Berlin Regional Court, 16 July 2013, Ref.: 55 S 171/12
Pursuant to Section 22 (1) WEG, structural changes and expenses that go beyond the proper maintenance or repair of the common property can be resolved or demanded if every condominium owner whose rights are impaired by the measures beyond the extent specified in Section 14 No. 1 agrees.
For co-owners of a condominium owners' association, this means that the other co-owners can have a say in their remodelling plans.
To ensure that the vote at a condominium owners' meeting is successful, the resolution should be carefully prepared by the co-owner who intends to carry out the construction work.
If the community of owners lacks essential information on the intended construction when passing the resolution, the community can refuse to give its consent until all the necessary information is available.
However, if all the information is available and the community wrongly refuses the extension, the owner requesting the conversion can sue the court for replacement of the consent in accordance with Section 21 (8) WEG.
In the above-mentioned judgement by the Berlin Regional Court, the court had to decide on appeal whether a condominium owners' association had wrongly refused consent to the extension of a roof balcony.
Facts of the Case:
Co-owner wanted to build a roof balcony
The co-owner of a condominium complex wanted to build a balcony. This balcony was not to be attached to the external facade, but was to be designed as a roof balcony.
The obligation to tolerate was agreed in the declaration of division
Section 8 no. 3 of the declaration of division on which the condominium is based provided for an obligation to tolerate the other owners in the event of a balcony extension.
With regard to the construction of the roof balcony, a vote was held at an owners' meeting of the condominium owners' association.
Nevertheless, the other owners voted against the expansion
The co-owners voted against the extension of the roof balcony. The plaintiff initially tried unsuccessfully to have this resolution declared invalid before the Berlin-Wedding district court, arguing, among other things, that one co-owner had not been properly represented when the resolution was passed.
The plaintiff appealed to the Berlin Regional Court against the judgement of the Local Court dismissing the case.
Decision of the Berlin Regional Court
According to Section 22 (1) WEG, all co-owners would have had to give their consent
The Berlin Regional Court followed the opinion of the Berlin Wedding Local Court and dismissed the plaintiff's appeal. In this case, improper representation of a co-owner had no effect on the outcome of the resolution, as not all co-owners had agreed to it.
However, the fact that all co-owners had to give their consent to the proposed resolution follows from Section 22 (1) WEG.
According to this provision, all owners who are affected by this measure to an extent that exceeds the scope of Section 14 (1) WEG must consent to a structural change to the common property. A structural alteration is a permanent intervention in the substance of the common property that does not serve the purpose of maintenance or repair.
Building projects that change the external appearance must be unanimous
If balconies are to be attached to a façade or, as in this case, a roof balcony is to be built, then this is a permanent intervention in the common property or a change to the common property as far as the external appearance is concerned, because this balcony is visible from the outside and requires securing in the façade and within the ceilings of the unit(s) below for structural reasons.
Contrary to the plaintiff's opinion, which he continued to defend in the second instance, the construction intended by the plaintiff did not involve the proper initial construction of the residential complex, which would mean that only a majority decision of the owners was required.
This is because the fact that the declaration of division in § 8 No. 3 provides for an obligation to tolerate the other owners in the event of a balcony extension merely means an agreed decision on the "whether".
However, it does not mean that every owner is obliged to build this balcony or that everyone has a specific plan to the effect that the complex would be incomplete without balconies. A house without balconies is neither in general nor specifically with this provision in the declaration of partition irregular or incompletely constructed.
The construction of the balcony for the attic flat represents a significant intervention
The construction of the balcony for the attic flat constituted a significant encroachment on the common property, which affected all co-owners equally because they were affected beyond the level of disturbance that must be accepted in normal neighbourly coexistence.
This concerned both the interference with the substance and the appearance. Not all owners had agreed, so the decision had been correctly recorded as rejected.
The owners were also not obliged to declare their consent to the plaintiff's proposed resolution. The resolution was already very detailed and would have clarified many questions arising from such a construction.
However, no colours, no material and only rough details could be seen. A resolution that could be approved would have to include architectural drawings or comparable illustrations with details of the material, appearance and technology.
Source: Langericht Berlin
Important Note: The content of this article has been prepared to the best of our knowledge and belief. However, due to the complexity and constant evolution of the subject matter, we must exclude liability and warranty. Important Notice: The content of this article has been created to the best of our knowledge and understanding. However, due to the complexity and constant changes in the subject matter, we must exclude any liability and warranty.
If you need legal advice, feel free to call us at 0221 – 80187670 or email us at info@mth-partner.de.
Lawyers in Cologne provide advice and representation in tenancy law.