Hello, and thank you ahead of time for any help or response I may receive. I am desperate for answer's. I will try to make this short. I am a renter in an upscale condo area with 15 condo's total. I have lived here for ten years. I have a back patio that has four tall brick wall's. It is very private. The one wall has a large heavy iron gate for entry and exit. After being robbed twice over the year's and after 4 years in the begining of a member of the condo association doing a little peeping tom ordeal on us, we decided to put a lock on the gate. The peeping tom is an elderly woman in her late 60's who is also one of the officer's of the association.
In ten year's there has only been maybe 5 times they have needed to get on the back patio. I always was here and let them in for whatever they needed to do. My lock was never a problem until a few week's ago when I was out of town and they had gutter people come and measure for new gutter's. There was no warning these people were coming, otherwise I would have made plan's for them to get in.
After this happened the officer started to demand a key to the gate. I told the association I did not want this one woman to have the key, because of her bad habit of looking in windows for long periods of time. I also asked if I could have some consideration and have a little warning if people were going to be coming here. I am a fine jewelry and Italian leather bag seller, and sometimes I have up to 60grand worth of jewelry or leather bag's on my person. This patio also has a massive picture window, which is floor to ceiling. It's huge. No one can see in it unless you come inside the gate. So if I want to be naked on my sofa in front of this window, no one can see me. Again I asked for a 15 min warning, anything, just some type of warning.
I was told by the President of the association I had to hand over a key to the gate or they would have it cut off, with the bill going to me. I was also told this peeping tom person could have the key and could enter anytime she wanted during the day, and I was told they did not have to give me any warning at all, and if I wanted privacy, I could put up curtains 24 hours a day. She also said because I was a renter, she did not even have to speak to me or address any of my issues, she said I was nothing. This is the same woman who told my husband and I both on seperate occasions she would make sure this peeper would not cfome on the property. The very next day of course, there was the peeper and the President together, no warning either I might add. I had never met this woman before, and when I spoke with her on the phone she was rather pleasant. She took one look at me and her face changed in 2 seconds and she put her hand up before I could even speak and she became very hostile and that's when she said she did not have to even address me or my concern's. This is a terrible vain thing to say, but this woman's look's and my look's are night and day. It is to the extreme. She was super sweet on the phone and the second she saw me, her face dropped and she became very angry. So I dont know if it was a situation where she was threatened by me, but it sure seemed like it.
These people come to my gate every day and shake it real hard and loud to see if I have a key on it. They are now saying they are going to get a key to the front door, and they can come in whenever they want, to the inside part. I have been a perfect renter with zero complaints for 10 years, and I have been a good and helpful neighbor to some of the other condo people.
What are my right's? Do I have to give them a key to the gate?
What if I put the lock on at 9PM until 7AM, do I have to give them a key?
Are they permitted to have the lock broken open?
Can they come on the patio with zero warning? Remember this patio is 100% walled in and secluded.
Again, please forgive me for this long post, I am just desperate for some advice. I feel my privacy is on the line. They won't even give me a copy of the rules and regulations for the condo association.
I would love to have the answer's to my question's if anyone could possible help. Thank you so so much,
Milimoki

I can understand that this is a frustrating situation. You really need to get a copy of the rules and regulations. Have you spoken to the owner of your condo about this?

The owner's of the condo pay for a real estate compnay to handle all their business. So yes I contacted the realter who handles all the stuff here, and she was no help and did not know the law's, and she just said, do what you gotta do, and try not to cause problems.
Do you happen to know, if I have to hand over a key to these people?Thank's much

I am not sure. I would suggest that you try to get a copy of the rules and regulations to take to an attorney to read over.