HOA Management Blog
The Board of Directors for most condominium associations in California have felt very comfortable in the past letting owners know that they could not install solar on the common area roof. The roof is a common area after all and its maintenance and replacement are the responsibility of the homeowners association.
How much does your HOA board know about the community associations industry? Learn some basic facts and numbers, and what they mean for the members of your HOA board and Association community.
Maintaining the grounds in a traditional manner and according to the homeowners association’s governing documents is not always the “greenest” endeavor. Whether it involves using chemical-laden pesticides and fertilizer or working with greenhouse gas-producing lawn tools, some methods of lawn upkeep can be tough on the environment. Thankfully, there are plenty of eco-friendly ways to keep your homeowner's association grounds looking lush while also reducing your carbon footprint.
There are several individuals that bring value to your homeowners association. Your volunteer HOA board, your manager, your interested members that may serve in other capacities, and your supportive and assessment-paying membership. Vendors also can bring great value to your association in many ways, such as the attorney for your association.
Every homeowner’s association community always seems to have a lot going on, and that can sometimes include, among other things, a range of upcoming social events in addition to several important ongoing projects. Updating the website, writing an article for the association newsletter, and committee involvement on the budget, landscaping, road maintenance, election oversight or other committees, are all ways to volunteer. What are some of the things going on in your community?
For many people, meetings are a fact of life. Whether it’s an HOA board or member meeting in your homeowner’s association, a volunteer meeting at your child’s school or a department meeting at work, being adept at participating effectively and managing meetings is a useful skill.
The most important thing to remember in any relationship is that it takes time and effort from both parties. The relationship between an HOA board and the manager of a homeowners association is no different.
When homeowners start to notice an increase in crime in the homeowners association, it's not necessarily the fault of the HOA, but the fault of the individuals who make bad choices and seek a location to carry out their dealings with easy access that allows for a quick exit. There are ways the the Association be proactive to help the community remain a safe place to live.
If you think hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, floods or polar vortexes won’t happen to you or that you don’t need to insure against these disasters in your homeowners association, you’re among the nearly half of U.S. homeowners and renters who lack the insurance coverage to deal with potential losses, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
As a Board member of a homeowners association you may be faced with making decisions to foreclose on homes in your Association. This is not a pleasant task, but it is a necessary one at times. Some homeowners may challenge the entire process and you and the Board should know what you are doing and why.
