Q: My condominium association’s board is comprised of 8 board members, with directors serving 2-year terms. At the 2018 Annual Meeting there were four persons who submitted their notice of intent to run for the board, including a husband and wife who jointly own one unit. Since there was no election these four persons became […]
What did you get yourself into? Top ten tips for new directors
I’m often asked to give advice to new directors, especially first time directors. It is a difficult question to answer because the advice depends on a number of factors, such as the experience level of the director, whether or not the condominium has a manager, and the age of the condominium. In hopes of reducing […]
The Complete Guide to HOA Financial Statements
Managing the finances of a community association is one of the most difficult, and most important, responsibilities of an HOA board of directors. Preparing detailed HOA Financial Statements on a regular basis serves a multitude of purposes from providing insight for financial planning, promoting transparency between the board and residents, as well as being a […]
HOA Homefront: Transparency – Great for windows (HOA boards too)
Nothing should be more important to volunteer boards than the trust of their neighbors. However, trust is not automatic and can be easily destroyed. Making good decisions for the association’s best interests is not enough. Decisions must be made in a manner which is above reproach and displays integrity and openness. Read the article………………………..
Hostile Environment Harassment
In some cases, an Association is justified in taking a hands-off approach to resident against resident complaints. This is not one of them. In fact, an Association has certain affirmative obligations to address hostile environment harassment, not only by its own members or agents, but also by third parties (residents) if it knew or should […]
Why are HOA Volunteer Board Members Sued?
Volunteer board members are often baffled and incredulous when someone challenges or complains about a decision they made, a rule they changed, or a special assessment that was issued. The underlying problem here is unit owners not reading the governing documents they have agreed to comply with prior to purchasing their home in a homeowners […]
Juggling Concurrent Projects in Your HOA
Juggling multiple projects in a community association can seem daunting at the beginning. There are so many expectations, deadlines, meetings, schedules, vendors, contracts, mobilizations, and de-mobilizations to think of. Not to mention you might be dealing with scaffolding, orange cones, swing stations and demolition. . . a lot of demolition. (You can’t have an omelet […]
Sexism on Condo Boards? (ON)
Earlier this month, CBC published an article on gender parity on corporate boards across Canada. Its findings were surprising and it made us wonder whether condo boards fared better in Ontario. You may be surprised by the results of our research. Read the article……………………….
Top 3 Bad Board Decisions
Being on your HOA board requires you to make decisions that affect your entire community. Often, these decisions are fairly easy, as your community has governing documents that set the stage for sound decision making. But what about those gray areas, or decisions that seem like good ideas at the time, but turn out disastrous? […]
Who Decides What – Board or Owners? (CO)
As the saying goes, “you cannot please 100% of the people 100% of the time”. This cannot be truer when it comes to common interest community living. In a perfect world, homeowners would elect the board and allow it to govern in accordance with the law and the community’s governing documents. Read the article…………………….
Made in the HOA: 5 steps for effective community association leadership
Some volunteers who have served on a community association board have realized that much of what works for them in their day job doesn’t work as well in the context of board governance. That’s because, in an association, no single person is in charge. Decisions are made by the consensus of board members, so the […]
HOA Board Enforcement Policy Gone Wild? (CO)
How much can your HOA Board do without owner approval? When the HOA Board takes steps that can cost the owners money, like adopting an enforcement policy, owners get concerned. Enforcement policy usually involves fines and fees for non-compliance with the HOA covenants. Don’t all the owners get a say on that important of a […]
Ask the HOA Expert: Welcome to the HOA Board!
The annual homeowner association meeting convenes. The president announces that the floor is open for nominations. A fellow homeowner say to you, “You know, you would make a good board member.” Before you have a chance to reply, some body movement indicates that you are willing, ready and able to serve. “The nominations are closed”, […]
Less Stress & Better Relationships: A How-To Guide for the HOA Board
Can the HOA improve relationships within the board, and with the community? If Board Members aren’t communicating, you’re doomed from the start. Strive for respectful, responsible communication. Communicate with homeowners and residents through the HOA website, email blasts, newsletters, and social media. Be sure to read our series on Social Media in the HOA to […]
Removing a Board Member (CT)
Sometimes board members act in a way that is contrary to the best interests of the association, or they may appear to be engaging in self-dealing, favoritism toward their friends, not showing up for board meetings, or not paying their monthly common fees or otherwise flouting expected behavior. The board or unit owners could try […]
Common Misconceptions for HOA or Condo Board Members
Do you serve on the Board of Directors of a Community Association? If so, here are some common misconceptions that can cause problems for many boards— Read the article………………..
