No one likes homeowner association (HOA) violations. Board members don’t like to see people break the rules, residents don’t like being penalized, and HOA managers don’t like to play the role of the enforcer. But HOA rules are important for the overall success of the community. Many HOA rules cover noise, parking, holiday decorations, landscaping, […]
Transparency Checklist (CO)
Promoting a culture of transparency in the governance of your association will lead to a more effective and efficient association, a more informed membership and a more accountable board of directors. Here are some items to consider in promoting transparency: Open the PDF……………………………………
Communication tools all condos should have
What’s the best way to reach hundreds of condo residents all at once? This is a question that many property managers and boards struggle with. Condo communities work best when there is a continuous exchange of information, but communicating with hundreds of people can be pretty challenging. Fortunately, there are some useful communication tools that […]
New Tips for HOA Community Newsletters
When it comes to running a successful HOA community, communication is key. Even with their busy schedules, members appreciate and benefit from regular communication from the association. Not only does a regular newsletter keep homeowners informed about the goings-on of the HOA, but it can also go a long way in fostering a greater sense […]
How to Improve Board Communication
Effective communication may be the single most important tool available to the board of directors to promote a positive and cooperative spirit within the association. During this time of uncertainty, communication is more critical than ever, as people are looking to their leaders for guidance and support. Board members need to connect with individual residents […]
Should HOAs Publish a List of Delinquent Owners? (PA)
I am not going to beat around the bush here: it is generally a horrible idea to “publish” a list of delinquent owners for others to see, even if the [usually decades old] governing documents in the community provide that it is permissible. This is even true if a delinquency list is not posted electronically […]
“Breaking Bad” In Condos Won’t Keep the Peace
In a perfect condominium, all that live on the property abide by the Rules and there is no need to issue violation letters or to verbally remind people of said Rules. We all know perfection does not exist, but perhaps working towards that objective can greatly improve and contribute to the goal of harmonious living […]
A Condo/HOA guide: How to effectively communicate with owners and residents
It can be difficult to get unit owners involved in community affairs, especially when some of them don’t actually live on site. It doesn’t help that most HOAs use outdated communication methods that lead to misunderstandings and make it difficult to reach a quorum on important issues. If you’re looking for innovative ways to stay […]
How to Effectively Present HOA Budgets
When you are serving on the board of your HOA, you have several fiduciary duties that you have to complete each year. One of these fiduciary duties is preparing an annual budget and establishing assessments for your HOA. The budgeting process can be time-consuming and difficult to complete since there are so many factors that […]
Tips for effective condo communication – Five devices to use to make condo notices that pop
Tenant communication is a critical part of directing and managing a condominium corporation. And while disseminating information to a diverse and (at times) mercurial audience can be challenging at best, many common condo management issues (e.g., noise, pets, short-term rental, etc.) can be proactively dealt with when an audience is reached regularly. Traditionally, condominiums have […]
Sometimes, All It Takes Is a Town Hall Meeting (NY)
Is it true that most people who live in co-ops and condos have no idea what their boards do? It’s 100 percent true. I find it amazing that most shareholders and unit-owners really don’t know what their boards do, how they do it, what their roles and responsibilities are, the roles of the managing agent […]
Openness may help prevent HOA legal fights (MO)
Like individuals, the boards of Home Owner Associations can have distinct personalities, interests, strengths and weaknesses. Some play well with others and stay out of trouble, while others might always be entangled in conflicts.
