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ASK THE ATTORNEYS  with KBR Legal 11/16/2021  6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

ASK THE ATTORNEYS  with KBR Legal 11/16/2021  6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

  • Posted: Nov 15, 2021
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ASK THE ATTORNEYS  with KBR Legal 11/16/2021  6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

WEBINAR Florida

ASK THE ATTORNEYS  11/16/2021  6:30 pm – 8:00 pm  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_onq_UDCzQ0-Bm-WLk3RVrw A town hall-style presentation. Attendees ask association-related questions, and our panel, featuring Florida Bar Board Certified Specialists in Condominium and Planned Development Law, attorneys Robert L. Kaye and Michael S. Bender, answer them live. The format will be as follows: Attendees will use the “Raise Hand” feature on the Zoom interface. We will enable your mic to ask your question, similar to a radio talk show! Hosted by City of Tamarac with Kaye Bender Rembaum.

RSVP Free HERE

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AQUATIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT / Lunch and Learn

AQUATIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT / Lunch and Learn

November 16 @ 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

AQUATIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT / Lunch and Learn

WEBINAR Florida

AQUATIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT  1 CEU – COURSE NUMBER: 9628717 Zoom Lunch and Learn Free CEUs for: Property Managers Board Members Tuesday, November 16, 2021 11:30am-12:30pm Ever wondered what is going on with your lake? This course will help you better understand lakes on property, native plants, fish stocking, stormwater maintenance, erosion issues, and more!

Sign up here! RSVP: CSullivan@AllstateManagement.com

 

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CONGRATS, you survived Hurricane Season…BUT did your ROOF?

CONGRATS, you survived Hurricane Season…BUT did your ROOF?

  • Posted: Nov 11, 2021
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CONGRATS, you survived Hurricane Season…BUT did your ROOF?

The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOOA), this year is predicted to be another above-normal season.

The 2021 Hurricane season starts on June 1 but it’s never too early to prepare. Damage from a hurricane can be costly for all businesses and can pose hazards for you and your employees. Fortunately, there are ways that you can fortify your business against a hurricane to minimize losses and reduce risks for workers.

 

As part of “Planning Ahead” for a Disaster, the SBA encourages you to consider taking these simple steps to prepare: Assess your risk; Create a plan, Execute your plan. Statistics show that 25% of small businesses don’t re-open after a disaster. Visit the SBA’s Prepare for Emergencies website to learn more about how to prepare and recover if a disaster strikes.

NOOA officials also encourage consumers to take the following steps:

  • Visit Ready.gov and Listo.gov for useful and valuable disaster preparation resources including checklists and templates for your business and your home.
  • Download the FEMA app to sign-up for a variety of alerts and to access preparedness information.
  • Consider purchasing flood insurance.

Visit the National Hurricane Center’s website at hurricanes.gov throughout the season to stay current on watches and warnings.


Statewide Professionals ready to Handle Storm Damage & Claims for Condo and HOA Properties!

These Trusted Legal Firms, Public Adjusters, Roofing Engineering & Service Companies will work with you on Storm Related Damage.

Use the Form..Contact us Today!

 

Has your Condo or HOA Sustained Property Damage?

SFPMA has a team of Legal Experts, adjusters, estimators and claim specialists for the benefit of the Condo and HOA’s who sustained damage from the storms and fire, water or mold.

With the know-how and experience to analyze, evaluate, and negotiate the best settlement for your Insurance Claim!

“Get the maximum settlement for your damage claim!”

 

 

MyCommunitySite.com Powered by BeckerLawyers.com

MyCommunitySite.com Powered by BeckerLawyers.com

  • Posted: Nov 11, 2021
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MyCommunitySite.com Powered by BeckerLawyers.com

Join us for two distinct webinars designed to give you an inside look at how MyCommunitySite.com can help streamline operations for your association.

Busy season has arrived for community association professionals, meaning annual meeting preparations and important association votes are right around the corner. Are you ready?

Watch our Video to learn more.

