Among homeowners association managers within our company, we have made training an emphasis. We attend conferences, seminars, classes, etc., so that we cannot only be certified but also continue to gain skills and knowledge to help us do our job better. I remember at a particular law seminar, on the first power point slide, there […]
First-Person Narrative: Slimed and Slandered When Running for the Board
I’ve written about co-op and condo board matters for a dozen years. I served two years on a co-op board on the Upper West Side, and recently spent a year as board vice president at my current condo — which, for reasons that will be clear, I’m choosing not to identify and ask readers not […]
Protect the HOA / Condominium Operating and Reserve Accounts
I know anyone that has any affiliation with an HOA or Homeowners Association has heard of someone stealing or trying to steal money from the Community. The scams are often as simple as writing a check to themselves, either as an administrator, treasurer or president. This is the one constant to which no one paid […]
Maintain Your Common Areas – Or Else
Cities have a legal duty to exercise reasonable care to keep sidewalks in reasonably safe condition. Cities must have actual or constructive notice of an unsafe sidewalk condition and a reasonable opportunity to correct it before they can be found liable for accidents related to that condition. The notice issue usually requires a trial to […]
5 ways communities persuade dog owners to pick up poo
In 2010, the problem of dog excrement was one of America’s biggest gripes, according to a survey by Consumer Reports. But despite posted signs, HOA regulations and looks of disapproval from passersby, some dog owners just don’t clean up after their pets. Read More……
Effective Collection Techniques within Your Association
The success of an association, in large part, depends on its fiscal wellbeing. Associations rely on its members to pay their dues in order to ensure maintenance of all the common areas that owners not only enjoy, but that increase property value. What follows are eight techniques for keeping your association’s delinquencies at a minimum. […]
50 ways to reduce water consumption
1) When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water. 2)Some refrigerators, air conditioners and ice-makers are cooled with wasted flows of water. Consider upgrading with air-cooled appliances for significant water savings. Read More……
Understanding CPA Service Levels – Compilation, Review and Audit
The By-laws, CC&R’s or other controlling documents of most community associations delineate the requirement for preparation of financial statements of the Association. In addition, several states have minimum financial statement requirements. Read More……
What’s the Deal With Special Assessments?
Q. I am a first-time home buyer. I was looking to buy a condo for $167,000, until I discovered there was a special assessment for $13,000. I don’t know what this is for. Is it paid through my monthly fees I pay? Would I be buying a money pit? Read More……
Using Better Communications to Attract Community Leaders
Excellent community governance is the difference between a good community and a great one. Poor community governance can lead to the downfall or outright collapse of a community association. Finding and keeping qualified and interested volunteers within your community is a real challenge. Are you using your communication tools to help with this daunting task? […]
Dealing with Unruly Homeowners at Board Meetings
What a touchy topic!! I have been on both sides of this issue — as the homeowner and as the attorney representing the association. Maybe I have too much leftover pixie dust, but I believe these situations can be resolved amicably. Read More……
You HAVE a Privacy Policy — It’s Just Not Written Down. That’s Dangerous.
Sure, your doorman probably isn’t gossiping about the people you’re dating. And sure, that fellow co-op board member who wants you out isn’t looking through security-camera footage to prove you’re not cleaning up after your dog. And, surely, you as a parent aren’t going to ask your board or management to let you see electronic […]
HOAs: What You Need To Know About Rules
Lobbying for change in your homeowners association’s rules requires procedure, compromise, and perhaps joining the board. Read More……
Five Steps to Becoming a More Effective Board Member
Being a volunteer board member can sometimes be stressful and time consuming, but before you decide to throw in the towel and never look back, make sure you aren’t the one getting in your own way! Here are a few tips for becoming more effective as a community association leader. Read More….
Reducing the Risk of Break-ins While Away on Summer Vacation
Hopefully, an owner within your association will never have the misfortune to be a victim of a burglary. Burglaries not only result in damage to the home, but more importantly, result in the loss of peace of mind. Criminals everywhere look forward to summer-time because during the time an owner is basking in the sun […]
Solar Panels And Community Associations: Sparks Can Fly
Green living sometimes can be at odds with community association living. As much as we all likely strive to live in an environmentally responsible manner, sometimes these ambitions clash with the wants and desires of our neighbors, bringing strife and dissension to a neighborhood. Though the Washington legislature has not attempted regulating chickens, clotheslines or […]
Because the Board Says So
Generally, thanks to what’s known as the business judgment rule, boards have broad latitude in making, amending and rescinding house rules — the good, the bad and the decidedly wiggy. If board members think a situation needs to be addressed, they can address away without input from residents. Read More……
The Irrigation Situation
One of the first things both prospective residents and visitors to a condo or HOA notice are the beautiful grounds and lush landscaping surrounding the property. Of course, a key component in maintaining all that greenery is the availability of fresh water. Because of the topography of New Jersey, access to water can vary a […]
An HOA Loan, a Viable Option for Funding an Association Project?
