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Should Delinquent Owners Voting Rights Be Revoked?

Should Delinquent Owners Voting Rights Be Revoked?

  • Posted: Nov 04, 2024
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Should Delinquent Owners Voting Rights Be Revoked?

by Steve Walz

One of the thorniest issues to tackle in an HOA is homeowners in delinquency – not paying their dues or being significantly behind on dues payments. The community and owner dues are two sides of the same coin. The community canno maintain the grounds, amenities, or sidewalks without yearly owner dues. However, financial issues are a minefield of complications from family tragedy to cantankerous entitlement.

A challenging question arises: What should an HOA do if a homeowner refuses to pay their dues? Your options range from leveling fines to revoking voting rights. Many communities favor withdrawing voting rights – cutting off the privilege of community control that comes from being a contributing homeowner in the community. Any HOA considering this route should plan carefully to ensure this decision is legal, permitted, and potentially effective before putting it in place.

Is it Legal to Suspend Delinquent Owner Voting Rights?

Your state determines the legality of suspending voting rights in an HOA. Some states allow for the suspension of HOA voting rights for specific reasons or in general, but others prohibit the rest of any remaining owner voting rights. You will need to check the detailed laws regarding HOAs in your state. There may also be rules relating to HOA homeowner rights regarding delinquency and suspension of voting rights in your county and municipality.

Is it Permitted to Suspend Voting Rights Over Dues Delinquency?

The next question is whether your own HOA permits this policy. Next, check your governing documents and by-laws to determine if there are already policies regarding dues delinquency and when an owner’s voting rights can be permitted.

The legal language in HOA governing documents can vary widely. For example, according to some condo associations, all homeowners are subject to the same rules, which means no voting rights. On the other hand, some HOAs may define that an owner always has certain voting rights, like council elections. Still, you may be able to suspend lesser voting rights regarding community matters.

Can Suspending Voting Rights Effectively Resolve Delinquent Dues?

Finding a practical consequence for delinquent dues has always been a challenge for HOAs. The community can’t support many homeowners using the roads and amenities without paying into the infrastructure. Nevertheless, choosing the proper measures to achieve your goals is also imperative.

Considerations

  • If a homeowner never votes on anything, suspending their voting rights will not impact them in any way. Likewise, if the community votes on very little.
  • How can you fairly make exceptions for invested people experiencing financial hardship?
  • How can you protect against people who take advantage of safety net systems?
  • Never combine vote suspension and leveled fees  (not dues). This opens the door to corruption and the ability for the board to tax a homeowner out of being able to vote, then drive them from the community. If you revoke voting rights, this must only be for dues and not the total owed amount in fees.
  • You may revoke some – but not all – types of voting. Most HOAs take a few types of votes: meeting votes, election votes, special assessment votes, and so on. You may find selective vote limitations to be more effective – or permitted by your documents.
  • Prevent them from making changes, but don’t prevent them from self-advocation.

Other Potentially Effective Ways to Penalize Delinquent Dues

Suspending voting rights is a sticky proposition. Some homeowners won’t care, some will be devastated. This means it’s also worth considering a few alternatives or additional penalties that may drive homeowners to get right with their dues more effectively.

Denying Permit Approvals

  • Parking permits
  • Building permits

Refuse delinquent owners of any more permit approvals. No guest parking, and no home improvement projects. Guest parking is for people who are contributing to the neighborhood road and lot maintenance.

Denying Amenity Access

  • Pool access
  • Spa/Fitness room access
  • Clubhouse bookings
  • Sport court reservations

A first-time refusal to allow someone access to the pool due to their inability to maintain it can emphasize its importance. Consider denying non-paying homeowners something they will miss that their dues contribute to paying for if this type of solution is permitted in your state and governing documents. Your HOA gets to have sweet amenities because everyone pays in. Those who don’t, don’t. Also, this has a fair, lower impact on families experiencing financial hardship. However, they may need to use their voting rights to oppose special assessments they cannot pay or fight an oppressive fee structure.

When approaching the issue of HOA owners with delinquent dues, remember to create an adaptive and considerate system of response. Build a plan that equally accounts for the absent-minded, the scam artists, the family hardships, and the belligerent bullies. Whatever your solution, make it your central goal to resume regular dues for each property without causing or being subject to unnecessary loss.

 

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GET READY FOR HURRICANE SEASON WITH OUR NEWEST MEMBER – Claremont Property Co

GET READY FOR HURRICANE SEASON WITH OUR NEWEST MEMBER – Claremont Property Co

Claremont Property Co. recently opened its new office in Bonita Springs, Florida, and it is helping rebuild our beautiful West Coast after Hurricane Ian. They joined SFPMA to offer their services to Boards and Managers all over Florida. View their website, learn more about the services they offer!

They started in 1995 and are headquartered in Houston, Texas. They have additional offices in Dallas, Texas, Wilmington, North Carolina, Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Fort Lauderdale, Destin, and Panama City, Florida, and Mobile and Orange Beach, Alabama.

They can service your property needs just about anywhere your property is located.

