, Sections 5.1, et seq.) In particular, the defendants contend that the course of action that the Trustees pursued to allot parking spaces, to authorize placement of exterior parking space signs, and to levy fines, were all within the legal boundaries of trustee powers granted by the Master Deed, the Declaration of Trust and/or by statute.

The plaintiffs oppose the defendant’s summary judgment motion by asserting that the Master Deed, the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, and G.L.c. 183A, §5 preclude the action taken by the defendants. Kaplan v. Boudreau, 410 Mass. 435, 436 1991); Consolidated Cigar Corp. v. Dept. of Public Health, 372 Mass. 844, 846 (1977). The plaintiffs claim that the Trustees’ actions constituted unlawful amendment of the By-Laws, deprive or interfere with their rights (if not all condominium unit owners) to all open and available parking spaces within the parking area; violate the terms of the Master Deed regarding placement of signs; and, finally, that the assessment and attempt to collect fines constitute an ultra vires, invalid action taken by the Trustees.

Through their cross motion for summary judgment, the plaintiffs rely on By-Law Article X in asking the court to invalidate any amendment, memorandum, notice or vote purporting to change the 244 Liberty Street Condominium By-Laws, or to adopt rules permitting the Trustees to allocate parking spaces and to assess fines against unit owners, without the unanimous consent of all the unit owners. The defendants oppose the cross motion for summary judgment by contending that when the actions relate to the use and operation of common areas and facilities — in this case, the parking lot spaces — by statute, the administrative rules and regulations are governed by the Trustees. G.L.c. 183(A), §11(d); Johnson v. Keith, 368 Mass. 316, 319 (1975).

Earlier in this litigation the plaintiffs sought a preliminary injunction, requesting the court to restrain the defendants from depriving or interfering with the plaintiffs’ rights to park in common areas, in open and available parking spaces, and to restrain the defendants from assessing, charging, billing or collecting fines from the plaintiffs for excess parking. The plaintiffs also requested the court to order the removal [433]*433of any markings, signs or postings that designated or reserved parking spaces within the parking lot to any unit owner or business. After hearing, on March 1, 2004, the request for injunctive relief was denied, the court determining that the state of the record precluded a finding that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their claims or that money damages would provide adequate relief if the plaintiffs were to succeed on the merits of their claims. A Single Justice of the Appeals Court (Mason, J.) denied the plaintiffs’ petition for relief from the Superior Court Order denying the request for preliminary injunction.

BACKGROUND

For the purposes of these summary judgment motions, the undisputed material facts as established by the summary judgment record3 are as follows.

Hassler is a trustee of a family realty trust that owns four units within the commercial 255 Liberty Tree Condominium project. Hassler had been a non-compensated Trustee since on or about February 17, 1995. Asack owns four units at the complex, and has been a non-compensated Trustee since on or about December 13, 2001. Hassler and Asack are the only Trustees for the Trust. Asack’s units are located across from the Wrobles’ unit. The plaintiffs’ unit is used as a trade school for hairdressing and also offers hairdressing services to retail customers. Apart from La Baron, there is at least one other trade school establishment operating within the complex.4 There are a total of twenty (20) commercial units located within the 244 Liberty Street complex.

Since at least 1995, parking issues have been a subject of discussion within the condominium association.5 On March 8, 1995, the plaintiffs’ representative attended and voted with other association members to designate two parking spaces per unit for loading zone/employee parking from 8:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M.6 Signs denoting the parking spots were to be installed at the expense of the unit owner. Subsequent association meetings involved discussion of parking issues. In March 2002, the Stockton Fire Department had difficulty entering the condominium parking lot on an emergency call.

In April 2002, Hassler and Asack, as Trustees, advised the unit owners that parking problems persisted and declared that each unit had the right to approximately eleven parking spaces. The advisory suggested that alternative outcomes might ensue: fines might be imposed; or parking spaces might be marked and assigned; or additional parking might be purchased. Three condominium units/tenants, including the plaintiffs’ unit, were described as “drastically exceeding the number [eleven] of spaces used.” A May 1, 2002 memorandum to all owners from Trustees Hassler and Asack, was recorded with the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds on July 24, 2003. The memorandum indicates that on April 18, 2002, “. . . a quorum was present and it was voted that due to the effect the parking situation was having on TGA Nautilus’s business, TGA Nautilus would be allowed to mark and post signs on 45 parking spots for their customer’s use.” Except for the plaintiffs’ signatures, the signatures of all other owners are affixed to the memorandum, indicating approval of the measure. The plaintiffs’ signature line is blank and does not indicate whether the plaintiffs were in favor or opposed to the proposal.7

Hassler and Asack’s concurrent (early 2002) observations of the parking areas led them to the conclusion that La Baron’s customers’ and students’ parking practices8 — including double and triple-parking, and parking on seeded areas — constituted a circumstance that justified trustee action.

On April 2, 2003, the condominium association’s annual meeting considered, among other topics, the ongoing parking issues. Representative/owners of Unit 7, Unit 7A and the plaintiffs’ Unit 1A were not present at the meeting. Representative/owners of Units 1-4 (Cummings); Units 5-6, 3Aand 8A (Hassler); Units 8-11 (Asack); Unit 2A (Richter); Units 4A, 5A, and 6A (Brueggman); and Unit 9A (Baker) were present at the 2003 meeting.

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Related

Pederson v. Time, Inc.
532 N.E.2d 1211 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1989)
Johnson v. Keith
331 N.E.2d 879 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1975)
Consolidated Cigar Corp. v. Department of Public Health
364 N.E.2d 1202 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1977)
Kaplan v. Boudreaux
573 N.E.2d 495 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1991)
Community National Bank v. Dawes
340 N.E.2d 877 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1976)
Kourouvacilis v. General Motors Corp.
575 N.E.2d 734 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1991)
Cassesso v. Commissioner of Correction
456 N.E.2d 1123 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1983)
Smith v. Massimiano
605 N.E.2d 292 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1993)

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Bluebook (online)
19 Mass. L. Rptr. 432, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wroble-v-hassler-masssuperct-2005.