 

Join us for an educational program to learn more about our state-of-the-art website development service MyCommunitySite.com. It’s a smart, easy, and fun tool designed to take the drudgery out of community association website management and put you in the driver’s seat.

Here’s what you will learn during the webinar:

  • Walk through of the MyCommunitySite.com dashboard
  • Tour other association websites that were designed via MyCommunitySite.com
  • ​Learn about flexible pricing options
  • Explore how to create different pages
  • ​Find out what documents you can upload, available settings, and general ways to take advantage of the program’s features
  • Participate in a Q&A with our customer support team to answer any questions you may have.

Click here to view upcoming MyCommunitySite.com webinars.

 

 

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Employment Law Change That Community Associations Should Be Aware Of : by Ned Bassen, Jamie B. Dokovna

Employment Law Change That Community Associations Should Be Aware Of : by Ned Bassen, Jamie B. Dokovna

  • Posted: Nov 11, 2021
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Employment Law Change That Community Associations Should Be Aware Of

by Ned Bassen, Jamie B. Dokovna of Becker Lawyers

Senate Bill 1532 amending §409.2576, Florida Statutes went into effect. Previously, only employers with 250 or more employees were required to report newly hired and re-hired individuals to Florida’s State Directory of New Hires within 20 days of hiring. Independent contractors were excluded. Now, as of October 1, any employer, regardless of the number of employees that is a “service recipient” defined as “a person engaged in a trade or business who pays an individual for services rendered in the course of such trade or business” must report all new hires and re-hires to the State’s database. Additionally, employers must report their independent contractors who are paid $600 or more during a calendar year.

 

The purpose of the statute is to provide information to the Florida Child Support Program to facilitate the collection and disbursement of child support payments and to monitor and enforce child support payments. The statute, however, is silent regarding penalties for failing to report. That said, employers with less than 250 employees should update their onboarding process to include the new reporting requirements and all employers regardless of size should determine whether reporting requirements exist for any independent contractor used by them, update onboarding policies to reflect the changes in the law and provide training for those who perform onboarding and payroll, so they are aware of these changes.

by Ned Bassen, Jamie B. Dokovna ( Learn more click our V Cards )

   

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GET READY FOR SOME STICKER SHOCK  By Eric Glazer, Esq.

GET READY FOR SOME STICKER SHOCK By Eric Glazer, Esq.

  • Posted: Nov 11, 2021
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GET READY FOR SOME STICKER SHOCK

By Eric Glazer, Esq.

In the last 24 hours I was told of two different association annual budgets going up massively for the coming year.  We are talking about over 35% increases in the budget.  Think about that.  If your assessments are already $600.00 per month, you probably can expect going to $850.00 per month.  If you’re already at $800.00 per month, you’re about to go over a thousand.

It’s actually worse though, on a smaller scale.  People that are only paying $400.00 per month will now be going to around $550.00 per month.  It’s going to hurt them the most.  It always hurts the poorer people the most.

Add this on to the rising costs of gasoline, food, utilities and insurance and we are looking at a real crisis coming up.  Just remember, we can also expect that The Florida Legislature will likely be passing laws this year making it impossible to completely waive the funding of your reserve accounts.  So, on top of everything we just mentioned, get ready for your assessments to go up even hire when you are forced to pay in advance for future repairs.

For those of you that have not started addressing your budget for next year yet, I would get busy immediately.  You’re fooling yourself if you think that by avoiding it, things won’t change.  They will.  Unfortunately, all of these causes are coming together like a perfect storm.  Thank heavens most people don’t have adjustable rate mortgages any longer because if they did and mortgage rates started going up, things would be even worse.

I’m telling you what’s definitely coming.  The question is…..are there any solutions to prevent these increases.  I don’t think there are.  What things can you cut from your budget to offset these increases?  What steps can you take to curb costs?  I’m open to suggestions but I just don’t see good things on the horizon.  I can tell you that at least in my office, it’s starting to feel like foreclosures and delinquencies are already on the rise.  How do we put the brakes on another foreclosure crisis?

