CMCA Property Maintenance and Operations 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A manager receives a complaint that hallway lighting in a condominium building has been flickering for two weeks. What is the MOST appropriate response?
- Log the complaint and address it at the next monthly board meeting
- Issue an immediate work order and inspect within 24–48 hours as a safety concern (Correct answer)
- Inform the resident it is their responsibility to report to the city
- Post a notice that the issue is under review with no timeline
Correct answer: Issue an immediate work order and inspect within 24–48 hours as a safety concern
Flickering lighting is a safety hazard that requires prompt attention to prevent accidents and potential liability for the association.
Question 2: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a community association operating a place of public accommodation must:
- Modify rules or remove barriers to access only if requested by a resident
- Ensure common areas are accessible and make reasonable modifications to remove barriers (Correct answer)
- Grant exemptions for all accessibility requirements because it is a private community
- Only comply if the community was built after 1990
Correct answer: Ensure common areas are accessible and make reasonable modifications to remove barriers
Places of public accommodation must provide accessible common areas and make reasonable modifications to remove barriers under ADA Title III.
Question 3: A community association discovers that fire sprinkler inspection tags are expired. What is the immediate priority?
- Notify the board at the next quarterly meeting
- Schedule a licensed inspection immediately to ensure life-safety compliance (Correct answer)
- Replace the tags without conducting a new inspection
- Contact the fire marshal only if a fire occurs
Correct answer: Schedule a licensed inspection immediately to ensure life-safety compliance
Expired fire sprinkler inspection tags indicate a life-safety system may be out of compliance, requiring immediate re-inspection by a licensed professional.
Question 4: What is the PRIMARY benefit of establishing a vendor preferred-vendor list for a community association?
- It eliminates the need for written contracts
- It ensures pre-screened vendors with verified licenses and insurance are used (Correct answer)
- It allows the manager to bypass board approval for all work
- It guarantees the lowest possible price on all services
Correct answer: It ensures pre-screened vendors with verified licenses and insurance are used
A preferred-vendor list streamlines procurement by pre-verifying that vendors hold proper licenses, insurance, and references.
Question 5: A resident installs a satellite dish on the roof of a condominium unit without permission. Under the FCC's OTARD rule, the association:
- May prohibit the dish entirely because it is on roof common area
- May not prohibit the dish if installed within the resident's exclusive use area, but may regulate placement for safety or aesthetics (Correct answer)
- Must allow the dish anywhere the resident chooses, including common areas
- Is required to install the dish on behalf of the resident
Correct answer: May not prohibit the dish if installed within the resident's exclusive use area, but may regulate placement for safety or aesthetics
OTARD protects a resident's right to install a dish in their exclusive use area but allows reasonable association restrictions for safety, aesthetics, or placement outside that area.
Question 6: Which practice BEST protects an association when a vendor causes property damage during routine maintenance?
- Requiring the vendor to verbally promise to repair any damage
- Requiring vendors to carry general liability insurance and naming the association as an additional insured (Correct answer)
- Purchasing separate coverage for each vendor visit
- Accepting vendor damage waivers that limit association recovery
Correct answer: Requiring vendors to carry general liability insurance and naming the association as an additional insured
Requiring vendors to carry general liability insurance and listing the association as an additional insured ensures coverage for damage they cause at no extra cost to the association.
Question 7: An association's boiler in a high-rise is due for its annual state inspection. Who is authorized to conduct this inspection?
- The building maintenance technician after completing an online course
- A licensed boiler inspector certified by the state or an authorized insurance company inspector (Correct answer)
- Any HVAC contractor holding a general contractor's license
- The property manager after reviewing the manufacturer's manual
Correct answer: A licensed boiler inspector certified by the state or an authorized insurance company inspector
State law requires boiler inspections to be performed by a licensed or authorized inspector; unlicensed inspections create legal and safety liability.
CMCA Property Maintenance and Operations 4
A manager receives a complaint that hallway lighting in a condominium building has been flickering for two weeks.
What is the MOST appropriate response?