It's no coincidence that Bob Meisner is known as the condo
king in legal and development circles in Michigan. That's
the specialty that the West Bloomfield attorney chose not
long after graduating from the University of Michigan Law
School in 1969.
"My dad and uncle were lawyers, and I knew enough to know
that it was probably smart for me to get involved in a
specialty of some sort," said Meisner, whose boutique law
firm in Bingham Farms specializes in community association
law, commercial litigation and real estate and business
law.
During his first job after law school, at the Court of
Appeals in Lansing, Meisner carpooled with another lawyer
friend who worked for the condominium section of the
Department of Commerce. Meisner returned to Detroit a
while later and sought out opportunities to get involved
in the legal end of condominium life.
Now, after decades of representing condo and community
associations, writing columns for The Detroit News and the
Observer & Eccentric newspapers and teaching at several
area law schools, Meisner has added the role of author to
his list of credentials. His book, "Condo Living: A
Survival Guide to Buying, Owning and Selling a
Condominium," was published by Momentum Books late last
year.
Condo dwellers "needed a manual of some sort," Meisner
explained. "People buying condos need to understand what
they're getting into."
The book is divided into issues to think about when buying
or selling a condominium, the workings of the condo
association and "Meisner's Maxims" on condo living,
assertions like "Even when it's too hot in the kitchen,
certain board members won't get out."
"I recommend that [condo dwellers] get involved in running
the association because the condo association has an awful
lot of power and effect on how you live," Meisner said.
Of course, he doesn't quite follow his own advice. Himself
a condo owner -- Meisner lives in one now in West
Bloomfield and owns three others around the country -- he
insisted that "I try to stay out of my own association's
business."
The book is available through Meisner & Associates, (800)
470-4433 or on the firm's Web site,
www.meisner-law.com.
Meisner's Maxims
Here's a sample of Bob
Meisner's tips for condominium living:
·
Maxim No. 4: Spend as little money as possible at whatever
potential cost.
·
No. 5: What has learned will be forgotten, ignored or
placed in purgatory.
·
No. 6: If you want to win friends and influence people,
don't live in a condominium and don't serve on its board.
·
No. 12: If something can go wrong in the condominium, it
will.