Whether your property has been impacted by a loss from fire, water, hail, wind or you simply need improvements to your property, their many years of experience allows them to provide you with the complete spectrum of remediation, roofing, and general contracting services.

Their list of services include:

·    Claims Advocacy

·    Emergency Services

·    Remediation Services

·    Restoration Services

·    Roofing Services

·    Pre-Loss Services

Their management team has decades of collective practice managing large scale commercial, multi-family, and hospitality projects from the design stages through completion. They have helped their clients settle millions of dollars in insurance claims and completed tens of thousands of square feet of demolition, mitigation, restoration, and roofing projects along the way.

For more information, please visit their website at www.cpc-tx.com or contact Diana Kato, Business Developer, Email: Diana@cpc-tx.com    Cell: 954-832-4573.

SFPMA.com

SFPMA works throughout the State of Florida, we are a multi-member organization for the Condo, HOA and Property Management industry. Through knowledge based Articles, Events and our Members Directory, Clients find the right information to make an informed decisions for their Florida properties.

 

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Hurricane Preparedness Kit: Your Family’s Lifesaver – Share this essential hurricane preparedness kit checklist with your loved ones. Let’s stay safe together! 

Hurricane Preparedness Kit: Your Family’s Lifesaver – Share this essential hurricane preparedness kit checklist with your loved ones. Let’s stay safe together! 

  • Posted: Jul 24, 2024
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Hurricane Preparedness Kit: Your Family’s Lifesaver

Hurricane season is here and being prepared can make all the difference. Share this essential hurricane preparedness kit checklist with your loved ones. Let’s stay safe together!

What to Include:
1. Water: At least one gallon per person per day for three days.
2. Non-Perishable Food: Canned goods, energy bars, and ready-to-eat meals.
3. Flashlights: Make sure you have extra batteries too.
4. First Aid Kit: Bandages, antiseptic wipes, and necessary medications.
5. Battery-Powered Radio: Stay informed with weather updates.
6. Important Documents: Keep copies of IDs, insurance, and medical records.
7. Multi-Tool Kit: Handy for various needs.
8. Personal Hygiene Items: Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, and sanitizer.
9. Cash: In case ATMs and cards are inaccessible.
10. Blankets and Clothing: Stay warm and dry.
11. Phone Charger: Portable chargers can be a lifesaver.
Remember, preparedness is the key to safety. Share this post to help others get ready for hurricane season! 🌀
📞 (941) 484-4700
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One thing has become clear since the fall of the Champlain Towers South condo: many condos are falling apart, often because owners don’t want to spend the money to maintain them. Soon, they might have no choice but to pay.

One thing has become clear since the fall of the Champlain Towers South condo: many condos are falling apart, often because owners don’t want to spend the money to maintain them. Soon, they might have no choice but to pay.

  • Posted: Jul 16, 2024
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A Broward task force will likely ask the state to boost inspections and change funding of reserves. But any new rules will face regulatory and political hurdles.

Broward County task force agreed, informally, to recommend a change in state law that would make it harder for condos to waive the proper funding of reserves and to require more frequent inspections for coastal condos. The changes, if adopted by the state, could make condo living more expensive, but safer.

“It’s going to hurt in the beginning, but that’s where we have to get,” insurance expert Paul Handerhan, president of the Federal Association for Insurance Reform (FAIR), told the committee Monday, echoing many of their own opinions. “… There’s no way to get out of this without paying.”

Monday’s was the second of three meetings for the Broward County Condominium Structural Issues Committee, set up by Mayor Steve Geller to quickly offer recommendations to the Florida Legislature, whose committee meetings begin next month.

The Florida Bar and the Community Associations Institute trade group also are studying issues arising from the June 24 condo collapse in Surfside, and will offer recommendations to the governor and Legislature.

All are focused on just a few topics, including the issues of reserves and inspections.

Currently, reserves can be waived by majority vote of those present at a condo meeting. And the first major inspection is not required in Broward until a building turns 40.

“We’re here to try to come up with creative ways to make buildings safe. What Surfside has done is made city officials, building officials, condo residents, everybody aware of the widespread lack of maintenance in older condos,” said Hollywood Commissioner Caryl Shuham, who has a degree in civil engineering and is an attorney.

She recommended, and the committee conceptually agreed, that condos should have to present a reserve study to unit owners and secure a super-majority vote to waive full funding of reserves. She also suggested reserves not be waived unless an engineer has inspected the building and issued a report.

The potential cost to condo owners is not lost on state, county and city officials or the civic and industry leaders huddling on the issue. While some million-dollar condo owners might have no trouble forking over extra money, many unit owners are not in that category. Even the inspections are costly, one condo representative said. Unit owners could be forced out and condo sales could be stifled, some said.

“In certain cases, you could be mandating the death of a building,” said Fred Nesbitt, president of the Galt Ocean Mile condo association in Fort Lauderdale, which opposes reserve mandates. “I think we should still give owners choice.”

