HOA Management Blog

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?

As you may or may not know the State of California has recently adopted an emergency regulation that took effect on August 1, 2014, and is intended to cause a reduction in urban water usage during the current drought. The operative language of the regulation is included at the end of this blog, but here’s what you need to know (in layman’s terms) as a resident in a homeowners association.

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.

Can’t we all just get along? Most of the time, residents in the homeowners association respect the community they live in and abide by the rules. But there’s always “that guy” who for whatever reason doesn’t want to comply with an HOA rule. The good news is, there is a process in place to help an HOA board respectfully deal with a homeowner that won’t comply. Consider the scenario below.

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 is the HOA board’s responsibility to make sure the parents are informed of the rules. So here are four steps that could increase children's bike safety when a parent/ guardian is not around that you could pass out to the homeowners in your community.

Most homeowners associations are proud to be pet-friendly, and welcome four-legged family members are part of the community. Of course, it’s important that these pets don’t create an unpleasant environment for everyone else. To avoid unnecessary disputes and potential rule violations, here are some guidelines owners should follow to ensure their furry friends continue to be a welcome addition to the neighborhood. 

Have you lost your copy of the Association bylaws? Would you like to read minutes from past board meetings? Would you like to read a resolution for background information on a homeowners association policy?

If you live in a Common Interest Development, you may not realize that you are among the more than 60 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 we certainly hope that this is the case, but how do these 60 million residents feel about their own associations? Are they happy with their elected boards? How do they feel about the rules?

Homeowners association members who pay their assessments late or not at all come up with some very interesting excuses. Here’s half a dozen of the most common excuses your HOA board might hear and why it’s smart to address them.

A major issue that a homeowners association (HOA) and its Board may be faced with is whether to limit rentals in the community. While HOAs can restrict rentals, this issue may be hotly debated. Arguments can be made for and against the adoption of a rental cap.

As a Board member of a homeowners association you have many duties. Sometimes you might feel like you’re in a tug-of-war when dealing with uncooperative tenants who refuse to adhere to the rules. The Board must act in these situations though and the group needs to stand firm in all matters.

As an HOA Board member, how many times have you heard the excuse “I never got a letter” from a homeowner when attempting to collect fines or notify them about a rule violation? This is a common excuse that homeowners make, and while sometimes it does happen, HOA Board members should know about the Mailbox Rule and best practices they can do to increase the open-rate of letters.