 

 

 

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Community Association Meeting Guidelines by Concierge Plus

Community Association Meeting Guidelines by Concierge Plus

  • Posted: Nov 11, 2021
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Community Association Meeting Guidelines

by Concierge Plus

Very involved community associations often have large contentious meetings when there is a hot button issue.

We’ve created the following guidelines for meetings so everyone participating knows what to expect.

Association Pledge & Basic Meeting Protocol

It’s only a “meeting” if it is organized and a good meeting conduct is important regardless of purpose. There should be an opening statement by the chairman (or a selected member) as to the main purpose (topic) of the meeting.

The ground rules for the meeting; address the chair, the chair decides who speaks, and for how long.

Many community associations start their meetings with their Association Pledge & Basic Meeting Protocol. See an example below:

The Board encourages all to abide by this pledge of conduct: While we might disagree, we will be respectful of one another. We will direct our comments to the issues, avoid personal attacks and abstain from acts or remarks which may interfere with the work of association management, employees, support, and board officers.

Owners are asked to submit questions on topics before the meeting and the presiding hosts will answer those questions. Observers will be afforded 3-minutes per comment to add anything missed in discussion. Only agenda topics will be discussed.

With our File Sharing feature, you can securely store and share your Association Pledge document with permission-based access.

Questions for the meeting

Owners should be notified about upcoming meetings ahead of time either via your newsletter, community calendar or display screens installed in the elevators or/and lobbies. Owners should be able to submit questions before the meeting so they can be answered during the presentation. If anyone want to “add” something, they can ask unanswered questions or make a new point during the meeting.

You should always record the meetings and you should always prepare minutes.

On-Demand Webinar

We recently had a webinar with our friends at GetQuorum titled What It Takes to Run a Great Hybrid Meeting.

We shared insight on how to navigate the complex nature of hybrid meetings, and shared tips & tricks for more effective hybrid meetings.

 

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Traditional Collection Methods Versus the HOA Business Model

Traditional Collection Methods Versus the HOA Business Model

  • Posted: Nov 04, 2021
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Traditional Collection Methods Versus the HOA Business Model

The Collections Conundrum

Human interaction is the foundation of a good business, that’s a pretty standard assessment. But that interaction gets complicated in a business like a community association. It can be a very muddy concept–homeowners buy a house that comes with a way to try to guarantee property values for a marginal fee, but it isn’t always clear that this agreement makes them part of a larger business model. This complicated relationship can make difficult business practices, like debt collection, all the more painful.

Fabio Ades, owner of PMI Top Florida Properties, who manages Serenity Place IV Condominium, found Axela’s post-foreclosure process to be the key to uncomplicating this unique business relationship, and softening the blow of debt collection.

“Implementing Axela was seamless for my management team because it connected with our existing accounting system. The way Axela’s systems are set up just made things easier for us,” says Ades. “But more importantly, Axela helps our customers. Consistent collections keep up the health of the community and protect members’ assets.”

Traditional Collections in an Untraditional Business Model

Collections are traditionally a process regarded as heartless. It calls to mind thoughts of unending phone calls from aggressive debt collectors armed with threats of asset repossession and loss of livelihood. It creates a general feeling of uneasiness in just about everyone. Unlike other business collections processes, that lack of ease is typically felt on both sides of the table when it comes to collections in a community association.

“It’s hard for people to remember that it’s not Fabio calling to collect–it’s not the Community Association Manager. It’s not the Board Treasurer who’s the bad guy, we’re not the bad guys,” Ades said.

Unfortunately, that’s what homeowners see. They see the person they’ve made friends with, they see their neighbor, the grill master who lives two doors down, or the dog walker on the third floor. They’re being asked by friendly faces for money they’re struggling to make, and those friends and neighbors are just as unhappy to be doing the asking.

But that’s the job. And that job is made a lot harder with the knowledge that there isn’t a lot of wiggle room when it comes to acting on delinquency.

“Management companies frequently have regulations that make it hard to help homeowners,” Ades lamented.

