Patricia
A. Ayars, J.D., LLM is a 1983 summa cum laude graduate of the University of
Connecticut School of Law. Ms. Ayars
clerked for the Honorable Thomas J. Meskill, Judge of the Federal Appellate
Court for the Second Circuit. She
is a member of the State and Federal
Bars. She received her advanced law
degee, an LLM, in elder law, estate planning, and trusts from Western New
England University. Ms. Ayars also
attended the Hartford Seminary and received certification in the Women=s
Leadership Institute.
For over thirty years, Ms. Ayars has pursued the practice of common interest community law. Ms. Ayars spent the first eight years of her private career in the commercial real estate department at Robinson & Cole in Hartford, Connecticut under the instruction of Gurdon Buck, the original sponsor of the Common Interest Ownership Acts and George Steiner, the drafter of some of the model documents. There, she learned about current laws as well as previous condominium laws in Connecticut. She is also well-versed in condominium law in other states, having actively cooperated with attorneys in other jurisdictions. She also worked with William Breetz, the Uniform Law Commission reporter for the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act, which is the basis for the Connecticut Act, on fair housing issues.
Ms. Ayars then formed a partnership with Matthew Perlstein and together they developed one of the first Connecticut law firms devoted exclusively to the practice of condominium law. After the partnership dissolved, Ms. Ayars then participated in the condominium practice with other attorneys until becoming the managing member of her present firm.
She has represented developers in the formation of residential communities, commercial communities, mixed used developments and timeshares. She has represented lenders in the financing of condominium developments and financing of operating associations. She has been counsel to many community associations as well as advising unit owners as to condominium law.
Some of the areas of common interest community law in which she has had experience are:
$ Common Interest Ownership Law in Connecticut and other states.
$ Cooperative formation, operation and dissolution.
$ Common interest community formation and operation, including condominiums, dockominiums, stableminiums, and even zero unit communities.
$ Condominium statutes prior to the Common Interest Ownership Act and the relationship among the statutes.
$ Planned community formation and operation.
$ Formation of tax districts and master associations.
$ Drafting and updating common interest declarations, bylaws and rules.
$ Creation of public offering statements.
$ Operations of associations as corporations.
$ Common Interest Community taxation, state and federal, including sales tax and real property taxes.
$ Tax appeals for unit owners.
$ Rules and document enforcement by way of fines, assessments and litigation.
$ Document Interpretation.
$ Parliamentary Procedure and Roberts Rules of Order.
$ Legislative proposals for common interest community law.
$ Litigation on behalf of condominium associations and unit owners.
$ Discrimination within condominiums, including reasonable accommodations for the disabled.
$ Creation of anti-discrimination policies, procedures and programs.
$ Termination and merger of Associations and sale of common elements.
$ Interpretation of covenants and restrictions.
$ Super lien and collections and foreclosures.
$ Bankruptcy law relating to condominiums and unit owners.
$ FHA and VA certification of communities.
$ Fannie Mae underwriting guidelines for condominiums.
$ Presentations before administrative agencies on behalf of condominiums.
$ Wetland permits at the local, state and federal level on behalf of Associations.
$ Flood insurance site examination and policies relating to units and Associations.
$ Insurance and financial audits of common interest communities.
$ Destruction of portions of or all of communities through casualty loss.
$ Current HUD regulations and determinations regarding harassment in condominiums.
$ Condominium association financing, loans and related documentation.
$ Limited equity cooperative law.
$ Common Interest Community and unit owner insurance, claims and appeals.
$ Maintenance standards for communities.
$ Rules for the limitation of the number of investor units in a community.
$ Vendor contracts with Common Interest Communities.
$ Community association management licensing and requirements.
$ Evictions by community associations.
$ Amendments of the common interest ownership act.
$ Disputes regarding unit or community boundaries.
$ Investigations of malfeasance by board members and property managers, litigation re: same.
$ Maintenance and cost responsibilities.
Ms. Ayars has been an active participant in the Community Associations Institute, the Connecticut Bar Association and the American Bar Association. She served as vice-chair of the ABA section on Timeshares and Resort Communities. She has spoken at national and local seminars for the American Bar Association and CAI. She has written several articles on development, condominium and cooperative law for local and national publication.
She has taught real estate law at the Hartford College For Women and courses on construction contracts for the National Association of Homebuilders. Ms. Ayars has developed and taught courses necessary for Connecticut realtor licensing. She has participated in many court cases, both at the trial level and the Connecticut appellate and supreme court level that have helped define important condominium questions. She was recognized as one of the Connecticut experts in condominium and cooperative law for the purposes of court room testimony. She has acted as a consultant to other legal practitioners regarding real estate, condominium and cooperative legal issues.
Ms. Ayars served as vice-chair of the Town of Hebron Planning and Zoning Commission during her eight year membership on that commission. She is also a American Arbitration Association trained mediator and arbiter. She served on the Board and was a member of the Connecticut Housing Coalition. Ms. Ayars was also on the board of the Marlborough Arts Center. She is now a member of the Board of the Senexet House Retreat Center located in Woodstock, Connecticut. She is a member of the Daughters of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Audubon Society.
