One of the most powerful but overlooked tools at the disposal of an association board is that of committees. HOA boards can face a number of issues and be pulled in many directions that would tax any full time, paid board. But HOA boards are volunteer and are not full time. To deal with this […]
How to Build a Social Committee for Social Events and Social Clubs in Your HOA
Building a social committee for your HOA is a great way to increase interaction among members. From garage sales to book clubs, such a committee can plan and promote a variety of social events. Establishing the committee is serious work, however, and before the fun comes committee structure and assignments. If you’re planning a social […]
HOA Homefront: Tips on how to create, run HOA committees
A committee should have at least three or four members. When a committee dwindles down to one or two persons, it is no longer a committee and should be restocked with volunteers or disbanded. Read the article………………
Need for Collaboration: Architectural/Design Review Committee
The establishment, composition, function and scope of authority of the architectural or design review committee is typically set forth in the association’s CC&Rs. It is important for each member of the committee to be familiar with the relevant architectural/design provisions in the CC&Rs, along with any properly adopted architectural/design rules, so that the committee can […]
HOA Welcoming Committee Ideas
Establishing a welcoming committee to contact new residents will enhance the board’s service to the HOA, as well as to the whole community! A welcome package (or packet, basket, etc.) is a good way to ensure that the first contact new residents have with the association is positive. Read the article…………………..
Landscape committee chairwoman wants to clean house (IL)
Q. Does a newly elected condominium board member, who is the new Landscape Committee chairwoman, have the right to “fire” five committee members of long standing? The chair gave no advance notice and had no cause, stating only that she wanted “new blood.” Read the Q&A……………………
Effective Committees: Delegating Makes Light Work (NY)
While a board and management take on the lion’s share of responsibility for maintaining a building or community association, it certainly helps to have some extra hands on deck to keep track of smaller details. While by no means mandatory, the forming of standing committees to oversee certain constant aspects of association business (landscaping or […]
Committing to Committees
With August already behind us, many of you know the 2019 budget season is already upon us. Managers have already begun to pull various financial reports in order to start compiling their budgets to present to their Boards of Directors. As anyone in the industry will tell you, the budget process is a straightforward one, […]
Making Sense: Legal And Practical Considerations Of A Community Association Committee In Florida
Most condominium and homeowners’ associations have committees in place to assist the board of directors with association operation and business, but few utilize committees properly or effectively. The creation, purpose and authority of committees can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. This blog post will provide an overview of the legal and practical […]
How Committees Can Help Your Community
Members of an association often have tasks that require more in-depth study by a small group. That’s where a committee comes in. A committee is a body of persons delegated to consider, investigate and take action on tasks that require a small deliberative assembly. Although most homeowners association committees are advisory in their functioning, they […]
Committees Are A Untapped Treasure Available To The HOA Board
Besides benefitting the board by spreading the work around, committees are an excellent training ground for future board members. Folks that may be reluctant or too timid to step up to a board position often feel right at home on a committee with limited or focused responsibilities. Committees come in all shapes, sizes and functions […]
WUCIOA – What is it, and why should my community association care? Topic 7: Board Committees (WA)
WUCIOA provides an ability for Boards form Committees to conduct some Board Business. (But this is not legal advice for your specific association) The Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (WUCIOA) is a new law that takes effect on July 1, 2018. Most of it only applies to HOAs and Condos created after that date. […]
The Making of a Dedicated Design Committee (NY)
The hallways of our elegant Art Deco building at 5 Riverside Drive in Manhattan were last decorated in 1985 – and they’d been on life support for the past several years. But other priorities kept getting in the way of an upgrade. We had just finished two years of scaffolding and jackhammering to comply with […]
HOA Committees – Does your Association Need Them?
In HOAs there are the board members, the HOA property management company, and in most cases committee members. We’ve talked a lot on this blog about the roles and responsibilities of board members and property managers, but today we want to take a closer look at committees and their value. Depending on your governing documents, […]
How to Create an Effective Community Association Committee
Community association committees are a great tool in easing the workload of association boards. There’s a world of talent, skills, and knowledge within your association community. Here are a few quick tips on how to create an effective community association committee: Read the article………………
Creating an HOA Budget Committee
Your homeowners association has set up a board of directors that will help govern the HOA. Not every responsibility, however, must rest with every member. To work alongside and within your board of directors, you need a budget committee that will help control the finances of your homeowner’s association. Read the article…………….
Association Committees
Committees can be a productive tool for condominium and homeowners associations. Committees, such as budget committees or architectural control committees, can promote increased participation by owners, benefit from unique owner expertise, and help reduce the workload imposed on volunteer board members. However, to properly benefit from the use of committees, it is essential that they […]
What Roles Do Owners, Boards And Committees Play Within Community Associations?
There are various opinions on the role of community and condominium associations. But, generally speaking, the main purpose and authority of the association are to maintain common elements and ensure compliance with the association’s governing documents. Property owner associations typically operate with three bodies of community governance: Read the article…………..