Richards, Kimble and Winn held a brief seminar with Alan Seilhammer of Premier Association Lending the other night where Alan discussed with many board members and managers the process of obtaining an HOA specific loan. An HOA loan is not the answer to all of an association’s problems, it isn’t even the best choice in […]
HOA’s Settlement with Trayvon Martin Family Illustrates Liability Issues Involving Neighborhood Watch Programs
Last year I participated in a discussion with an Associated Press reporter and wrote about a central Florida community association’s apparent endorsement of George Zimmerman as its neighborhood watch captain and his involvement in a tragic incident that took the life of the 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Read More……
What The Heck Is Flashing, Or A Fascia Board, Or A Joist Hanger? Do You Speak Contractor?
All too often, we hear from managers and board members who ask us to help interpret what the contractor was talking about when he referred to missing flashing, the damage to the fascia board and some dry rot that was found when the wall and ceiling were opened up. Or, we hear from the contractor […]
Voter Apathy — It is not Just a Community Association Problem
Many California community associations have a difficult time achieving a quorum to hold board elections or to vote on other important association matters. Some condo and planned development homeowner associations have not been able to hold a vote for a new Board of Directors for many years because they require a quorum of at least […]
Community associations – using tools of technology: a cautionary tale
It comes as no surprise that some tools of technology and communication have made our lives easier in many respects. However, the use of blogs, e-bulletin boards, group e-mail accounts, etc., by homeowners associations can also pose certain risks that may well outweigh the benefits of their use. Knowing some of those risks can help […]
Florida: 800 pillowcases
The Avalon Condominium Association at Grandezza in Estero accounted for half of those pillowcases made for the Golisano Children’s Hospital last year. They sew one day each year in February to make the brightly colored pillowcases done as part of the ConKerr Cancer national initiative. When children are admitted to the children’s hospital for cancer […]
Property Managers and Financial Education
I recently interviewed with a local HOA seeking to replace their present property management. One of the questions I was asked was “Why does it matter that a property manager have a background in finance and/or economics?” My response was to take their financials which I had received copies of and use it as an […]
8 Points of HOA Governance 101
HOA governance isn’t simple or easy and, unfortunately, board members are just volunteers doing their best with too little time and too little money. I think that’s why even basic principles of HOA governance are often misunderstood by board members (and managers too). Here is some clarification of 8 frequently misunderstood issues: Read More……
Spring Ahead: 6 Things to Look for on Your Spring Property Walk-through
In Wisconsin, we’re still in the rainy season, but those sunshine-filled days are just around the corner. April and May are an excellent time to conduct a walk-around of your property to look for damages that may have occurred over the winter. It’s also a good time to make sure that all owners are in […]
What Lies Beneath: Maintaining & Repairing Building foundations
They say a house is only as strong as its foundation. A bad roof or shoddy plumbing can set your building back a lot of money, of course—but a foundation in disrepair can put the entire building structure at risk. It can also cost tens of thousands of dollars. Since it’s literally underground, it’s easy […]
Side by Siding: Caring for Your Building’s Exterior
After years of wear and tear from the elements—or just the impact of a single catastrophic event like Superstorm Sandy this past fall—the siding on the exterior of a condo, co-op or townhome can start to look a bit under the weather. Read More……
Keeping the Rain Off: Maintaining the Roof Over Your Head
After the four walls of a given structure, the roof is sometimes referred to as the “fifth plane”—and just like the walls that hold it up, the roof is an all-important structure that can make or break a building’s performance. New Jersey’s changeable climate, which as we all know ranges from sweltering humid summer heat […]
Avoiding Trouble with Your Association
A big source of disputes between owners and their associations concerns claims by the association the owner made changes or improvements to their property or unit without permission of the association. The owners often claim they sent an application to the association and after not receiving a response for more than thirty (30) days, proceeded […]
CAI-RF: 2012 Statistical Review For U.S. Homeowners Associations, Condominium Communities and Housing Cooperatives
Foundation for Community Association Research Statistical Review For U.S. Homeowners Associations, Condominium Communities and Housing Cooperatives NATIONAL AND STATE DATA
Reasonable Accommodations (video)
You are a board director in a no-pet building. And you’re happy about it. But an owner has come to you and said “I need an emotional support pet.” Welcome to the world of reasonable accommodations. In this video you’ll learn what you have to accommodate, when it is necessary, and how to do it. […]
Capital Reserves and the Future of Your Community
I went to see a fortune teller recently. She took me into her reading room and asked me to gaze into her crystal ball. She then predicted my future. “I see wear and tear on your buildings. I see a new roof will be needed. I see aging windows that need replacing. I see… a […]
Conflict Resolution Insights: Why Conflicts Escalate
On two recent occasions, I have been involved in interactions that started with a minor miscommunication and quickly elevated to full-blown conflict. In both situations, the other person and I pretty quickly recognized what was happening, and we managed to get our communications back under control. Read More……
Transition Study, Reserve Study. What’s the Difference?
