BYU approval for Belmont condos may hinge on the compliance of three units.

A letter was recently sent to Belmont condominium owners from BYU housing, warning them that if each unit owner does not send in off-campus housing approval forms by Aug. 31, Belmont will no longer be approved BYU housing.

"As a result of non-compliance with the condominium policy, university approval of the Belmont Condominium Complex and all its owners will be withdrawn Aug. 31, 2002," stated the letter, written by Craig Thomas, an off-campus housing official.

At the time the letter was sent to unit owners, 17 condominium unit owners had still not sent in off-campus housing agreement forms, he said.

Although Belmont has not lost BYU-approval, the letter caused confusion among residents.

"Word got out from the owners to the tenants. The letter created a panic and a misunderstanding among students," said Tyler Carlson, 23, a senior from Thornton, Colo. majoring in finance. "I'm disappointed in the way BYU carried it out. Why not contact the 17 units first, then inform us about approval withdrawal?"

Since then, three unit owners have still not complied.

Kirsten Kakadelas, a future Belmont tenant, heard about possible Belmont non-approval while doing an internship in Boston.

"My future roommate called me and I started to worry about where I would live in the fall," said Kakadelas, 21, a senior from Carlsbad, Calif., majoring in accounting.

The letter from BYU off-campus official Thomas to owners informed them of the students' right to terminate a contract if a complex becomes disapproved BYU housing.

If a complex is disapproved after a student signs a contract, the student has the right to remain living in the unit with out violating university policy because it had BYU housing approval when the student signed the contract, said John Pace, BYU off-campus housing director.

However, any student who signs a contract after a complex is officially disapproved will be in violation of BYU off-campus housing code.

BYU policy requires that an entire complex be BYU approved housing and not just approved by each individual condo, Pace said.

The Belmont East Home Owner Association's management company, FCS Property Management, sent a letter to unit owners expressing frustration over the letter that caused confusion. The management company assured owners of their desire to comply with BYU policies.

"Belmont has until Aug. 31, 2002 to get these three units approved. This will not be a problem," FCS Property Management wrote in a statement addressed to all Belmont tenants.

Pace said Belmont is not yet officially disapproved. The three remaining units still have a little more than one month to gain approval or receive an exemption.

For a condominium to be BYU approved off-campus housing, each condo owner must fill out forms agreeing to BYU housing standards, Pace said. The off-campus housing condominium policy requires owners to reapply for housing approval every year.

"The paper work is simple, but I could see how an owner would forget to do it," said Carlson, a Belmont unit owner and resident.



Copyright Brigham Young University 24 Jul 2002