Florida Condominium and HOA Directors Can Usually Serve on Committees
Question: Can a board member also be a member of a committee, such as the fining committee or the landscape committee? Read the Q&A……………
Architectural Control Committees are Needed
Question: I live in a new town house development and am on the architectural control committee. Some of the homeowners do not feel the need to go through our committee for approval before they make any exterior changes. Our declaration of covenants specifies that approval is required before any such changes can be made. . […]
Types of Committees – Part 2
Welcome back to our two-part series on committees. In the first post, we talked about how committees can benefit an HOA and how to organize them effectively. Today we are going to highlight the various types of committees and hopefully help you identify which are best suited to your needs. There are eight popular types […]
The Value of Committees – Part 1
A well-managed community is a full time job, but it doesn’t have to be a burden. Instead of burdening the board and community managers with every HOA need, consider using volunteer-based committees. Like board members, volunteers from your community have the best interest of the neighborhood in mind. By leveraging their willingness to help out, […]
Keeping condominium owners in the loop: How to use communication committees effectively
It’s one of the most common complaints in condos — poor communication from the board or management to owners. Complaints of “We don’t know what’s going on!” or “We are paying the bills and you keep us in the dark!” come up too often at AGMs or special owner meetings. Poor communication can lead to […]
3 Benefits of Having an Architectural Review Committee
HOAs often have many different committees to help maintain standards throughout the community. One possible committee is the architectural review committee, which helps homeowners understand what types of changes to their home and yard are, and are not, allowed. If you are considering starting an architectural review committee, check out these three benefits. Read the […]
Committee Commitments in Your HOA
The strength of a homeowner association lies in the effective volunteer efforts of its members. While the heavy lifting often falls on the board of directors, committees can help lighten the load by focusing on specific tasks assigned by the board. Read the article…………
HOA Committees Need Leadership
HOA Board members cannot maintain everything in the community by themselves. Committees are a Board’s best friend and an important part of running a successful association. Ad-hoc and standing committees provide opportunities for residents to get involved. They also create a training ground for emerging leaders. Structure and leadership are vital to the success of […]
HOA Homefront: Should directors serve as chairs of committees?
Q. Our HOA directors regularly nominate themselves as chairs of respective committees within the community. Needless to say, pet projects of individual board members get funded, while other committee groups not on the board scrape by. Read the Q&A…………..
The Importance of Committees in a Homeowners Association
Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” In order to effectively run a homeowners association, an HOA board, even if it has a manager, can’t do everything. It needs the help of members getting involved and forming committees. While the Board is ultimately responsible for the decisions […]
Architectural Review Committees: When Silence is Not Golden
Although summer is the most popular season for construction and it is quickly coming to a close (I am not ready to admit it’s over), architectural review committees (“ARCs”) operate year-round to review and respond to architectural review committee applications. Read the article……………
Committee Do’s and Don’t’s
Committees can be the lifeblood of an association. They can be the best thing since sliced cheese or your worst night mare. I was contemplating why some committees are a blessing while others are a curse and came to the decision it’s really all about the board that set up the committee. If you want […]
Landscape Committees Embracing the Challenge, Improving Curb Appeal
No matter the size of community, one of the goals any condo or HOA has for their landscaping plan is to increase owner enjoyment of the property and enhance their investment purchase. Larger complexes often have a landscaper in house, or under contract, to care for the lawns, flowers, greenery and other plantings around the […]
Spring Projects Create Work For This Architectural Standards Committee. Are You Ready?
Q. It is springtime and a few creative and industrious neighbors are out erecting fences and sheds as others have done in the past without requesting the permission of the Association. We are a 24 home association that recently elected a homeowner board. The developer finished the last home in late fall. We are self-managing […]
Landscape Committees – Embracing the Challenge, Improving Curb Appeal
No matter what the size of your community, one of the goals of any condo or HOA’s landscaping plan is to increase owners’ enjoyment of their property and enhance the value of the investment in their home. Larger condo complexes often have a landscaper in house and/or under contract to care for the lawns, flowers, […]
Committee Members
Give committees well-defined missions and trust them to do their jobs. You might just find they’ll take budgeting, design review, landscaping and more off the board’s plate. Read more………
Five Tips on the Pitfalls and Practicalities of Using Committees
Committees can be an excellent resource for HOA, condo and co-op boards – using committees increases the scope of the work that a board can do by increasing the number of people available to investigate the issues. Committees also are a training ground for future Directors, and are a good way to increase a familial […]
Why Have a Landscape Committee?
Opinions on landscaping are like noses. Everybody’s got one. And they usually wait to express them until after you’ve done your annual landscaping plans. Improving the landscaping is one of the most popular reasons for homeowners to run for the board. They know best and the board doesn’t have a clue. In most areas where […]
A Guide About Setting Up, Running, and Managing HOA Committees
Homeowners association board members and community managers are not the only members who help to maintain a community; committees are also a very large part of the entire process. Formed by volunteer members of the community and assigned by the board of directors, committees can make your live easier than ever before. Read more………
HOA: Mother Lode Commitees
Committees are an untapped gold mine available to a homeowner association board. Besides benefitting the board by spreading the work around, committees are an excellent training ground for future board members. Members that are reluctant to step up to a board position often feel right at home on a committee with limited or focused responsibilities. […]