It takes a lot to build a great community. You need committed residents, a dedicated board of directors, and a clear understanding of everybody’s roles and responsibilities. Read the article…………
What Are the Best HOA Board Member Qualities?
It takes a certain golden combination of characteristics to be the most successful HOA board member. The best board member is reasonable, determined, thoughtful, and passionate about the role he or she plays. Read the article…………
Rate Your Board’s Strategic Leadership Skills
HOA Board members possess a wide variety of talents and skills. Each person brings a different perspective based on his/her experiences and knowledge. Although your Board members may be quite diverse, you can still have knowledge gaps. How does your Board rate in these four strategic leadership areas? Read the article…………
Conflicting Interests in Your HOA
When people are elected to positions of power, there is always the possibility that a conflict of interest will develop. It is almost impossible to avoid them but how they are handled is critical. For example, when it comes time for painting your homeowner association and there isn’t enough money to do the whole job […]
What New Year’s Resolutions Will Your HOA Set?
It’s officially 2016, and everyone is thinking about what they want to change for the year ahead… and your homeowners association shouldn’t be an exception! Amidst the making of resolutions and goals for yourself in the new year, take some time to meet with your HOA board and discuss resolutions for your association in 2016. […]
What Makes a Great HOA Board Member?
Sitting on the board of your homeowners association is a rewarding way to get involved in your community, get to know your neighbors, and personally ensure that your property values are preserved and protected–for the immediate future and in the long run. Many residents want to serve on their HOA board but aren’t sure where […]
Recent North Carolina Court of Appeals Decision Serves as Reminder to Owners Associations
A recent decision by the North Carolina Court of Appeals serves as a reminder that owners associations must deal fairly with their members at all times and board members must not let past disputes or personal issues cloud their judgment, or they could pay a hefty cost. Read the article………
HOA Board Recalls Don’t Happen Out of the Blue
The natives are restless. The smell of tar wafts again through the night air and somewhere another chicken loses its feathers. The HOA board prepares for impending doom. Board recalls don’t happen out of the blue. Like Mt Vesuvius, they give off warning signs. There’s rumbling and venting going on. Disgruntled phone calls, rants at […]
Planning in Community Associations
We probably all set goals for our community associations, but are they only in response to a short-term agenda for that year? Will they lead to the overall success of the association in years to come? Every board needs to look at the “big picture” when it comes to the health of its community associations, […]
The best board members are reluctant heroes with heart
Bilbo is an everyday hobbit with no intention of being great; yet along the way we find that it’s his simple, calm approach to unimaginable situations and his thoughtful demeanor that make the difference between the success and failure for Middle Earth. The best board members are very much in the same classification as Bilbo […]
Run Your Association Like a Business
Running any type of business is no easy feat, and that is especially true for businesses that are operated by volunteer leadership. Nonetheless, community association officers and board members should engage in certain businesslike approaches to help ensure that they are running their association successfully. Read the article…………
Homeowners Association Boards– Things You Should Know About Fiduciary Responsibility
In the United States, HOAs are plentiful and some communities even have more than one. Some have great difficulty in finding volunteers and homeowners are often put into a position of saying yes just to fill a vacancy for a friend. Other times, highly successful individuals in the corporate world put themselves at risk because […]
Upholding Your Fiduciary Duty: Transparency is the Best Path for Boards
Being on the board of a co-op or condo is a big responsibility— one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. While some people may run for a board seat just to have the title, they need to be prepared to govern fairly and make decisions that are in the best interest of the community as a […]
Best Boards Ever: Efficiency Breeds Success
Articles in this publication, seminars like those offered at the New England Condo Expo, and, of course, television news broadcasts, often focus on problems that face condo associations—legal issues, maintenance concerns, special assessment fees, and so on. As a result, it’s easy to overlook the victories that can emerge from trying times. Here’s a welcome […]
Rules and Expectations of Managers and HOA Boards of Directors
If you have never owned a home that has a governing homeowners association (HOA), it can be difficult to sort out who does what. This article will explain the rules and expectations for each group to give you a clearer understanding of the relationship between residents, HOAs and management companies. Read the article………….
4 Steps for Managing HOA Board Member Conflicts
No matter how hard you work to avoid conflicts of interests, you’ll likely find yourself encountering one at some point during your time as a HOA board member. A conflict of interest occurs when a board member places their own self interest ahead of what’s best for the association and community member. Let’s go over […]
Stupid is as Stupid Does….A Peek into Condo World
In my many travels in condo world I have seen some pretty poor practices by boards of directors and management companies but the prize for the most egregious acts I have ever seen has to go to a nice luxury building in Aventura, Florida of which I am very familiar with. The question you may […]
What Happens When Board Members Go Rogue
Do some of your fellow board members have “unofficial” meetings without certain members, where they decide things in advance of the regular meeting? Do they get together in secret and arrange to vote as a bloc? Is this legal? Is this proper? And what can you do about such “rogue” board members? Read the article………….
