HOA Management Blog

Common Foundation Problems & the HOA Foundation problems for HOA boards are normally a result of drainage or other water related issues. Because of the potential ramifications to the HOA's annual budget, boards that have a basic understanding of foundations problems can be very beneficial. Beneficial in that a knowledge of foundations can many times...

- Wet detention pond: a pond designed to have a remaining permanent pool of water after a storm event.   - Dry detention pond: a pond designed to NOT have a significant pool of water remaining after a storm event.   - Water Quality Pond: a detention pond with an orifice sized to allow time...

Legal expenses for many HOAs are a significant dollar amount on the annual budget. In most all instances these legal expenses are for attorney opinions or in connection with collection related activities. While collections related matters are fortunately reimbursable by the member in collections, other legal expenses are generally not reimbursable.   Board members or...

Swimming pool maintenance can, many times, be one of the largest items on an HOA's budget. It is beneficial for a board to have an understanding of the pool and the related expenses. One of those possible expenses can come from a malfunctioning hydrostatic valve.   A hydrostatic valve is one of those things that...

While HOA boards should rely on professional reserve studies for long term planning, having a general idea of product life cycles can possibly assist with annual budgeting. Even with a professional reserve study there are no guarantees on life cycles. This is because of extenuating circumstances such as environment, use, installation, and a myriad of...

"Why are our dues higher than the HOA next door?" Or perhaps: "My sister's HOA dues are less than our dues." No matter what the one-dimensional analysis of another HOA's dues are, a great deal of further research is needed. As with many situations, the answer to this may appear to be straightforward, but the...

Questions arise from HOA boards about Net Income/Loss and Retained Earnings as found on their monthly financials. Net Income is the total of excess income over expenses, while Net Loss is the excess expenses over income.   Retained Earnings, by definition, is the balance of net income less losses over the years the association has...

William Douglas Management has a collections process that was reviewed and structured by attorneys who specialize in HOA collections. Because of the harsh consequences for violating one of the vast and complicated collection statutes, this approved collection process is necessary to protect our client associations and our company.   One of the many challenges of...

I think that I shall never see. A poem lovely as a tree.   The first part of the wonderful poem "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer, praising the virtues of all trees. One must realize that Joyce Kilmer did not reside within a HOA and, therefore, probably did not deal with the issues that arise with...