Community associations have little to no flexibility when it comes time to collect on past due payments from a homeowner. This is often a four-step process:

  1. Send an initial courtesy letter to the owner about the unpaid fees, alerting the homeowner of penalty fines if they remain unpaid
  2. Send a second courtesy letter, again warning of penalty fines for unpaid fees
  3. Send a final courtesy letter requesting payment and warning of pending legal action
  4. Refer the case to an attorney to begin pursuing legal action, at cost to the association

When a lawyer is on a collections case and the bank forecloses, it’s game over. If the property is in a super lien state then the association will recover a pittance of what is owed and the attorney will advise the association to “write off” the balance. Also, the attorney will advise the association that they owe him/her for legal services.

All of this happens over the course of 60 to 90 days. For a homeowner struggling to make payments, that time flies by and often isn’t enough to get current on the account.

 

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Lunch and Learn: This course will help you better understand lakes on property,  native plants, fish stocking, stormwater maintenance,  erosion issues, and more! by AQUATIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 

Lunch and Learn: This course will help you better understand lakes on property, native plants, fish stocking, stormwater maintenance, erosion issues, and more! by AQUATIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 

  • Posted: Nov 03, 2021
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Zoom

Lunch and Learn

Free CEUs for: Property Managers

Board Members

AQUATIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 

1 CEU – COURSE NUMBER: 9628717

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

11:30am-12:30pm

Ever wondered what is going on with your lake?

This course will help you better understand lakes on property,

native plants, fish stocking, stormwater maintenance,

erosion issues, and more!

RSVP: CSullivan@AllstateManagement.com

Colleen Sullivan

Marketing and Outreach Manager

Colleen is the Marketing and Outreach Manager of Allstate Resource Management, Inc. Colleen’s prior experience includes Events Manager for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, a non-profit organization. Colleen specialized in raising sponsorship dollars for the non-profit and speaking with local business leaders and organizations on partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. Colleen also had worked for the City of Parkland, City of Sunrise, and City of Plantation in their Parks and Recreation Departments in various positions such as Site Manager, Recreation Specialists planning local outdoor events for kids, adults and the senior population. Colleen earned a M.S. degree in Leisure Services Management from Florida International University and her B.A degree in History from Florida Atlantic University.

Allstate Resource Management | 6900 S.W. 21st Court, Bldg. 9Davie, FL 33404

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Setting Realistic Expectations for Your Community and You in 2021

Setting Realistic Expectations for Your Community and You in 2021

  • Posted: Nov 03, 2021
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Setting Realistic Expectations for Your Community

As we head into the new year, we are all setting our expectations for what we want and how we will accomplish our goals in 2021. New years resolutions are something most people start off with high expectations but can occasionally fall flat if they aren’t realistic goals. Similar to how all community associations are different, the expectations that your board or owners have for the new year can be different. Management companies can provide support but really understanding what your needs are and how can your community partners help meet those needs is important. Before you choose a new management company or even if you only want to evaluate your current company, start first with determining what items are most important to your community. How does the management company handle those tasks?

~sfpma

Take a look at these common expectations and what to ask of them.

 

Get Everyone on the Same Page

The first thing to do is set a meeting where everyone can get together to ask questions and understand what you expect of management duties. This should include the homeowners as well so they know what the management rules are.

In the age of quarantining and more social distancing, perhaps this means meeting virtually to discuss these matters. It’s easier than ever to do this nowadays, but everyone needs to understand what their responsibilities are. If you have some new responsibilities going beyond what property managers know, be sure to get it in writing.

Amending agreements should always be done when everyone is available to discuss them. Once everyone understands their roles, it becomes a new contract everyone should have available to refer to physically or digitally.

And Please seek Legal help with any changes to your Docs going into 2021 – Find Legal Members of SFPMA on our Directory

 

Setting the Responsibilities of the Management Team

A lot of opinions are out there about what managers should do while working with your association. Consensus is they should focus on four areas:

  • Guide the board to fulfill legal requirements.
  • Make all financial decisions.
  • Work closely with the board on decisions.
  • Provide suggestions to the board based on experience.

