HOA Management Blog

One of the challenges of serving on an HOA board of directors is dealing with issues and possibly not having a great deal of experience with the issue. Certain maintenance issues can arise that sometimes are beyond the experience level of a board member. However, a good basic understanding of a dwelling's major systems can...

Sill Plate & Bank Joist A termite infestation and the related damage caused is a persistent problem for HOAs. Termite damage can occur from the bottom of a structure to the attic. Any part of a structure that is composed of untreated wood is susceptible to termite infestation. A common location, and an expensive area to...

One aspect of serving on any HOA board of directors is the HOA board member's prior scope of knowledge regarding issues that commonly arise while serving. Many times a new board member could be an expert in a particular specialty that is of huge benefit to their service on the board. A good example of...

The ideal time to locate the emergency water shutoff is not during an actual emergency.  Unfortunately, until they must, most people never think about locating the emergency water shutoff.  Quickly finding the shutoff in a home, especially in a multifamily homeowner association (HOA), can be the difference between hundreds of dollars or thousands of dollars...

This article is presented in six parts: Part One – Covenant Violations Part Two – “I want to opt out of the HOA” Part Three – How are violations determined? Part Four – How are managers trained to find violations? Part Five – Hearing Letters Part Six – “Nothing like that would happen in our...

This article is presented in six parts: Part One – Covenant Violations Part Two – “I want to opt out of the HOA” Part Three – How are violations determined? Part Four – How are managers trained to find violations? Part Five – Hearing Letters Part Six – “Nothing like that would happen in our...

This article is presented in six parts: Part One – Covenant Violations Part Two – “I want to opt out of the HOA” Part Three – How are violations determined? Part Four – How are managers trained to find violations? Part Five – Hearing Letters Part Six – “Nothing like that would happen in our...

This article is presented in six parts: Part One – Covenant Violations Part Two – "I want to opt out of the HOA" Part Three – How are violations determined? Part Four – How are managers trained to find violations? Part Five – Hearing Letters Part Six – "Nothing like that would happen in our...

This article is presented in six parts: Part One – Covenant Violations Part Two – "I want to opt out of the HOA" Part Three – How are violations determined? Part Four – How are managers trained to find violations? Part Five – Hearing Letters Part Six – "Nothing like that would happen in our...

This article is presented in six parts: Part One – Covenant Violations Part Two – "I want to opt out of the HOA" Part Three – How are violations determined? Part Four – How are managers trained to find violations? Part Five – Hearing Letters Part Six – "Nothing like that would happen in our...

These voting rights sections in CC&Rs will also typically address when these voting rights expire.  And define exactly who has these voting rights.  The example of a voting rights section below is from a single-family HOA in North Carolina.  This language will vary from state to state and HOA to HOA.   "ARTICLE ELEVEN: MEMBERSHIP...

For homeowner associations that have already transitioned from the developer of the community to membership control, voting classes, rarely come up. It typically only comes up when boards of directors are thinking of making amendments to their declaration of covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs). Voting rights and amending the CC&Rs will be covered later in...

One thing is for sure serving on a homeowner association (HOA) board of directors is all about working with others. Which can be a struggle in patience and understanding because of the many personalities that are encountered. Fortunately, most HOA membership interactions are positive. However, within every HOA, interpersonal friction is inevitable. Making these situations...

Robert’s Rules: 10 Common Mistakes This brief overview of Robert's Rules of Order can be beneficial to new board members for understanding the basic process of how a meeting is to be performed. One person may speak or have the floor at a time. The Chair of the meeting decides who that person will be....

The Agenda - Composition of Rights & Abuses It is imperative that issues of a pertinent and important nature are the only items that should be placed on a meeting’s agenda. If it does not require board consideration, an email notification to the board of directors is probably a better method. For time efficiently and...

Born in Robertville, South Carolina, Brigadier General Henry Martyn Robert (5/2/1837 – 5/11/1923) was the son of a Baptist preacher. Because of his father’s opposition to slavery, his father moved the family to Ohio, and this is where Henry was raised. Robert received an appointment to the United States Military Academy, West Point, and graduated...

Generally speaking, a HOA property management company will tell you that homeowner association (HOA) governing documents are straightforward on the workings and responsibilities of the HOA and the individual HOA members. Of course, this point can be argued with all the thousands of attorneys drafting HOA governing documents with varying levels of competence. With this...

The number of questions homeowners association (HOA) property management companies receive about how the HOA has the ability to enforce covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs), and even perform any type of maintenance on elements that the association does not physically own is growing. Such as, how in a townhome HOA can the board of directors...

A competent homeowners association (HOA) property management company can advise on how to handle sensitive issues detailed in an HOA’s covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs).  These CC&Rs give the HOA authority to go onto a homeowner’s property and to perform maintenance on elements that the association does not physically own. Questions such as, how in...

On occasion you will hear a homeowner association (HOA) member stating they do not have to pay the HOA’s assessment. This proclamation typically stems from the “unrealized member” stating they had ‘never agreed to join the HOA’ when they bought their home. This “not a member” belief possibly could originate from the “unrealized member” claiming...