How Would You Encourage Someone Complaining About HOA Rules?

As a board member in your homeowners association, you probably hear your fair share of complaints against the rules in your Association. Not only that, but you also have to be a part of enforcing them for the good of the community. Even though you know they are there for a reason, more often then not, the homeowner doesn’t realize the purpose of the rule or isn’t informed on the actions they can take to have it changed if they feel it’s unfair. So what do you do when you come face to face with a homeowner who doesn’t like the rules, and insists they are invasive, unfair and just plain silly?

Read the ideas below so you’re prepared to encourage the next member in your homeowners association who confronts you because they don’t like the rules.

Posted by: houselogic

HOAs: What You Need to Know About Rules

Become the Rule-Maker

If you don’t like the rules, the best way to change them is to become part of the process.  

1.  Know your CC&Rs, annual budget, and employee contracts. Do you see areas where expenses can be cut? Are service providers doing their jobs? 

2.  Volunteer for a committee or task. If the board needs to enforce parking rules, for instance, you can volunteer to gather license plate numbers of residents’ vehicles. In addition, put your professional expertise to work: Assist the board with data entry, accounting, or website design. 

3.  Stand for election to the board. When a position becomes open, the board notifies the members, and you can put your name forward. New board members are elected at the annual meeting by member majority vote. Many boards are three to nine members large, with terms of one to two years.  

Involvement Drawbacks

As a board member, be prepared to spend two to four hours a month:

• Reviewing property management reports
• Monitoring budgets
• Talking to other board members and residents
• Most boards meet quarterly; small boards only meet twice a year for a couple of hours.  

Accept that you might become less popular if homeowners don’t like your decisions. In the worst case, you could be sued, along with the rest of the association. 

Involvement Benefits

But there are rewards. You’ll feel more in control of your community’s fate. You may find that some rules you didn’t support have merit after all. But most of all, you’ll know you’re doing all you can to protect your quality of life and your home’s value.

[Read full article: HOAs: What You Need to Know About Rules]  

Being an HOA board member is no easy task, but it is a rewarding one. It’s not always easy to keep your emotions uninvolved either – especially if the homeowner complaining is a close neighbor – but it’s crucial you remain objective. Remember that your main responsibilities are to protect, maintain and enhance the Association by making reasonable business decisions. While it’s impossible to make everyone in the homeowners association happy, you no doubt can make it a better place by getting involved, representing the good of the community, and even investing in the expertise of an HOA management company.