Building the Association Budget: Fundamentals, Hard Work & Guts – Part 4 (Communicating the Results…Especially the Hard News)
You’ve done the hard work. The budget’s built. The plan is solid. Now it’s time to roll it out. You may be delivering the first draft to a Budget & Finance Committee or the Board. If you are in a state that requires the proposed budget to be sent to homeowners in advance of adoption, […]
Concerns raised over mosquito spraying in Longmont area neighborhood without notice to residents (CO)
A mosquito spraying operation Tuesday night in an unincorporated Weld County neighborhood, just outside Longmont city limits, prompted one man to raise concerns about why he and his fellow residents weren’t notified in advance of the fogging. Meanwhile, the company in charge of the fogging said it was a precautionary measure based on the number […]
Financial Management of Community Associations |Part 3 : Budgetary Roles and Responsiblities & Budget Presentation
The roles and responsibilities with regards to the budget at your community association can be varied. The manager, board of directors, treasurer, and even the owners all have different roles in planning and maintaining the budget. We will take a detailed look at those roles as well as the best ways to present a budget. […]
Three Tips for Surviving an Elevator Shutdown
Elevator shutdowns are becoming more common as co-op and condo boards scramble to install mandatory door-lock monitors by January 1, 2020. The required work is leading many boards to replace aging elevators while they’re shut down for the door-lock installation, in the hope of saving money in the long run. Some of those boards go […]
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire! Handling Misinformation in Your HOA
As most community managers know from experience, it’s not unusual for a homeowner or resident to lie about the actions of the board of directors or manager. People lie for a wide range of reasons. Sometimes they’re trying to save face, stir up trouble, or maybe they actually believe their own lies. When a homeowner […]
How To De-escalate a Confrontational Exchange
Why do so many interactions these days become heated? Are people just meaner than they used to be? Have we lost our ability to be tolerant of one another? And, if so, what can we do about it? In today’s society, it seems we are not only entitled to our opinion, but everyone else is […]
Selling a Special Assessment
One of the most challenging experiences a board member faces is deciding when it’s necessary to assign a special assessment. Homeowners may not always immediately understand how critical it is to fix certain infrastructure issues. Additionally, if a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, were to hit your association, homeowners may themselves have homes in […]
Communicating with Different Personalities in Your HOA
DISC theory is a method of identifying predictable actions and personality traits within human behavior. Knowing these personality traits will help HOA board members communicate more effectively with other board members and homeowners within the community. There are four DISC communication styles – Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance. Here are some tips for communicating with […]
Should an Association Respond to Unofficial Publications?
With increasing frequency, homeowners associations are confronted with members publishing content related to their association and its operations, whether on Facebook, blog posts, or other various online forums. Sometimes these publications are critical of the association board of directors, misrepresent important information and facts, or fraudulently purport to be official association publications. The various potential […]
Dealing with Difficult People
Interacting with difficult people is an inevitability we all face. When confronted with a chronically upset person we’re given the choice to either reciprocate their anger or calmly address the situation. As a board member, you’re in a position of responsibility where escalating a situation is both inappropriate and unproductive. In the heat of the […]
Dear Boards: Suck It Up and Be Transparent
……Too many boards of directors of community association are nervous. Nervous about contention. Nervous about bad PR. Nervous about looking unprepared. Nervous about being wrong. Reflexively, they retreat into secrecy, even when state or local statutes require open meetings. I get it. People can be tough. Most communities have hard cases living in them. I […]
Communication is Key to Hurricane Preparation and Rebuilding (FL)
Last year, Hurricane Irma proved that, whether you live in a high-rise or a gated community, hurricanes are a real risk. Community association boards should have a hurricane preparedness plan to minimize damage and risk to homes and residents. But the strongest hurricane preparedness plan won’t be very effective if it hasn’t been properly communicated […]
A Complete Guide to Welcome Packets
You just moved into a community association and, of course, have a lot to organize and even more to question. Believe it or not, for many homeowners the first piece of correspondence they receive from the association is the notice of a maintenance assessment, violation letter, or even a past due statement. Obviously, this can […]
When Construction Occurs Next Door, Your Board Needs to Get Involved Early!
