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Should Your Condo Association Adopt Online Voting? by Becker / BECKERBALLOT

Should Your Condo Association Adopt Online Voting? by Becker / BECKERBALLOT

  • Posted: Mar 21, 2024
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Should Your Condo Association Adopt Online Voting?

by Becker / BECKERBALLOT

Many associations are considering whether to adopt online voting (or “E-Voting”). Legislation took effect enacting Section 718.128, back in July 2015.  Florida Statutes, permitting condominiums, cooperatives and homeowners’ associations to conduct elections and other owner votes through the use of “an Internet-based online voting system.” This article will discuss how to do so and what the advantages are.

The first step is for a Board to decide if they wish to offer electronic voting to their members. Florida Statutes 718.128 requires associations to adopt a board resolution approving electronic voting before they can utilize this type of voting process. The resolution must determine the manner in which online voting will be conducted such as procedures, deadlines, opportunities to consent to and participate, or opt out. The resolution must be considered at a board of directors meeting on 14 days of notice. A copy of the resolution must be provided to owners.

 

The resolution must provide that:

All unit owners receive notice of the opportunity to vote through an online voting system prior to each election or other unit owner vote in which the association authorizes online voting;
The deadline to consent, in writing, to online voting must be no less than 14 days before the election or other unit owner vote;
A method to authenticate the unit owner’s identification to the online voting system;
A method to transmit an electronic ballot to the online voting system that ensures the secrecy and integrity of each ballot; and,
A method to confirm, at least 14 days before the voting deadline, that the unit owner’s electronic device can successfully communicate with the online voting system.

The first of these requirements will ensure continual notice under circumstances in which online voting is conducted on an ongoing basis, avoiding situations where new owners are unaware of their right to opt in, and the latter prevents issues arising from last minute consents, and protects against fraud.

 

The following are other significant requirements contained in the legislation:

The e-voting system must provide the owner with a receipt, including the specific vote cast, the date and time of submission, and the user identification.
The e-voting system must also produce an official record for the association identifying the specific votes cast on each ballot and the date and time of the receipt of each electronically submitted ballot. The association must then maintain this record.
Votes in an election of directors shall not be accessible to the association prior to the scheduled election. Failure to comply will void the election.

In associations where voting participation is an issue, online voting can greatly increase participation and generate enthusiasm for the voting process. Online voting can also lessen the risk of fraudulent elections. While the costs for use of online voting software are likely to exceed mail out costs in many associations, such costs can be mitigated over time, and associations have flexibility in determining whether particular meetings will utilize online voting (i.e. – it is not an all or nothing decision).

Associations choosing to move forward must take care to confirm that they are using a vendor that understands and complies with the technical requirements. Like all other vendor contacts, it is critical to discuss the terms with legal counsel, who can also determine whether the system to be utilized is compliant. As meetings approach where online voting will be conducted, the use of online voting will require certain additional disclosures and instructions to members in relation to the process. Contact an attorney with experience in condominium and homeowners association (HOA) law with any questions.

 

Our industry has a few that we looked into: one comes out as a leader

BECKERBALLOT  

Today is the day you’ve been waiting for BeckerBALLOT.com is LIVE! We have partnered with SHYFT digital to offer an easy-to-use, secure, electronic-voting solution for community associations across the state of Florida and beyond. It’s the same great software – only better!
What you can look forward to upon signing up:

  • Increase membership participation and significantly reduce the labor involved in tallying paper votes.
  • Members can cast their votes from the convenience of their home, office, or anywhere they have access to an internet connection.
  • Admins can tally votes electronically, making the process faster, more accurate, and less prone to human error.
  • Eliminate typical errors and judgment calls associated with manual paper votes.
  • Easily solicit opinions using our survey tool to make informed decisions for your association membership.

We now offer flexible pricing, as well as a survey feature when you sign up for annual unlimited voting. The survey tool allows you to poll your community association without conducting an official vote.

Also, did you know that if you become a Becker annual retainer client, you will receive, among other benefits, a significant discount on BeckerBALLOT?

 

 

 

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Subscribe to the Condo Craze and HOAs YouTube channel and hit the notifications bell so you never miss a moment.

Subscribe to the Condo Craze and HOAs YouTube channel and hit the notifications bell so you never miss a moment.

HEY………WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM?