Ms. Ayars is currently a legal advisor to the Connecticut Condominium Owners Coalition and contributes articles to their website. She also assists the Coalition in drafting and presenting legislative suggestions.
For over thirty years, Ms. Ayars has pursued the practice of common interest community law. Ms. Ayars spent the first eight years of her private career in the commercial real estate department at Robinson & Cole in Hartford, Connecticut under the instruction of Gurdon Buck, the original sponsor of the Common Interest Ownership Acts and George Steiner, the drafter of some of the model documents. There, she learned about current laws as well as previous condominium laws in Connecticut. She is also well-versed in condominium law in other states, having actively cooperated with attorneys in other jurisdictions. She also worked with William Breetz, the Uniform Law Commission reporter for the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act, which is the basis for the Connecticut Act, on fair housing issues.
Ms. Ayars then formed a partnership with Matthew Perlstein and together they developed one of the first Connecticut law firms devoted exclusively to the practice of condominium law. After the partnership dissolved, Ms. Ayars then participated in the condominium practice with other attorneys until becoming the managing member of her present firm.
She has represented developers in the formation of residential communities, commercial communities, mixed used developments and timeshares. She has represented lenders in the financing of condominium developments and financing of operating associations. She has been counsel to many community associations as well as advising unit owners as to condominium law.
Some of the areas of common interest community law in which she has had experience are:
$ Common Interest Ownership Law in Connecticut and other states.
$ Cooperative formation, operation and dissolution.
$ Common interest community formation and operation, including condominiums, dockominiums, stableminiums, and even zero unit communities.
$ Condominium statutes prior to the Common Interest Ownership Act and the relationship among the statutes.
$ Planned community formation and operation.
$ Formation of tax districts and master associations.
$ Drafting and updating common interest declarations, bylaws and rules.
$ Creation of public offering statements.
$ Operations of associations as corporations.
$ Common Interest Community taxation, state and federal, including sales tax and real property taxes.
$ Tax appeals for unit owners.
$ Rules and document enforcement by way of fines, assessments and litigation.
$ Document Interpretation.
$ Parliamentary Procedure and Roberts Rules of Order.
$ Legislative proposals for common interest community law.
$ Litigation on behalf of condominium associations and unit owners.
$ Discrimination within condominiums, including reasonable accommodations for the disabled.
$ Creation of anti-discrimination policies, procedures and programs.
$ Termination and merger of Associations and sale of common elements.
$ Interpretation of covenants and restrictions.
$ Super lien and collections and foreclosures.
$ Bankruptcy law relating to condominiums and unit owners.
$ FHA and VA certification of communities.
$ Fannie Mae underwriting guidelines for condominiums.
$ Presentations before administrative agencies on behalf of condominiums.
$ Wetland permits at the local, state and federal level on behalf of Associations.
$ Flood insurance site examination and policies relating to units and Associations.
$ Insurance and financial audits of common interest communities.
$ Destruction of portions of or all of communities through casualty loss.
$ Current HUD regulations and determinations regarding harassment in condominiums.
$ Condominium association financing, loans and related documentation.
$ Limited equity cooperative law.
$ Common Interest Community and unit owner insurance, claims and appeals.
$ Maintenance standards for communities.
$ Rules for the limitation of the number of investor units in a community.
$ Vendor contracts with Common Interest Communities.
$ Community association management licensing and requirements.
$ Evictions by community associations.
$ Amendments of the common interest ownership act.
$ Disputes regarding unit or community boundaries.
$ Investigations of malfeasance by board members and property managers, litigation re: same.
$ Maintenance and cost responsibilities.
Ms. Ayars has been an active participant in the Community Associations Institute, the Connecticut Bar Association and the American Bar Association. She served as vice-chair of the ABA section on Timeshares and Resort Communities. She has spoken at national and local seminars for the American Bar Association and CAI. She has written several articles on development, condominium and cooperative law for local and national publication.
She has taught real estate law at the Hartford College For Women and courses on construction contracts for the National Association of Homebuilders. Ms. Ayars has developed and taught courses necessary for Connecticut realtor licensing. She has participated in many court cases, both at the trial level and the Connecticut appellate and supreme court level that have helped define important condominium questions. She was recognized as one of the Connecticut experts in condominium and cooperative law for the purposes of court room testimony. She has acted as a consultant to other legal practitioners regarding real estate, condominium and cooperative legal issues.
Ms. Ayars served as vice-chair of the Town of Hebron Planning and Zoning Commission during her eight year membership on that commission. She is also a American Arbitration Association trained mediator and arbiter. She served on the Board and was a member of the Connecticut Housing Coalition. Ms. Ayars was also on the board of the Marlborough Arts Center. She is now a member of the Board of the Senexet House Retreat Center located in Woodstock, Connecticut. She is a member of the Daughters of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Audubon Society.
Ms. Ayars is currently a legal advisor to the Connecticut Condominium Owners Coalition and contributes articles to their website. She also assists the Coalition in drafting and presenting legislative suggestions.