In the case of legal requirements, it usually means the management company assures the board deals with taxes appropriately. And, of course, they have to make sure your association continues to operate legally, including living up to state civil codes and local statutes.

Financial decisions should involve complete transparency with your association to make sure money gets spent in the smartest possible ways.

The partnership angle means helping your board make sound decisions that benefit everyone involved. Because your board might change over time with new members, the management team should have all ability to adapt to those changes in communication.

Listening to suggestions from an experienced management team also needs top priority. They can suggest things your board overlooks based on dealing with past associations.

 

Methods to Help Eliminate Vacancies

Your association and the management team want as many low vacancies as possible. Allow the management team to take this on since they have experience in this area. However, communicating to them that it’s their responsibility needs doing early.

One of those expectations is management knowledge on how to take on marketing for your properties, particularly on social media. No management team is worth working with if they never have experience doing digital marketing to attract tenants.

They should also handle rent applications, screening, and lease signing processes and Collections for the fees not paid by owners

 

Working Together On Other Responsibilities or Concerns

Some things you and the management team have to work together on include maintenance and repair approval, management salary payments, property tax/utility payments, and insurance payments.

Other times, management teams think they have to take on things that are not their sole responsibility. Perhaps this relates to dealing with cars speeding down neighborhood streets, or solving crime issues. Those usually fall toward city responsibility, plus the police in the case of crime.

All these issues need addressing early so there never is confusion on which thing each group focuses on. Since the unexpected will always come up, everything needs mentioning in writing to avoid stalled communication issues when an emergency arises.

 

SFPMA – Our Members provide many Professional Services to Condo and HOA’s all over Florida. Learn and read our Industry Articles.

by Kimberly Sutherland Author

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SFPMA’s Reserve Funding for your Communities

SFPMA’s Reserve Funding for your Communities

  • Posted: Oct 29, 2021
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Reserve Funding 101

Reserve Funding for your Communities

A reserve fund is a special account for the long-term repair and replacement of commonly-owned property in a community association.

A good example of this is the roof of a condominium building. All of the unit owners in the building share ownership of the roof. Every 50 or so years, the singles and other items will need to be replaced. The condo association will set aside a specific amount of money each year to go towards replacing/repairing the roof.

When an association plans for a reserve fund, they call on trained experts known as reserve specialists. These assess examine every detail of the association’s common areas to determine their lifespan and condition. They also include factors such as inflation to determine the cost of replacement at the end of the item’s lifespan.

Finally, the last step is to determine how much money the association needs to set aside each year. There are three basic plans for reserve funding: baseline, threshold, and full funding. These determine how prepared the HOA or condo will be when the item’s lifespan is up.

Full funding offers the least amount of risk for owners. With full funding, the replacement item in question will be fully funded by the end of its lifespan. With threshold funding, the association plans to have a certain limit, say 50%, of the item paid for by the end of its lifespan. The up-side to this is cheaper dues. The down-side is that is puts the owners at a greater risk of reaching the end of the item’s lifespan without having the proper funds available to repair or replace it. Finally, baseline funding aims to keep the reserve fund above a $0 balance at the end of the item’s lifespan.

Whichever path the association decides to take, the funds needed are figured in the budget. A portion of the regular assessments paid by homeowners or unit owners goes towards the reserve fund. Some states require associations to maintain a reserve fund by law. Most of the mortgage loans on condos are underwritten by the Federal Housing Administration. The FHA requires that a minimum of 10% of the association’s budget be designated for the reserves. If an association is not allocating at least 10% of its budget, it loses it’s FHA certification. This will almost always have negative consequences for the unit/home values.

Aside from that, who really wants to buy into an association that isn’t planning ahead? That isn’t executing good judgement, and should be a red flag to potential buyers. Adequately maintaining a reserve fund will mean higher assessments over the course of time. However, this is much better than the alternative of a large special assessment. If you community association needs guidance when it comes to reserve funding, trust the financial experts at Clark Simson Miller. We’re not reserve specialists, but we have over 100 years of combined experience in the association management industry. We’ll be glad to schedule a consultation and assess your community’s overall financial health.

 

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