What are the topics that you believe should dominate the condominium and HOA landscape? What are the issues that we may be missing or that simply deserve more coverage?

We want to hear from you! Feel free to share your questions before Sunday’s broadcast, join us with a call during the live show, or type them into the YouTube chat. The choice is entirely yours!

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS

Stay in the loop with our live broadcasts! Click the link to visit our YouTube channel, hit the alert button, and be sure to subscribe for instant notifications.

As always, we’ll be taking your calls on whatever topic you need answers to or whatever you need to get off your chest. Call in with your question & comments or ask them in the live YouTube chat!

Glazer and Sachs presents a forum for board members and owners to tell their side of the story. Hosted by Eric Glazer, a recognized authority in community association law, Condo Craze and HOAs offers valuable insights and lively discussions, attracting a diverse audience of homeowners and board members.

 

SFPMA NEWS: Our Website will be down for a System Reboot Feb 29, 2024

SFPMA NEWS: Our Website will be down for a System Reboot Feb 29, 2024

  • Posted: Feb 26, 2024
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On Feb 29, 2024  SFPMA Website will be down.

We have a total reboot of our system on our server, while adding many new members our IT dept had to add new code to advance our search. We will try to conduct this late night but it might fall over to the next day…due to caching. 




In the last month we have found some of the articles, and the New listed Members were not being shared from our system Feed to our Website, there was a disconnect between our Server. Since we have our own dedicated Server and Files. We can reboot and move to a new section and pair this with our hosting provider.

Upgrades will not stop search results from showing but it will make them better. Our IT Dept has found some of the Inner workings through the WordPress CMS Plugins and our System were not linking up properly.  ie: as of Feb 22, 2024 New Member Companies were added yet did not show on the website. It came to our attn. when one of our members were sent their log in details and once they did they could not view their Membership listing.

It took a week to make all the changes, to the System, Calendar, Company Listings, and Plugins So the end of the week the system is being upgraded to a faster dedicated server.

Thank You, SFPMA

Frank J Mari / Executive Director

 

 

 

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How long should HOA repairs take?

How long should HOA repairs take?

How long should HOA repairs take?

We recently published an article on how communities can speed up maintenance projects. In this article, we’ll look at how long some common maintenance jobs should take to complete.

 

Table of contents

 

The obligation to maintain the property

HOAs have an obligation to maintain certain parts of the development. They must set aside a portion of the dues or fees collected from owners to pay for big and small maintenance projects. If the association fails to meet those obligations, it not only creates safety problems for members, but legal issues for the association as well.

If members feel that the board is not properly caring for the property, they can write official complaints, vote to remove board members, or even sue the HOA.

Maintenance must be taken seriously, but it is far easier to manage when you have a system or solution that enables you to organize components, schedule/assign work, and track tasks.

 

Defining maintenance obligations

The maintenance responsibilities of an association versus those assigned to individual owners depend primarily on whether the item or equipment is classified as part of a common area, exclusive use common area, or separate interest.

Common areas typically refer to shared spaces such as pools, sidewalks and roads. Exclusive use common areas are spaces or elements used by one or more, but fewer than all, of the owners. Separate interests are the separately owned lots belonging to members.

While some maintenance obligations are quite clear, others can be a little murky. This is especially true with exclusive common areas since they tend to be things like patios and windows. Roof maintenance may also be confusing; some HOAs cover roof repairs while others do not.

The association’s CC&Rs should detail maintenance obligations and define who is responsible for what. But if there is some uncertainty, boards are advised to refer to civil codes and/or consult with the HOA’s attorney.

 

Why timelines matter

There are several reasons why time matters when it comes to maintenance projects. The main one is so staff and management can plan for disruptions and costs. However, there are times when maintenance work will impact owners, and they will also need to know approximately how long the work will impact their day-to-day lives.

For example, if a parking lot is being repaved, owners will need to be informed of the work, they will need to move their vehicles before the work begins, and know how long they will have to find temporary parking.

Contractors can’t know for sure how long maintenance work will take to complete, but they should be able to provide an educated estimate. Tracking the time it takes for professionals to complete routine and unplanned maintenance is another good way to predict future repair timelines. Having this knowledge allows those responsible for setting up maintenance work to complete projects with more confidence (plus they’ll know if a vendor is taking too long to complete certain jobs).