Communication With Your Attorney
Most attorneys are adept and accustomed to using a variety of forms of communication with their clients. Most attorneys will also charge for communications with their clients, so clients should consider what is best, not only in the context of cost, but also what is best for providing and receiving legal advice. As an attorney […]
C.O.M.M.U.N.I.T.Y.: Nine Best Practices for Board Members and Association Leaders
Being a Board member or volunteering for an Association committee contributes to the wellness of your community, enhances property values, and can provide a positive experience. Below is a list of ten best practices that can assist you as a Board member and Association leader. Read the article…………………….
Board members need not be full-time residents (IL)
Q. One of the board members of our association lives in another part of the state and seldom attends board meetings. Can we amend the declaration to require that a person needs to reside on the property to be elected to and serve on the board? Read the Q&A……………………..
Nobody Trusts Herb Tarlek – Advice for Professionals Serving Community Associations
If you were to read governing documents for community associations written in the days of old (OK…the 70s), you might well get the idea there was a vision that volunteer homeowners would gladly offer themselves up to lead and manage their communities. The assumption seemed to be that communities would be full of willing, qualified […]
A Board Member’s Highest Loyalty: It’s Not What You Think! (CT)
In your life as a Board member you have probably heard something like this from an unhappy unit owner: “You work for me! You owe me a duty to do what is best for me!” Well, no. None of that is true and here’s why. As a Board member, your first duty is a duty […]
Courts Will Defer to the Decisions of Boards Based on Good Faith and Regard for the Best Interests of the Community (CA)
In Eith v. Ketelhut, No. B272028 (Cal. Ct. App. Dec. 17, 2018), a homeowners association featuring estate properties where members maintain fruit orchards and vineyards yielding fruit that can be made into wine and offered to the public for sale required the Board of Directors (“Board”) to determine if sale of products made from fruit […]
Benefits of Serving on an HOA Board
Let’s take a moment to highlight all that HOA board members do! You have a desire to see everyone around you flourish, and you take the time, effort, and energy necessary to make that happen. Thankfully, there are some awesome benefits for choosing to spend your time to serve others! Read the article………………….
Get on Board: How to Increase Recruitment Now
This is part one of our four-part series From Meet n Greet to Board Seat about engagement, recruitment, onboarding, and orientation of new directors. We’re going to let you in on our weekly coffee talks…. discussions about board management, technology, and good governance – all while sampling the results of Pat’s weekly effort to bake […]
HOA board members should take care in communications (NV)
Every day we communicate, be it our telephone conversations, our emails or our letters. As community managers and homeowners association board members, we communicate when we send governing documents, budgets and financial reports to our residents. Words become important and what we say, how we say it, when we say it and how we distribute […]
Feeling Disorganized? The Ultimate HOA Board Organization Checklist
At the start of the year, many HOA Board members feel pressure to get organized. Brand new HOA Board members are trying to acclimate and learn their roles, in addition the veteran members are tying up loose ends from the year prior. Getting organized is an overwhelming task, but the pay-off is vital to the […]
Managing Board Conflict: How to Maintain Harmony
In a community association, it falls on the board to put out any fires that ignite among the property’s residents. But what happens when that blaze springs up between the board members themselves? Read the article…………………
Enforce, collect, and hire help: An association board’s biggest responsibilities
A community association board consists of volunteers elected to serve on behalf of residents to execute a wide variety of tasks. It’s a big job, but most board members are happy to serve and make the community a great place to call home. The board’s biggest responsibilities include enforcing rules, collecting assessments, and hiring help. […]
HOA Homefront: Outstanding directors understand how this role is DIFFERENT (Part 3)
All the knowledge and experience from the working world (“day job”) can actually hinder a volunteer’s effectiveness in the world of HOA governance if the differences between the two worlds are not understood. Outstanding directors have learned that much of what worked for them in their day job will likely work poorly in the context […]
Essential HOA Board Member Skills
As new board members soon find out, a wide variety of skills are needed to make sure an association runs smoothly. Below, we’ve highlighted four important skills that help boards run effectively. Read the article……………………
Community Association Directors, Officers Are Protected from Frivolous Lawsuits (FL)
There are many objections to board service that are often cited by unit owners who are reluctant to serve on their community association’s board of directors. While the time commitment is a prevalent concern, some believe that the post also brings with it an unreasonable level of liability and exposure to lawsuits by disgruntled unit […]
HOA Homefront: What makes a director outstanding (Part II)? Preparation
Before seeking a board seat, the best candidates should improve their readiness for service. Here are some tips on how to prepare …. Read the article…………………
Primary Condo Association Board Duties
Being on a Condo Board entails numerous tasks. Some include intense planning, such as a major project or special assessment. Other tasks must be more oriented towards being a leader within your community. There are certain Condo Association Board duties which make up the bread and butter of your activities. No matter what else you […]
Why Your Community Association Should Plan Like a Business
Community associations are essentially businesses, and board members should treat planning and budgeting the way they would approach corporation planning. Here are tips on how to start.