Most board members understand what a reserve study is and the beneficial role it plays in managing the financial future of the community association. Another study that comes up for recently constructed associations and is equally as important is the transition study. Read More……
99 Candles: Bob Simon Celebrates Near-Century, Remains Awesome (Reston founder)
Reston founder Robert E. Simon turned 99 today, which is pretty amazing. In many ways, he looks as good as, if not better than the community he founded (which turns 49 today). He celebrated the eve of his birthday by attending the RA annual members meeting last night, which is more than most of us […]
Smoking in Your Community – Is it a Nuisance?
We frequently get questions about what an association can do to restrict or regulate smoking in the community. These questions have increased now that Colorado law permits growing and smoking marijuana. Typically, but not always, the issue is exacerbated in condominium or townhome communities. Read More……
Take charge of that meeting: 8 ways to make sense of Robert’s Rules of Order
If you’re going to chair meetings or rise to a high post in your professional society, you’re likely to run up against Robert’s Rules of Order. In the U.S., it’s the most widely used authority on parliamentary procedure–and many a meeting chair has struggled to follow those rules. A reader of The Eloquent Woman wrote […]
The Gender Wage Gap For Managers Doesn’t Look Good
The median wage gap between genders fell since 2000, but progress is currently stalled. Women still earn less than men in nearly every occupation, though some suffer from greater wage disparities than others. The following is a list of the top 10 occupations with the largest and smallest gender wage gaps. (Check first category […]
The Quorum Requirement: A Creative Solution to Getting Stuff Done
“Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen to our owner’s association meeting. Unfortunately, we didn’t make the quorum requirement to vote on anything tonight, so we’ll need to reconvene this meeting for a later date. Sorry.” Sound familiar? Lamentably, this scenario is more frequently a reality than a hypothetical for many community associations. If you’ve ever served on […]
Are The Homes At Your HOA FIre Safe?
Over the years a number of our condo and homeowner association clients have suffered the loss of homes or units as a result the fires. Some of these fires were as a result of smoking in bed, a couple of them as result of propane tanks leaking or exploding, some from clogged dryer vents, bad […]
Effective Steps Co-op / Condo Boards Can Take with Disruptive Members
The managing agent remembers it well. There had been an incident in a co-op she managed that caused some damage to the building. She advised the board that, based on her experience, it would not be to the property’s advantage to file a claim with the insurance company. “It was not significant enough, and if […]
It’s Spring, Time to Ward Against Water Issues
It may be April Fools Day, but it’s no joke that every year around this time insurance companies see many flood issues and claims from homeowner associations. What’s worse, flood insurance is expensive and the typical HOA insurance policy does not provide coverage for flood and surface water claims. So, how do you protect yourself […]
Not All HOA Bylaws Are Etched in Stone
Many people who live in housing developments are required to join homeowners associations. A homeowners association is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of any common areas, such as swimming pools, tennis courts and other recreational areas. Read more….
How to Overcome a Stagnant Board of Directors in Your Homeowners Association
A stagnant board of directors slows down the business initiatives of an Association and may cause the Community to lag behind comparable neighborhoods. Overcoming stagnation at an HOA requires establishing more open lines of communication with board members and seeking to identify key problems. Solving those same problems may also require the removal of board […]
The Big Bad HOA: Not Actually So Big and Definitely Not So “Bad”
We see many news articles about a big, bad homeowners’ association interfering with Harry Homeowner’s “right” to live peacefully in his neighborhood. Whether it is demanding the removal of a flag pole that is too tall or forcing an owner to paint a faded mailbox, the stories we read often leave us asking the question: […]
Architectural Standards
One of the central roles of a homeowners or condominium owners association is the enforcement of architectural standards. The establishment of architectural standards is at the core of many declarations of covenants, conditions and restrictions (CCRs or “declaration”). Owners want to know that nobody will build a monstrous pink house next to them. Read more…