Developer Using Divide & Conquer Tactics
I recently heard from a condominium board member whose association is undergoing a plethora of developer related problems with the construction at his association. The board member stated that the developer of his condominium association is attempting to divide and conquer the association by promising certain co-owners that he will fix their units. The developer is further attempting to scare the co-owners into thinking that they will expend a great deal of money in legal fees and will otherwise not be successful if they pursue him in a court of law as opposed to simply working out the differences with him face to face without lawyers.
Unfortunately, I have seen this effective tactic used by developers too many times. There are some unscrupulous developers out there that use scare tactics to intimidate co-owners who they recognize may be naïve, unsophisticated or intellectually challenged as it relates to tactics to be used in successfully pursuing a developer. This should underscore to co-owners that the developer is not operating in good faith and has something to hide or is otherwise culpable for problems which the association is experiencing.
In this case, the job of the board of directors is to convince the co-owners that good legal representation is necessary in order to adequately pursue the developer and make him or her responsible for their acts and/or omissions, and that they get only what they have paid for.