Sheri wrote to CondoWonk that she won the recall election but now faces overwhelming financial worries. The old board and management company severely underbudgeted—a typical unit is paying dues in the $300s—and with increases limited to 20% per year without unit owner approval, starting from such a low place will make it hard to catch up.

Her letter is the inspiration for an upcoming story about chipping away at a financial crisis. It’s part of a series about the financial challenges of older buildings, including what your reserve study might be missing and whether to trust the conventional wisdom on funding reserves.