Legal System Wasn’t Working for Us
In 1991 Raymond Harrison, Esq. wrote legislation that became the Rhode Island condominium lien foreclosure law. Before then Ray knew from years of experience as a condo association President and condo association attorney that Executive Boards had no muscle in the law to collect delinquent condo fees. If a unit owner stopped paying monthly condo fees we had to file a lawsuit in the Superior Court where association legal fees would be far greater than the condo fee debt. The legal system wasn’t working for us and our Rhode Island condo associations were suffering financially.
Work to improve the Legal system
Having the vision and writing the condo lien foreclosure legislation was only the first step in the lawmaking process. Ray worked as an unpaid condo association advocate at the State House in 1991 beginning in the House of Representatives where the legislative bill was introduced. Next came advocacy by Ray in the Rhode Island House Committee where there was a hearing on the bill. After that, there was advocacy by Ray before the vote to pass the bill by the House of Representatives. The same process took place in the Senate after the House of Representatives passed the bill.
Unpaid Volunteer Advocacy
It began with a vision and hope to make the legal system work for us in the Rhode Island condominium community. Ray knew that it would take more than that to make a big change in our condominium law. He knew that it would take a lot of work to achieve the goal at a time when Ray was already busy working as a condo association attorney and condo association President. His unpaid advocacy work at the Rhode Island General Assembly paid off for all of us who own condos, live and work in condos, manage associations, and serve on Executive Boards.
Making History Paid Off for Us
Making history paid off because the legal system now works for us. Condo association attorneys who have knowledge of the law can use it to collect delinquent condo fees. For the last 33 years, Ray has made the legal system work for us by using it to collect delinquent condo fees for associations. His method of collection is to act quickly while treating unit owners in collections with respect and courtesy because they are members of our associations.
No Billing to Associations
Ray also made history by pioneering the practice of providing collection services without billing associations for legal fees and costs. This was another product of his mindset because of his personal history of serving as the President of the condo association where he was a homeowner. Ray knew that many condo boards were hard-pressed to come up with money to pay legal collection bills when they were already suffering financially because unit owners were delinquent.
Association-Friendly Legal Work
He knew that there were many long-term delinquencies persisting throughout Rhode Island because condo boards couldn’t afford legal collection bills. It was easy for Ray to make history with regard to payment of legal bills for collection services. Many years ago he stopped sending bills to condo associations. Ray continues to be confident that he will use the legal system to collect what’s owed to his association clients as well as his reasonable attorney fees and costs to get the job done.
Quick Delinquent Condo Fee Collection
Legal fees and costs for the collection process are added to the total condo association lien on a unit and collected from the owner of the unit or the mortgage holder for the unit. Delinquent condo fees attorney fees and costs for the collection process are itemized to the penny on a written disbursement letter that Ray sends to his clients. In most cases, associations receive payment for delinquent condo fees within 10 to 30 days after associations email a unit financial statement to his office to begin the collection process.
