HOA Management Blog

Most HOA rules and regulations address members not restraining their dog. And boards use the enforcement provisions in the declarations or state statutes to hold members who violate the rules and regulations accountable. Another compliance strategy could be informing members that according to the American Humane Society, an unleashed dog has an average life span...

HOA boards are routinely faced with drainage issues and seek effective solutions. One of the most common and effective solutions is the French drain. A French drain is basically a ditch lined with rocks or gravel that helps drain water away from an area. It is used to protect the foundation of a house or...

What to distributed at an annual meeting can vary from HOA to HOA. This is due to prior practices of what was distribute at prior annual meetings. Also, what may be required per the HOA's governing documents.   The first place to check are the HOA's governing documents. The bylaws, the covenants, and possibly the...

This time of year, William Douglas' Accounting Department is in high gear preparing for our clients’ financial year-end along with getting dues payment coupons out for the coming fiscal year. A great deal of focus is on closing the year-end books. One aspect that makes HOA’s financials different is that corporation tax returns, in most...

Winterizing is the process that every HOA member should undertake to make their home ready for winter. Freezing temperatures, ice, snow and wind can cause severe damage to a home.   Frozen Pipes Plumbing may be located in the outer walls of a home so it may be exposed to colder air than what is...

“CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions), also known as the declaration or declaration of covenants, conditions, and restrictions, is a governing document used primarily for planned communities. More than any other single document, the CC&Rs establishes the planned community because it spells out the essential elements of ownership. The HOA or planned community comes into existence...

Each year William Douglas Management's Accounting Department seeks quotes from outside CPA firms to perform audits and reviews for our client’s financial records. A quote for performing the HOA's tax returns is also obtained at the same time. Combining either an audit or a review with the tax preparation, typically offers a cost savings to...

There has been a great deal of media coverage of the ADA pool accessibility mandates that have affected public pools and hotel swimming pools recently, including a significant amount of miscommunication as to how these new mandates relate to HOA and condominium association swimming pools.   Section 242 of the new ADA Standards for Accessible...

It seems like a week does not go by without a negative newspaper article or negative broadcast news story about a homeowner association somewhere. The story usually has an emotional narrative and most of the time appears decidedly one sided against the homeowner association or the HOA’s board. The most common theme of these stories...