Unit Improvement/Alteration Policy

(Payment Plan Policy)

1. Unit Improvements/Alterations shall be defined as those changes made to a dwelling unit by, or on behalf of, a Member which change, alter, add to, or subtract from, the basic structural elements of the dwelling, the water or sewer systems, the heating systems or the electrical systems. All Unit Improvements/Alterations shall require a permit from the Board of Directors or its authorized committee prior to the time any work is started on any Unit Improvement/Alteration.

2. All exposed electrical alterations shall be in METAL CONDUIT.

All plumbing alterations must use original pipe supply line anywhere in unit. Plastic or flexible pipe and braided coverings CANNOT be used.

3. It has been determined that any changes in flooring or floor covering, or removal and replacement of any flooring or floor covering (with the exception of Carpeting, SEE Floors Policy) are to be deemed Unit Improvements/Alterations and not Decorative Improvements.

4. All Unit Improvements/Alterations shall be subject to inspection by the Cooperative staff upon completion to determine that the installation is properly installed, stable, and sufficiently free of defects so as to be functional for the intended use, is safe and sanitary and creates no unsafe conditions.

5. Decorative Improvements are those changes made to a dwelling unit by, or on behalf of a Member which are other than Unit Improvements/Alterations. Decorative Improvements shall not require any permits from the Cooperative, however, all interior finished surfaces must be in good repair and free from holes or breaks large enough to expose underlying basic structural elements.

Decorative Improvements shall include such things as painting or wallpapering walls (NO CONTACT PAPER), installing hanging lights that plug into an existing outlet, etc. In no case shall any member be permitted to paint (or stain/restain with different color, hoe or shade) any natural wood or stained finished surfaces, including floors, doors, cabinets, etc., nor any appliance, tub or sink. No changes, decorative or otherwise shall be permitted to appliances, cabinets, doors, floors, sinks, bathtubs, water heaters, furnaces or any other items supplied by the Cooperative as a part of the dwelling unit, without an installation/alteration permit approved by the Cooperative.

Oil base or gloss paint is not allowed anywhere at all.

6. Additionally, with respect to kitchen cabinets, NO CHANGES IN THESE CABINETS OR HARDWARE shall be permitted without an installation/alteration permit approved by the Cooperative, and shall only be considered for approval where the change requested is being made with genuine Shrock (brand) cabinets or accessories and the installation contractor has been approved in advance by the Cooperative Board of Directors through its staff.

7. Each Member of the Cooperative shall be considered to have assumed full personal responsibility for all improvements, whether Unit Improvements/Alterations or Decorative Improvement made to a dwelling unit are made by the Member or acquired by the Member from a previous Member, including responsibility for damage(s) that may occur when improvements are removed or altered.

8. Unit Improvements/Alterations may not be removed or altered without a permit from the Cooperative.

9. The Cooperative will not impose values or otherwise restrict the free negotiation between a Member leaving the Cooperative and a Prospective Member desiring to purchase a Membership for any items of change or improvement, whether Decorative Improvements or Unit Improvements/Alterations. However, all proceeds from the sale of any membership in the Cooperative, including amounts of improvements, must be made through the Cooperative office.

10. No exterior changes to buildings, landscaping, lawns, trees, shrubs, or otherwise shall be permitted without specific approval of the Board of Directors, other than specifically set forth in other policies included in the Member’s Handbook.

11. It is the intention of the permit provisions that the Board of Directors or its committee(s) shall be given sufficient information on the permit form and attached drawings or other explanations to provide explicit details of the work to be undertaken, and assurances that the work will be accomplished with a high standard of workmanship and materials.

12. Any Member who violates this Policy by installing Unit Improvements/Alterations without a permit, or be beginning installation before obtaining a permit, or making changes in permitted (approved) Unit Improvements/Alterations without an amended permit shall be charged twenty-five dollars ($25.00). Such charge is to reimburse the Cooperative for the necessary additional investigation(s) and/or inspection(s) that may be desired by the Cooperative to assure proper workmanship and materials for the intended use, and shall be charged for each and every inspection that is necessary subsequent to a finding of a violation.

13. In case of violation, the Member will be given, by written notice, a reasonable period of time to correct the oversight, error, omission, faulty workmanship, or poor quality materials. Such period of time shall be determined on a case by case basis by the Cooperative staff, but in no case shall be shorter than ten (10) calendar days nor longer than thirty (30) calendar days. If the Member requests the Cooperative staff to make such corrections to any violation(s) of this policy and such violation(s) have created the need for parts, labor and/or materials to make the dwelling unit decent, safe and sanitary, such charges shall be assessed to the Member to repair, remove, or otherwise fix any such changes in the dwelling unit determined to be violations of this policy. If, upon staff inspection, the violation is found not to be corrected within the time period allocated, the Board of Directors will consider the Member to be in substantial and material default of the terms of the Member’s Occupancy Agreement, and the management will forthwith issue a notice to terminate the Membership.

14. If the violation is not corrected within the period of time allocated in the Occupancy Agreement for termination of Membership, the management is directed to use all efforts to regain possession of the dwelling unit from the persons residing therein through appropriate legal actions with and by the Cooperative attorney(s).

15. Changes to electrical light fixtures in a unit must be completed by qualified personnel. Changes to any/all other electrical components, including but not limited to wall switches and/or outlets, must be completed by a Cooperative approved and licensed contractor before commencement of work.

Unit Improvement/Alteration Payment Plans Policy

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The Board of Directors has determined that it is appropriate for Members to make improvements to their dwelling units. The Board has further determined that certain improvements are so commonly desired that it is in the Cooperative’s interest to assist Members who wish to make such improvements, therefore:

1. The Board of Directors has (and will, from time to time) select certain unit improvements which they consider to be “pre-approved,” have selected makes, models, materials, and/or contractors relative to each particular pre-approved improvement, and have prearranged purchase and installation prices with suppliers and contractors for those improvements.

2. Additionally, the Board of Directors has, in the case of each pre-approved improvement, set and established a price to any member desiring to make such an improvement through the Cooperative (using the Cooperative’s purchasing power, contractor supervision, and funds).

3. Members who make such improvements may request the Board of Directors to establish an extended term payment plan in order to make these improvements financially feasible to the greatest extent possible to the greatest number of members possible within reasonable financial guidelines.

4. At all times while this Policy and related plans are in existence, the office will maintain a list of all qualifying improvements, and normal financial requirements and details for the Members’ information.

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