Letter from the editor...
Condo board henchman

We don’t get feedback on all of our news stories. Frankly, our mission is to inform, not inspire. But the story on former Marina Towers condo attorney Ellis Levin, and the trail of misery that leads to Thorndale Beach North, has inspired more than the usual comments.

If you’re looking for an impartial opinion on Levin, perhaps you’re reading the wrong website. But as the attorney for Marina Towers Condominium Association for most of 17 years, he was generally loathed. And it’s nice to see that at Thorndale Beach North, one of a dwindling number of clients for Levin, he is generally loathed.

Some people don’t want to hear about problems at a condominium association. “I don’t get involved in condo politics,” they’ll say. But if our article has done anything right, at least it’s given the situation at Thorndale Beach North a proper label. It’s not politics, it’s bullying.

Some people care about their homes. They just want to make sure it’s being run well by people they trust. Serving on a condo board is certainly thankless but you might be surprised at how often mistrust between condo owners and board members is mutual. Boards will fight requests by owners for financial documents, they will attempt to stifle free speech among owners in an effort to curb dissent, and they will use their power against someone with whom there is a personal dispute.

It takes a good attorney to stand up to this. To tell a board it is going down the wrong path. Without caving in to every frivolous request, of course, a condo board can try to work with owners toward common goals. It can encourage discussion and ideas, and make owners feel they have a voice in how their homes are managed.

Or they can write letters to owners, threatening fines for outrageous behavior harmful to the association, like trying to talk to the condo board president about a building repair project.

This is the sad world of Ellis Levin, once a prominent state lawmaker, now only called upon to say “no” on behalf of a condo board. We have seen countless letters from him, full of quotes from state law, the association’s declaration, Roberts Rules of Order, case law citations, and often a few typos, too, explaining in great detail why someone cannot do what many would consider not only harmless but beneficial to the collective good of the association.

So, don’t expect an endorsement from Marina City Online of Levin in his quixotic quest to be a Circuit Court judge. But if you live in a condo and your biggest problem is what color of paint your board picks out, count your blessings.

– Steven Dahlman, Editor, MarinaCityOnline.com