HOA Management Blog
As Thanksgiving approaches many of us have many things to be grateful for. Volunteering as an HOA board member of your homeowners association is sometimes a thankless job -- but there are a few things you can be grateful for. Your HOA does good things for the community and makes it a better place to live.
Some associations have extra space for various amenities. Some have parks, tennis courts, or even lakes and water features. One amenity that’s a feature in some associations is playgrounds for children. There are many different types of playgrounds and play apparatus for associations to choose from. Whether your association has had a playground from the beginning or it’s considering the addition as a capital expenditure, there are certain things an HOA board should keep in mind.
Americans are starting to gear up for voting date and showing support for their preferred 2016 presidential candidate by volunteering at campaign locations, watching the latest debates, and posting political signs on their property. This raises the issue of whether or not a homeowners association can restrict residents from posting political signs. Learn more in the article excerpt below and what the law in California says.
As a volunteer HOA board member or homeowner within an association, elections, quorums, secret ballots and things related can be very confusing. They can even be confusing to those trained to work in this industry. If nothing else, you should understand that not all elections are equal.
Each and every homeowner’s association should have a reserve fund as part of its budget to plan and prepare for future repairs and maintenance, as well as unanticipated expenses and needs. HOA board members are responsible to make sure a reserve plan is in place for the Association, or at least ask the question about how the Board is planning for the reserves. If the Board is ignoring the reserves altogether, then it needs to actively seek out assistance to make this happen.
As a homeowner or renter in a homeowners association, you know the importance of setting aside a little bit of money each month in case of an emergency. After all, you never know when you might have to replace an appliance or take your car to the mechanic. In order to effectively do this you’ve probably analyzed your budget and determined an amount that you can comfortably set aside each month so it’s there when you really need it.
Community associations have a lot in common with municipal governments. As members of a governing body -- and typically also members of the homeowner’s association -- HOA board members should meet regularly to discuss and vote on important community issues, like paying the Association’s bills, funding reserves and contracting with vendors to keep community amenities in good repair. The Board makes decisions about these and other important topics using a democratic process.
It’s that time again in your homeowners association – time for the Annual Director Election. To be proactive and try to drum up participation from the membership, the HOA board may want to send out a notice to the members asking for volunteers to assist in this process. The notice could include the following:
Did you know you can request a copy of the CC&Rs that detail just about everything you need to know about the HOA, prior to becoming a member? You can and you should! One of the important factors is how much you will be paying in monthly HOA fees.
The presidential race is in full-swing and everyone is gearing up for the home stretch of campaign season. While some people prefer to keep their opinions to themselves, others want you to know exactly who they’re voting for and why. How does all this come into play when you live in a homeowner’s association?
Firstly, it’s inappropriate for the HOA board to act politically. In other words, the Board as an entity should declare a “side” so to speak. That being said, it can support both sides of the political spectrum by doing the following.
