HOA Management Blog

In recent years HOA boards have been faced with a "new" type of collection issue, the reverse mortgage. Even though reverse mortgages have been around since 1961, how they actually work is not well understood as a traditional mortgage.   A reverse mortgage is a loan available to homeowners who are at least 62 years...

The HOA’s collection process has been 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 all parties.   One of the many challenges of being on a HOA board of directors...

When HOAs are affected by natural disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is a resource. - State or local government are responsible for removal of debris and FEMA may reimburse for these expenditures. FEMA may cover costs to remove fallen trees, large branches, silt, sand, mud and building materials from private roadways to create...

There are many factors when selecting the type and color of a replacement roof for structures within a HOA. It is important to realize that weight, warranty, and cost are not necessarily effective measures of a roofing product. The three primary issues for the HOA's board of directors to consider when selecting a new roof:...

What is Percentage of Ownership? Percentage of ownership is the basis of a member's ownership, typically in a condominium, COA. This percentage determines dues amounts and voting rights. How the initial property developer determines percentage of ownership for each unit can vary from condominium project to condominium project. This percentage ownership is typically established in...

Why Must the HOA Approve My??? Some in the membership may believe the HOA is similar to Big Brother when they wish to alter the exterior of their home or do anything that requires approval of the Board of Directors or Architectural Review Committee.  The architectural review program is actually a benefit to everyone—not a...

HOA message boards The topic of HOA message boards comes up from time to time. Usually this arises at a board meeting or during the HOA's annual membership meeting. What precipitates this topic is the concern about communication within the HOA. A message board (also known as a discussion group, discussion forum, discussion board, and...

5 Items that should not be included in HOA meeting minutes HOA boards commonly ask what should be placed into meeting minutes. The answer to this is simply note actions taken and just the facts. The following are five items that are better left out of HOA meeting minutes. 1. Personal observations 2. Opinions 3....

Nationally, HOA Members Are Generally Satisfied with Their HOA The Foundation for Community Association Research, an affiliate of Community Associations Institute (CAI), sponsored a national public opinion survey of HOA members to gauge their views towards their HOA.  The Findings A representative sample of the 62 million Americans who live within homeowner associations and condominium...

Robert's Rules The use of Robert's Rules is not only the best practices for all HOA meetings, it may be a requirement per some state statutes. Even if it is not mandated, HOA Boards should utilize Robert's Rules for all meetings to make their meeting efficient and the meeting actions legitimate. Utilizing Robert's Rules correctly...