As an HOA Board member you know that HOA rules serve a valid purpose – usually. While you understand the importance of enforcing your HOA rules and regulations, it would be hard to follow through on the following with a straight face.  

Are you abiding by the rules in your homeowners association? When you move into a homeowners association you become part of a neighborhood that is governed by a board of directors who enforce the rules of the Association. When you sign the Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs) of the Association, you are entering into an agreement that you will abide by the rules of the Association community. This often means you’re limited to the improvements you can make to your property (like paint color of your home, landscaping, or decorative components), whether or not you can have pets, noise restrictions, etc.

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.

Finding your dream home in that great neighborhood is only part of the equation when looking to purchase a home. Buying a home involves much more than just finding the right house. You need to find out about your new neighborhood, including whether or not it’s part of a homeowners association.

All homeowners associations want children to be safe while riding their bikes and scooters in their community. Parents cannot always be there to watch them all the time, but it is their responsibility to teach their kids the rules, and it's the HOA board’s responsibility to make sure the parents are informed of the rules. Here are four steps that the HOA board can send to members to increase children's bike safety when a parent/guardian is not around 

Noise is a concern for every resident and because you live in a homeowners association community, it’s important to understand that some degree of noise is to be expected. At the same time, residents need to consider the consequences of their noisy behavior. To keep everyone happy and maintain civility among neighbors, the HOA board asks that you take a few steps to reduce or eliminate annoying noise.

If you live in a Common Interest Development, you may not realize that you are among the 73.9 million Americans who live in a property owners or homeowners association, including condominium communities.

You may think that most residents are happy living in your community, and hopefully, that is the case, but how do these 70 million residents feel about their own associations?