It’s likely that at some point during your community’s lifespan, new construction will occur nearby and the impact on your residents will vary both short and long-term depending on the steps your Board takes early in the process. Sometimes new construction is welcomed enthusiastically by the members of an established community but more often than […]
Message Boards Are Not the Place for Mud Slinging (NY)
There are more than 4,000 residential buildings that use BuildingLink message boards in the Naked City. About 85 percent of them moderate what residents post, with building management serving as arbiter of what’s acceptable 90 percent of the time, according to data from BuildingLink. A shareholder in a large Upper West Side co-op got miffed […]
It’s Time to Change the Message (Part 2)
Let’s say you did everything recommended in last week’s blog. You have great rules and have done a masterful job communicating them to your members. Bravo! Yet, despite best intentions and practice, someone’s gonna blow it. Reflecting back to last week’s Catholic imagery, whether it be an innocent sin of omission or a more brazen […]
Improve HOA Board Communication
Along with the holidays, the annual meeting season is here! Many HOAs face change during this time of year as board positions become vacant and new people fill those roles. It’s always a good idea to help new board members with their transition by offering advice on how to improve your board’s communication. As a […]
Transparency Trend Reaches Homeowners Associations (NY)
The trend toward greater transparency in cooperatives, condominiums and Homeowner Associations (HOA) continues its relentless march. On October 23, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a new law amending the state’s Not-For-Profit Corporation Law. This new amendment expands the rights of homeowners in HOAs to inspect the association’s invoices, ledgers, bank accounts, reconciliations, contracts, and any documents […]
Board Transparency: Consistent Communication Is Key
Community living – the very basis of co-op, condo and HOA life—is based on the idea of trust. In a community of potentially hundreds or thousands of residents, every resident can’t be involved in the making of every decision. Too many cooks can potentially spoil the proverbial broth. No decision would ever get made in […]
Five Best Practices for Improving Condo Board Communication
Funny, isn’t it, how a flock of geese can manage to communicate well enough to prevent mid-air collisions but people find this task very difficult. Communication is always one of those things that get forgotten. Who has time to be writing to owners letting them know what’s going on? After all, directors are volunteers and […]
What Not to Do When You Receive Communications from Your HOA Board
In our busy world of the internet, mobile phones, television, email, social media, and daily conversation, we’re on 24-7 information overload. We’re communicating non-stop all day, and when we finally reach the comfort of our home we just want to catch our breath. However, communication is what we were made for, and it keeps us […]
Communication to Renters: Why It Matters To Your Association
Does your board and management team communicate to the renters in your community? If no, why not? In communities where renters makeup a significant portion of the residents, they are often overlooked by the people running the community. “I’ve never understood why a board wouldn’t want to communicate with its tenants,” according to Marc Kaplan, […]
Well-Informed Community Associations Make For Happier Residents
Being involved with a condominium or community association can sometimes make you feel like a Jack-of-all-trades. Homeowners often expect professional managers and community volunteers – officers and board and committee members – to know something about, well, just about everything. We are expected to be attorneys and landscapers, accountants and engineers, roofers and plumbers, pool […]
Millennial Takeover: the Changing HOA Demographic
Okay, so it’s not really a takeover. But chances are, you’re starting to see signs of this changing HOA demographic with more and more millennials moving into your HOA. Millennials are sometimes called Generation Y: those who reached adulthood around the turn of the 21st century. Millennials will represent the largest group of American home […]
How To Write Emails That Get The Job Done
How many times have you ask yourself “Why doesn’t she get back to me?” I mean, seriously, how long does it take for someone to reply to an email. It only takes a few minutes but why does it take so long. Getting someone to do something is hard, it’s even harder when you’re asking […]
How Should Boards Handle the Reporting of a Crime?
A burglar slipped into a Hudson Heights co-op as a shareholder was leaving the building, then proceeded to steal a laundry cart and some packages. The theft was reported to police, but it took the co-op board almost two weeks to notify shareholders, and the notice downplayed the event and failed to give a full […]
Essential Board Member Skills: Listen More, Talk Less
When I was asked which skill was most essential for board members, I had an immediate consideration for one I thought they should definitely master: listening. However, as a matter of routine, I did a straw poll of some of my managers and asked them the same question. Some of the skills they suggested were: […]