Making New Board Members Feels Welcome
Joining a board of directors can be overwhelming for new board members, especially if everyone else on the board already knows each other and how to work together. Making the newcomer feel welcome is the best way to help them ease into the roll. There are many different ways seasoned board members can make someone […]
10 Ways to Be a Better HOA Board Member
Your job as an HOA board member isn’t always smooth sailing. While being on your HOA board is important to you, it’s likely not your only job. The extra time and attention it requires for meetings, decisions, and other duties can sometimes feel like a burden. Instead of throwing your hands up, we’ve compiled a […]
Traits of a Successful Condo Owners Association Member
You’ve been elected, and now you’re wondering how to be the best condo owners association (COA) member possible. You want to be sure that you’re doing everything necessary to live up to your new responsibilities. You take your job seriously, and you want to be someone who improves life around you, not just sits by […]
An Example of When to Contact Association Legal Counsel
The other day, I was contacted by an acquaintance who asked for my help changing his condominium’s no-pet policy. He explained that he was a board member, and that their condominium’s “bylaws” banned all pets. My first question was whether he wanted my assistance personally or as counsel for his condominium association, to which I […]
Why You Should Be Joining Webinars
Webinars are a great way to get information you need to run an HOA. However, they’re only useful if you attend them and actually pay attention. If you’ve been avoiding webinars because you don’t feel they can help, check out why joining webinars is a useful tool for any property manager or community leader. […]
We Don’t Hear You: Handling Board Complaints
Communication is vital to running a successful condo complex or co-op building. So what happens when dwellers complain that board members are not listening and—even worse —ignoring their problems? Well, you can bet it will not foster warm, fuzzy open lines of communication. Instead, it creates animosity and even more problems for a now unpopular, […]
“Recency” Thinking in Your Homeowner’s Association
One of the more common mental biases that affects people is known as “recency”. Recency is the tendency to consider the most recent information as more important when making a decision instead of weighing all information equally. This kind of thinking can be pervasive in the homeowner association environment. In the heat of discussion, the […]
After the Palm ruling, how community association boards can comply
In the case of Palm vs. 2800 Lake Shore Drive Condominium Association, the Illinois Appellate Court interpreted several matters of fiduciary responsibility. These interpretations are inconsistent with long-standing board practices, causing widespread concern that more lawsuits could be coming. Read the article……….
Big Buildings, Big Boards The Art of Governing Larger Communities
With all this new action, the number of condo boards that oversee hundreds of units, or even 1,000 or more, has increased. Condo communities of that size were not very common in New Jersey a few years ago, but one look at the west side of the Hudson shows the change that’s taking place right […]
4 Tips for Homeowner Participation in your HOA
We often come across HOAs that are struggling to handle disagreements, complaints, or controversial topics that are voiced by homeowners. This is normal. Just like a big family, there are going to be disagreements – many of them, in fact. Read the article………………………………….
How a condo board divided can remain united
Ideally, board meetings proceed with respect and decorum, where directors discuss issues and provide direction in a civilized manner. In some condominium communities, the boardroom is treated more like a battlefield. Read the article……..
5 Common Condo Board Responsibilities & How to Be a Superhero at Your Next Meeting
You might not get a comic book named after you, but if you tackle these condo board responsibilities, your neighbors will definitely consider you a superhero. Read the article…………
A Queens (NY) Co-op Tries to Regroup After Board Politics Get Personal
Last week, we presented the continuing saga at Sherwood Village, a Queens co-op where a board found itself evenly split among eight directors. We left off with one half of the board, led by Jonas Winograd, suddenly finding itself in the advantage: one of the board directors who’d resigned took back her resignation, siding with […]
17 Tips Every HOA Board Member Can Use
Being an HOA board member is no easy task. There are meetings to attend, decisions to make, and duties to fulfill. With the extra demand on your time and resources that comes with being a member of the board, you and your fellow board members can probably take all the help you can get. Read […]
Recalling a Member of Your HOA Board of Directors
Question: I have owned my home and have served on the Board of Directors of my Community Association for several years. Most of the Board members with whom I serve are hard-working and genuinely concerned about the welfare of our Association. However, in my opinion, one of our Board members appears to be using his […]
Living Small: Five things to know about joining a condo board
It’s a volunteer gig that can suck up hours of time, makes you responsible for a six-figure budget, and can earn you more knocks than praise. But condo boards — the volunteer entities responsible for managing the finances and operations of a condo building — can be fun and rewarding, too. Read the article………..
