HOA Management Blog
You've tossed your hat into the ring to become an HOA board member for your association. The ballots have been counted and you've been selected. But, what are the responsibilities of a new board member to their community? You owe a duty of good faith and fidelity to the homeowners association.
Whether you’re out of town or out of commission, you can still attend the homeowners association board meetings by tuning in online. This is not to be confused with a meeting via email - this is not allowed.
Doing good may be its own reward, but most homeowners association volunteers would probably agree that it’s also nice to be recognized for the time, effort, and commitment they put into serving others, particularly in what can sometimes seem to be thankless roles.
As a homeowners association member, it’s important to understand that committees are an integral part of the operations of your community. Committee members help keep a community vibrant; and by augmenting paid staff, they can save an association hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year.
One common subject that often causes confusion in a homeowners association is grasping the difference between the maintenance responsibilities of an association and the items that are covered by the association’s insurance policy. Often owners and even HOA board members may not understand the differences between these two subjects.
As a member of a homeowners association there are certain things you can and cannot do to your property, as well as maintenance that the association is responsible for. If you remember the three P’s of property maintenance then you’ll be on your way to being a valued member of your HOA.
It’s important for an HOA board to work on ending the year well. It doesn’t matter if your homeowners association plans around the fiscal or calendar year, the questions below apply to both. It’s not too late to ask yourself some of these questions and make a resolution to do these things in the New Year to come.
Many HOA boards think they have it all together and can easily manage the homeowners association on their own. But can they really? While there are various factors involved when it comes to whether or not a homeowners association can successfully be self-managed – such as how involved the board members are, the size of the Association, etc. – ultimately an HOA puts itself at risk if it tries to self-manage all the components that are part of the Association. Instead of rolling the dice on hoping for the best for your Association, learn what seven of those risks are and then consider where your Association stands.
HOA board members and Association homeowners regularly recycle soda cans and water bottles, but did you know that many other food and beverage containers and household items are also recyclable? Take a look at the list below for some guidelines for what you can put into your Association community-provided recycling bin and what should be handled by a waste management professional.
All members of the HOA board are responsible for the Association’s overall financial health; but the treasurer has specific duties to protect the Association’s assets. These duties—and the authority to exercise them—are found in the homeowners association’s governing documents and also in state laws. It’s a big responsibility, but fortunately an HOA manager can help with many of the details.
