Who is the supervisor of the condominiums?
The condominium supervisor is a judicial authority with powers similar to a magistrate's court judge (as stipulated in Section 74 of the Real Estate Law). However, The inspector cannot review all claims. They can be heard by a magistrate's court judge.
If submitted to the condominium supervisor Civil lawsuit which includes tortious grounds over which it has no authority to decide, it will be possible to file Request for outright dismissal due to lack of subject matter jurisdiction, and lead to the lawsuit being dismissed quickly. For this reason, in order to Dealing with a problematic neighbor It is highly recommended to consult with Neighborhood Dispute Lawyer Who will be able to direct you to which court you should file the lawsuit, because not every lawsuit regarding neighbor disputes needs or can be resolved before the condominium supervisor.
What is the subject matter authority of the condominium supervisor?
Subject matter jurisdiction determines which cases a particular judicial authority can decide. Whatever is not within the subject matter jurisdiction of that judicial authority, that judicial authority cannot decide (and if it does decide it, it will be possible to File an appeal and cancel the decision).
The subject matter authority of the condominium supervisor It is stipulated in Section 72 of the Real Estate Law. That is, only in these cases is the inspector authorized to decide.
Section 72 of the Real Estate Law states as follows:
(א) סכסוך בין בעלי דירות בבית משותף בדבר זכויותיהם או חובותיהם לפי התקנון או לפי סעיפים 58, 59 או 59א עד 59ג ו-59ה עד 59י, לפי סעיף 1א לחוק המקרקעין (החלפת ספק גז המספק גז באמצעות מערכת גז מרכזית), התשנ"א-1991, לפי חוק המקרקעין (חיזוק בתים משותפים מפני רעידות אדמה), התשס"ח-2008 או לפי סעיפים 6נט עד 6סא, 21ב ו-27ג לחוק הבזק, תשמ"ב-1982 יכריע בו המפקח.
(on) Dispute between apartment owners in a condominium Regarding trespass by an apartment owner regarding another apartment or regarding the common property, the plaintiff may bring it, at his choice, before a competent court or before the inspector.
(c) The provisions of subsections (a) and (b) shall also apply in the event that the holder of the apartment on behalf of the owner of the apartment or the maintainer is a party to the dispute, and if an apartment was leased under a perpetual lease or a perpetual sublease – even if the party to the dispute is the perpetual lessor or perpetual sublessor.
(d) The provisions of this section do not derogate from the validity of an agreement to submit such disputes to arbitration.
In other words, anything that is not included in these issues does not fall within the jurisdiction of the condominium supervisor. For example: a neighbor dispute in which one neighbor wishes to sue another neighbor for Defamation cannot be clarified before the inspector because in this case the inspector of the condominiums does not have subject matter authority. In this case there is File a lawsuit with the Magistrate's Court.
Another example: The Inspector lacks subject matter jurisdiction to hear claims arising from tortious misrepresentations. That is, any cause (other than a cause of action) encroachment) המפורטת בפקודת הנזיקין. בעניין זה קבע בית המשפט העליון כך (ד"נ 20/73 יעקב שמע נ' נחמה סדובסקי, פסק דין מיום 10.3.1973):
כהונתו של המפקח (שלבש מקודם אדרתו של פקיד מוסמך), משנולדה, הולידה בעיות לגבי גדר סמכותו. רוב השופטים של בית-משפט זה כבר חיוו דעתם בדבר ואין אחידות דעים ביניהם. ראה ע"א 100/60, [1]; ע"א 191/66, [2]; ע"א 458/69, [3], ע"א 440/66, [4]. זו היא תוצאה מזיקה, אך בלתי-נמנעת של שאיפת המחוקק להקים בתי-דין מיוחדים, בעלי סמכות מוגבלת לדון בסוגיות מסויימות. כאשר סמכותו של בית-הדין מתווספת אל סמכותם הכללית של בתי-המשפט, כמו בסעיף 140(ג) לחוק הגנת הדייר [נוסח משולב]. תשל"ב-1972, אין האזרח ניזק, שכן ענינו יידון לגופו באותו מקום אליו פנה, ראה ע"א 495/66, [5].