Roles and responsibilities of a community association board
To uphold their fiduciary duty, boards must run their community associations according to governing documents, applicable law and good business sense. Some responsibilities are given to all board members, while others are assigned to specific officers. Read the article……..
Why it’s hard to fill seats on HOA boards
Many common interest community associations struggle filling open director seats on their boards. Frustrated and discouraged boards periodically consult with me, questioning how their association can proceed when they have a hard time finding enough volunteers to simply meet quorum. There are four main reasons why associations have difficulty finding volunteers, but each of the […]
3 Things an HOA Board Can Do Now to Combat Costly Maintenance
There is always work to be done, especially in a homeowners association. It’s crucial that an HOA Board plan for general, ongoing maintenance and upkeep. This is important in order to keep the Association a safe place to live and keep it an appealing place to live. Read the article…………
Does an HOA Board Have Legal Authority?
As a member of your HOA board you have a big responsibility to enhance, maintain and protect your homeowners association. You also have the legal authority to carry out your role, but where do you get this authority? Read the article…………
Common HOA Pitfalls, and How to Avoid Them
I am constantly amazed by the ingenuity of the solutions HOA boards come up with to the difficult situations they face. Faced with tight budgets, demanding residents, and difficult personalities, the obvious answers often don’t work. Sometimes, though, we get so focused on a particular problem that we lose sight of the big picture – […]
Board powers are broad powers
In an earlier column, I explained the occasional problem of a board whose powers have gone to its collective head and turned into a rogue board. But that’s a bit unfair because the vast majority of boards are well intentioned, well operated administrative bodies filled with volunteers who work really hard to make their place […]
Conflicts of Interest in Your HOA
When elected to HOA boards, there is always the possibility that a conflict of interest will develop. Often, there is no intention to fall into one, however, it’s almost impossible to avoid them. But how they are handled is critical. They come in several shapes and forms: Read the article………….
Community Association and HOA Board Finance 101
Every month, your property management company, a board member, or someone with financial experience should be producing some sort of financial reporting for your community. These reports provide an overview of your community’s revenue and expenses against your financial projections or budget. If not, this should be your first order of business at the next […]
Don’t Let Your HOA Let Itself Get Boxed In
HOA boards are presented from time to time with a puzzle that must be solved. These are situations that require the wisdom of Solomon because ramifications are far reaching and complex. In other words, a simple answer just won’t do. Take this real life scenario: A condo owner had a roof leak and notified the […]
Taking Your Association from Good to Great
Being a community leader with an association is a very rewarding job. Leaders taking associations from good to great through events, communication, and activities. There are, however, certain rights that you need to maintain, along with responsibilities as a community leader. Remember these rights and responsibilities, and you will get more enjoyment as a community […]
More Top Traits of Great Boards
What’s the difference between a great Board and just an okay Board? Great Boards develop, maintain and value their credibility and integrity. As a group and individually they continually display the following traits: Read the article…………
HOA Calendar Planning
There is an old saying that goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. Nothing is truer when it comes to a homeowner associations. If your HOA does not already have one, forging an Annual Planning Calendar will be an enormous step toward solving many nagging maintenance and administrative problems. What goes into […]
Dealing with a rogue condo board
Most boards in condominium associations are filled with well-meaning, pleasant men and women who willingly give up free time. They do this, strangely enough, to volunteer at odd hours to help run their association, including setting budgets, interviewing contractors, answering complaints and following up on such things as landscaping and snow removal. Sadly, they do […]
Oh Crap! I’m a New Board Member: What have I gotten myself into?
So, you just started as a new board member in your condominium or homeowners association in Florida? Congratulations! Or, condolences! Your’s is a thankless job, but someone has to do it. Hopefully, your neighbors will recognize that you are investing your time and energy for the benefit of your community, while they may be off […]
Long-range Planning in Your HOA
A manager of a seniors homeowner association once commented “We have to approach long range planning carefully around here. Many of our residents won’t buy green bananas.” Read more……..
Does an HOA Board Have Legal Authority?
As a member of your HOA board you have a big responsibility to enhance, maintain and protect your homeowners association. You also have the legal authority to carry out your role, but where do you get this authority? Read more……..