 

How long should HOA repairs take?

There is no way to know for sure how long any maintenance project will take. Even a standard preventative maintenance job can become lengthy if a contractor discovers additional damage to an element. Other factors, including availability of materials, permit requirements, complexity of the project, size of the community, and weather will all impact the timeline of a project.

That being said, below are some estimates of how long common HOA maintenance work takes to complete.

To get a more accurate time estimate, speak with a contractor or repair expert. They will be able to look at the specific qualities of your community and provide you with a realistic timeline.

Pool repairs

There are many different types of pool repairs. Some can be completed in a couple of hours while others will take several days.

A simple structural leak generally takes a day or two of work. Half a day is needed to complete the first step of a crack injection repair, and another half day is required to “staple” the cracks together and plaster the damaged area.

If your pool has a heater and the warming system breaks, the entire pool may be shut down for a week. The heater can be replaced in a day, but it could take longer. After the new pool heater is installed, it might be another three days before the pool is warm enough to use again.

Most plumbing leaks can be resolved in two days, but the time it takes to fix a pool leak from plumbing can vary according to the extent of the damage.

Pool resurfacing involves the removal and replacement of the top layer of the pool surface. This may be done to give the pool a clean fresh look, or to address several small cracks. In general, this renovation process takes one to three weeks.

 

Water/electricity lines

A water line is an underground pipe that transports water from a water source to a home’s or building’s service pipe. These pipes typically run beneath sidewalks and streets.

A water line pipe might crack, allowing water to spill out. This can cause many issues, including unsanitary water, higher water bills, low water pressure, and floods.

Due to the severity of this problem, a water main break needs immediate attention. Plumbing technicians will need to turn the water off while they repair the break. Once the pipe is in working order, they will flush it before reconnecting it to the plumbing system.

The good news is this type of repair only takes between four and eight hours.

If an electricity line goes out due to weather, it can generally be restored in a couple of hours. However, if an entire pole comes down, the outage could easily last a full day.

 

Roofs

In many cases, HOAs have delegated the responsibility of maintaining roofs to the individual owners. But if the association covers the costs of repairs, expect each home to take up 1-3 days of the contractors’ time. More complex designs and materials will add time to that estimate.

 

Gutters and downspouts

Routine maintenance of gutters and downspouts prevents more serious water damage from occurring. Like roofs, many HOAs have stated that owners are responsible for maintaining these items.

Minor gutter repairs can be completed in as little as one to two hours. Partial replacements can take two to four hours, and full replacements can take two to three days of work.

The timing is similar for downspout repairs and replacements.

 

Parking lots

Most HOAs can complete routine parking lot maintenance in two to three weeks, but timing will vary depending on the size of the lot and weather conditions.

Paving can take less than a week, but keep in mind that proper curing (letting the asphalt cool and settle) is an important part of the process as well. Depending on the size of the parking lot, thorough curing can take anywhere from one to two weeks.

 

General landscaping

While not a traditional repair, landscaping is a maintenance job that can be hard to plan for, at least the first couple of times. The size of the property, availability of materials, and weather conditions can greatly impact the time it takes to finish the job. Once you have found a landscaper that you like, you will become more familiar with the time it takes to do certain jobs.

From start to finish, most projects fall into the two- to three-week range, but cutting grass or trimming plans can take half a day.

 

Conclusion

HOAs have an obligation to maintain certain areas of the development. By scheduling routine maintenance, associations help prolong the useful life of elements and components, and keep the community safe and attractive too.

It’s important for staff, board members and management to have repair timelines so that they can budget for costs and time accordingly. While projects don’t always go according to plan, just having a guideline allows them to manage expectations more effectively.

 

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RSVP for free to attend a Lunch & Learn at the Weston Community Center on Feb. 21st at 11:30am. Topic: “Managing Conflict Management in HOAs and Condos”.

RSVP for free to attend a Lunch & Learn at the Weston Community Center on Feb. 21st at 11:30am. Topic: “Managing Conflict Management in HOAs and Condos”.

  • Posted: Feb 20, 2024
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RSVP for free to attend a Lunch & Learn at the Weston Community Center on Feb. 21st at 11:30am. Topic: “Managing Conflict Management in HOAs and Condos”.

This also gets CAMS a credit in HR!