אך כאשר המחוקק חוטב ענין פלוני מהסמכות הכללית של בית-המשפט ומוסר לבית-הדין שיפוט ייחודי לדון בו, הוא מכשיר את הקרקע לסכסוכי סמכות עקרים ומונע דיון בפרשה כולה. כך עשה לגבי סכסוכים בין בעלי דירות בבית משותף בסעיף 47(ב) לחוק בתים משותפים, וגם השינוי שחל עם צאת חוק המקרקעין אינו אלא נחמה פורתא. סעיף 72 לחוק המקרקעין, שבא במקום סעיף 47 לחוק הנ"ל. Although the authority of the inspector is expanded, he can now also hear tort claims based on trespass, and in this regard his authority has become equivalent to that of the court, but for some reason he is not permitted to hear other tort claims.
Damage to another apartment or shared propertyIn a shared house
Common situations in which the condominium supervisor can discuss are situations where one of the neighbors damages the common property or one of the other apartments in the condominium. For example, the condominium supervisor has received neighbor disputes regarding the installation of a sukkah on the wall of a condominium, leakage damage, Moisture damage, taking over Shared property in a condominium or damage to it, trespassing, failure to pay house taxes, Lawsuits against the House Committee, etc. With the issue of noise nuisance, there may be a problem due to the issue of subject matter jurisdiction. There is a ruling that denies subject matter jurisdiction when there is Noise nuisance from neighbors (On the other hand, it is also possible to find judgments regarding noise nuisance in which the condominium inspector actually ruled).
The condominium supervisor can also decide on neighbor disputes relevant to the condominium regulations. To the extent that the condominium does not have agreed-upon regulations, the existing regulations detailed in the appendix to the Real Estate Law will apply. A common section in the existing regulations that is used when coming to litigate before the condominium supervisor is section 2, which states as follows:
(א) בעל דירה אינו רשאי לעשות בדירתו שינויים או תיקונים הפוגעים ברכוש המשותף או מסכנים או עשויים לסכן את קיומו או משנים או עשויים לשנות את ערכו, אלא אם קיבל תחילה הסכמת האסיפה הכללית של בעלי הדירות. לענין זה, "פגיעה ברכוש המשותף" – לרבות פגיעה בחזותו החיצונית התקינה והאחידה כפי שהיתה בעת גמר הבניה.
(b) An apartment owner is not permitted to make changes or repairs to his apartment that harm another apartment or endanger or may endanger its existence, or change or may change its value, unless he has first obtained the consent of the other apartment owner.
(c) Any other change or repair an apartment owner may make to his apartment at his own discretion.
By virtue of Section 2 of the current bylaws, the condominium supervisor can issue a restraining order or an injunction prohibiting a neighbor from performing another action or ordering a neighbor to perform any action aimed at preventing further damage to common property. For example: The condominium supervisor can issue Order made Ordering one of the neighbors to remove a pergola that he built illegally, or to rebuild a common wall that he destroyed, or injunction Which prohibits a neighbor from carrying out renovations that damage the common property.
In conclusion
Not every lawsuit involving neighbor disputes requires going to court, but you can also contact the condominium supervisors, who have the authority to discuss neighbor disputes related to condominiums.
Filing a claim with the condominium supervisors will usually be handled more quickly because they are less busy than the courts. However, it should be taken into account that there are legal issues that they cannot discuss because they do not have the authority to do so.
For example: defamation claims between neighbors or tort claims between neighbors cannot be filed and heard before the condominium supervisor because he does not have the authority to hear these claims, and they will be dismissed out of hand.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Claims Before the Condominium Supervisor
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Is a lawsuit before the condominium supervisor faster than a lawsuit in the Magistrate's Court?
In most cases, a lawsuit before the condominium inspector will be concluded much more quickly than a lawsuit in the Magistrate's Court. For your reference Example of a letter of claim to the condominium supervisor also Example of a defense letter to the condominium supervisor.
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Do I need to be represented by a lawyer to file a claim with the Condominium Supervisor?
You do not have to be represented by a lawyer, but in most cases, those who are represented by a lawyer have a significant advantage (see, for example, what is written in this article regarding the subject matter jurisdiction of the condominium supervisor. Someone who is not familiar with the issue may file a lawsuit with the condominium supervisor that is not within his jurisdiction at all).
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Can the condominium inspector come to the condominium to inspect the damage caused to me by the neighbor?
The condominium inspector does in some cases (not all) come to the condominium to assess the damage caused to the common property or to another apartment in the condominium. This is one of the notable advantages of the condominium inspector over the magistrate's court judge.
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How much does it cost to hire a lawyer to represent me before the condominium inspector?
There is no uniform price list for attorney fees for representation in claims before the Condominiums Supervisor. The amount of the fee depends on the complexity of the case.
Considering filing a claim with the Condominium Supervisor? Contact Neighborhood Dispute Lawyer Eddie Blitstein to examine the chances of success.
