Living in a condominium requires an ability to be interdependent—at least, living happily in one does. Getting along with neighbors who share common spaces, obeying house rules, and keeping board members happy are essential skills for anyone who wishes their experience living in a condominium unit to be a pleasant one.

In order to keep the peace and keep all owners happy, condominium boards create house rules that all owners must follow. The regulations that keep everyone living peaceably are there for a reason, but disputes will arise inevitably from them, especially if the wording is vague or if owners aren’t fully aware of the details.

However, since most owners understand the need to enforce house rules, the dispute is often in how those rules are enforced—not whether the rules should exist in the first place. Still, an owner might take enforcement personally, or become hostile when faced with consequences for breaking regulations. In other situations, the wording of the rules might be vague and some owners might be given preferential treatment over others, causing dispute against the board to arise that are justified.

Regardless of how disputes happen, there is little doubt that resolving them quickly is in everyone’s best interest. Condominium dispute mediation is often the best way to do this, since communication (or the lack thereof) is often at the center of such disputes. Condominium dispute mediation allows the parties to determine the exact nature of the problem, and what each party expects of the other in response.

As a neutral, third-party negotiations facilitator, the mediator:

1. Serves as a sounding board to help each side assess whether or not it is being reasonable in the exchange
2. Helps each side determine potential alternatives to regulations (or the lack thereof) causing the current dispute
3. Helps each side vocalize what they want out of the negotiations
4. Helps each side understand the viewpoint of the other, even if that viewpoint isn’t shared
5. Facilitates a calm, rational discussion that eases tension rather than increases it

Often, it is this process of opening streams of communication that most helps in resolving a dispute. Many disputes occur due to a lack of communication, or a lack of clear communication, resulting in misunderstandings and misinterpretations. By helping each side to adequately communicate their issues and goals for the discussion, the condominium dispute mediator clears the way for happier interdependent living.