Guest panelists include Weston Commissioner Mary Molina Macfie and Kaye Bender Rembaum’s Michael S. Bender, offering their perspectives.

The instructor is Marcy Kravit, PCAM (Hotwire Communications). Lunch provided by Blue Tiger Wellness and is complimentary to those who register.

Here is the link:

ACE Lunch & Learn in Weston

Presented by Hotwire Communications’, Marcy Kravit, PCAM, “Creating Harmony: Managing Conflict Management in Community Associations”. DPBR approved credit for CAMS! Course# 9632176. Provider# 8912. One HR CEU. Panel Guests: Michael Bender, Esq. (Kaye Bender Rembaum) & Mary Macfie (Weston City Commissioner).

Where: 

Wednesday, February 21, 2024 from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EST

Where

Weston Community Center
20200 Saddle Club Rd
Weston, FL 33327

 

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Building Inspection Services, Serving our clients with a high degree of professionalism, imagination and skill is a Feller Engineering trademark.

Building Inspection Services, Serving our clients with a high degree of professionalism, imagination and skill is a Feller Engineering trademark.

  • Posted: Jan 25, 2024
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Feller Engineering has been providing high-quality, state-of-the-art MEPFP Engineering consulting services since 1979. Since then we have provided quality HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Fire Sprinkler, Life Safety Systems Design, Peer Review, LEED and Green Building Design as well as Forensic Investigative Services for any type and size project. Our expertise has been applied to a wide range of new construction projects as well as retrofit and reuse of existing and historic buildings.

 

Serving our clients with a high degree of professionalism, imagination and skill is a Feller Engineering trademark.

  • Encompass the latest technological innovations where applicable
  • Are creative in approach (especially with renovation projects)
  • Will be in complete accord with the architect’s design concept and the owner’s operational and financial objectives

 

MEPFP Engineering Services

Servicing clients with a high degree of professionalism, imagination and skill is a Feller Engineering trademark. Our designs encompass the latest technological innovations where applicable and our creative approach (especially with renovation projects) will be in coordination with the architect’s design concept and the owner’s operational and financial objectives as well.

Mechanical Systems Design

Our HVAC department, headed by Eser Hur, has a staff of engineers and designers (several registered Professional Engineers and LEED AP). It has enormous experience and expertise with every conceivable type of air conditioning and ventilation system commercially available. Our engineers are constantly being briefed by major manufacturers as to the current state of the art equipment in monthly lunch and learn sessions.
Mechanical Systems Design

Electrical Systems Design

The Electrical Department headed by Bob Raynor with his staff of Electrical Engineers and Electrical Designers (several of whom are registered Professional Engineers and or maintain LEED AP status) have the responsibility to support our HVAC, Plumbing and Fire Sprinkler Departments.
Electrical Systems Design

Plumbing Systems Design

Greg Badal (Department Head) and his staff of engineers and designers (several of whom are CIPD and LEED AP) have extensive experience and expertise in a myriad of projects. Some members of the staff (including Greg) at Feller Engineering have over 30 years of design experience.
Plumbing Systems Design

Fire Protection Systems Design

We know that a fire can be an overwhelming experience. We believe in treating your home or business like it is our own, because we want you to feel comfortable when visiting us. Fire Protection Systems Design offers a comprehensive fire protection system that optimizes the effectiveness of your space to protect against fire, smoke and other hazards. Headed by Anand Kris Singh our engineering team will create a fire protection design for your project and save you time, money and heartache! Fire protection systems design and installations are fundamental to the safety, success and code compliances of your facility.

Fire Protection Systems Design

 

Feller Engineering
myenni@fellerpe.com
cdiaz@fellerpe.com
914-467-1402
http://www.fellerpe.com

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Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday from SFPMA

Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday from SFPMA

  • Posted: Dec 20, 2023
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Merry Christmas from all of us at the State of Florida Property Management Association

Our Offices will be closed as of Wed 20, 2023 we will return Dec 27, 28, 29 2023

again our Offices will be closed till after the New Year.

if you need us we will be available by email  Membership@sfpma.com

We look forward to the many changes in the New Year as should you.

sfpma.com

2401 E Atlantic Blvd, Pompano Beach, FL 33062

https://g.page/r/Ca16pZV0_yhcEAI/review