Can a unit owner control the common elements of a condominium?
Since condominium corporations are controlled by democratically elected boards of directors, an owner can exercise their vote for the board of directors, which would then control the activities of the condominium corporation with respect to the common elements. We call this idea “voting-right control”. The reality is that “voting-right control”, is often a fallacy. Unless a unit owner owns a substantial number of units, one vote will have virtually no effect on what the condominium corporation does. In fact, as far back as 1971, the California Supreme Court recognized that, “in ordinary course a unit owner does not directly control the activities of the management body set up to handle the common affairs of the condominium project.