Turning Over a New Leaf: Fixing Previous Board Mistakes
A board’s role is to govern and set the policies, procedures, standards, budgets and programs for an association. Some decisions boards make are extremely beneficial, while some don’t have a substantial impact, and others fail miserably. Unfortunately, when a board makes a bad decision, it isn’t immediately obvious, and a future board of directors may […]
HOA Homefront: What makes a director outstanding? Attitude
A community association is no better than the board of directors which leads it, and excellent associations require excellent volunteer leaders. Truly exceptional volunteer governance is not a happy accident, and it often has little to do with a volunteer’s background, training, and experience. Read the article…………………….
Understanding good condominium governance (ON)
Condominium governance is undergoing greater public scrutiny after an investigation by CBC Toronto unveiled questionable practices at a series of downtown Toronto condominiums. Owners and property managers in those buildings say a group of people have aggressively sought control of the boards and budgets of multiple condominiums. Allegations of misconduct include voting irregularities and contentious […]
Balancing Access to Sensitive Information
During the course of their tenure on an association’s governing board, board members will come into possession of a seemingly endless amount of information. While owners are entitled to access the association’s books and records regarding the general operation and management of the association, there are certain categories of sensitive information that board members should […]
HOA Living 101: The Best Advice You Can Get About Serving on Your HOA Board
As a board member, you’re responsible for balancing the needs and obligations of the community with those of individual owners. Your fellow neighbors trust you to fulfill your fiduciary duty of acting within your authority, exercising due care, and always working in the best interest of the association. To help you become the best board […]
Conflicts of Interest and HOA Board Recusal
Any acting HOA board member has an obligation to act ethically and avoid all conflicts of interest when making decisions for the community. Board members have the responsibility to recuse themselves from their responsibilities any time they have a problem keeping their fiduciary duty to the HOA – or, in other words, representing the HOA’s […]
Non-Resident Board Members: Managing Absentee Decision Makers (NY)
An individual’s interest in their community association is rarely solely financial. In most cases, a building or HOA is also that individual’s home. And as such, they’re motivated to contribute positively to its quality of life, neighborhood congeniality, and aesthetics – just to name a few factors that make a place somewhere people love to […]
Running Small Associations: Unique Communities, Unique Needs (NY)
Condominium associations come in all sizes and shapes. They can contain hundreds of units, or as few as two. While many of the issues faced by associations are universal regardless of size, small condominium associations do face some unique challenges that set them apart from their larger cousins. Those challenges touch all aspects of life […]
HOA Homefront: How do you handle a disruptor who’s also a director?
Q: I’m currently on my HOA board. The president is constantly rude, slandering other board members and basically being disrespectful. I am wondering what course of action a fellow board member has to get him under control. This is really uncomfortable and a hard issue to deal with and he is just being a tyrant. […]
Preventing Bad Things From Happening (ON)
There is no shortage of stories about bad things happening in condo buildings. Many times the bad things are exaggerated, misrepresented or manipulated for personal benefit. Believing much of this can lead to a perception that condo corporations are run by incompetent or evil people. This is not even close to the reality of condo […]
HOA Homefront: When the disruptor is a director!
Q: I’m currently on my HOA board. The president is constantly rude, slandering other board members, and basically being disrespectful. I am wondering what course of action a fellow board member has to get him under control. This is really uncomfortable and a hard issue to deal with and he is just being a tyrant. […]
Does The Business Judgment Rule Extend To A Board Interpretations? (CA)
The California Supreme Court has adopted a rule of deference to most decisions made by community association boards: “Where a duly constituted community association board, upon reasonable investigation, in good faith and with regard for the best interests of the community association and its members, exercises discretion within the scope of its authority under relevant statutes, […]
Bah Humbug! What to Do if an HOA Board Member is a Scrooge
There seems to be one in every homeowners association. That one HOA board member that consistently disagrees, goes against the majority, or at the very least enjoys playing devil’s advocate. Do you have a Scrooge – a mean spirited, miserly person – on your Board? There are ways you can deal with them. Read the […]
4 Traits of a Good Board
Managing an association’s affairs and taking responsibility for running a community are no small tasks. Homeowners trust their board of directors to make sure everything operates smoothly, services are maintained, and issues are resolved promptly. The board of directors can make the difference between the community’s success or failure, so it’s vital that each person […]
Do Just One Thing! What can be done to rebuild declining nonprofit institutions?
When I travel around town these days, I often run into old friends and neighbors who know my background regarding nonprofit organizations (I served on +50 board of directors over the years), and they like to unload their frustrations on me. For example: The president of a homeowner association complained he had to serve a second […]
What if There is No Board?
Question: I live in a 50 unit condominium where, for the last several years, every board we elected got to fighting among themselves and accomplished nothing. Our place is a shambles and our delinquencies are increasing. We have (or I should say “had”) a five-person board, but one by one they all have resigned. We […]