Geller said condos that don’t properly save for repairs face sticker shock with giant special assessments. By the time a major problem is found, he said, it’s too late to start paying into reserves.

“You can’t insure a burning building, and you can’t start reserving for an emergency that has already arrived,” he said.

The cause of the Champlain collapse remains unknown but is under investigation. Because there was evidence of poor maintenance and crumbling, cracking concrete at the Champlain, there has been a sharp focus on how government can ensure that condos are kept in good repair.

“It’s terrifying to me that we’re in this place,” said state Sen. Lauren Book, one of four state legislators on the county committee. Book complained that there’s no one keeping track of individual condos – where they stand with insurance, reserves and repairs.

The committee also debated whether more frequent inspections are needed. Broward is one of two counties in Florida – the other being Miami-Dade – that requires buildings to be inspected for electrical and structural safety at age 40 and every 10 years subsequently.

Dr. Jennifer Jurado, Broward County’s climate change sustainability director, said the striking increase in sea level here – more than a foot over 20 years – could increase deterioration of concrete in buildings along the coast. She also cited temperate change and flood levels in saying that inspections should begin earlier, at 25 or 30 years.

But Dan Lavrich, a structural engineer and chairman of the Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals, which oversees application of the building code, questioned the need. Any change in the inspection program would have to be approved by Rules and Appeals, and the Florida Building Commission.

“The rest of the state has no program at all,” he said of the 40-year safety program, “and they don’t have any problems.”

The Broward committee will hold what it expects to be its final meeting next week, on Aug. 30, where formal recommendations will be voted on.

Reposted via: https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2021/08/condo-law-changes-likely-after-surfside-its-complicated

 

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“Video Cameras—for Surveillance Purposes Only” by Kevin L. Edwards of Becker Lawyers

“Video Cameras—for Surveillance Purposes Only” by Kevin L. Edwards of Becker Lawyers

“Video Cameras—for Surveillance Purposes Only”

Many associations have installed video surveillance cameras within the community common areas as a means to provide security for their residents. However, good intentions often lead to unanticipated consequences. In fact the use of video cameras may expose an association to liability.

Generally, an association is not a guarantor or insurer of any person’s safety and is not obligated to provide “security” to its residents. However, once an association assumes a duty to provide security, it must do so in a non-negligent manner. This may very well be the case with installing “security cameras.” Florida courts have routinely held that if an association undertakes, or appears to undertake, the duty to provide security for its community, it must also take certain measures to prevent criminal activity from occurring on the premises.

For example, the court in Vazquez v. Lago Grande Homeowners Ass’n, 900 So. 2d 587 (Fla. 3d DCA 2004), ruled that the association had a duty to exercise reasonable care to guard its residents against crime or criminal activity because the association had undertaken the responsibility to provide such security. In this case the association was a gated community with a guardhouse staffed 24 hours a day. The developer marketed the complex on the basis of safety, and the association collected a specific part of its assessments to provide for security. A resident of the association moved into the community because it appeared safe and was gated. The resident had many visitors, including a former neighbor and the neighbor’s children. One day the  former neighbor’s estranged husband came into the community to pick up his children and got into an argument with the resident. Thereafter, the resident instructed the association’s security guards not to let the estranged husband into the community. Despite this, the security guards allowed the estranged husband to enter the community, and he shot the resident, shot and killed his ex-wife, and killed himself. The court found that the association had breached its duty to provide security because it continued to employ the security guards despite knowing that they routinely let unauthorized individuals into the community. Therefore, the association was found liable for the death of a visitor and  injury of a resident.

Thus, associations may wish to be careful not to label the video cameras as “security cameras” and instead let the owners know that the cameras are for surveillance purposes only. As previously mentioned, associations have no duty to provide security, and having “security cameras” will lead owners to believe that the association is providing security.

Regardless of whether the association uses video cameras, it is still liable for criminal conduct that is reasonably foreseeable. In Czerwinski v. Sunrise Point Condominium, 540 So. 2d 199 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1999), the court ruled that a landlord generally has no duty to ensure the safety of its tenants or to protect them from the criminal acts of third persons unless the criminal occurrence is reasonably foreseeable. The court further noted that the landlord’s knowledge of prior crimes, against both persons and property, is relevant to the issue of foreseeability, even if the prior criminal acts are lesser crimes than the one committed against the plaintiff.

Based on these cases, community associations have been held liable in tort for failure to take precautions against criminal activities committed against the owners and residents if those criminal activities are reasonably foreseeable; and in addition they have been held liable when they voluntarily provide security services but fail to provide them in a reasonable manner.

Thus, if the association is inclined to install video cameras, it must do so in a reasonably prudent manner and should make sure the cameras are always being maintained in good condition and repaired as needed.

Another issue with providing cameras in the community is whether or not the cameras record audio. Florida law (Section 934.03, FS) makes it illegal to intentionally intercept, attempt to intercept, or procure any other person to intercept any wire, electronic, or oral communication through the use of a device if one does not have the prior consent of all parties. Therefore, the association’s cameras must be limited to visual images. The process of taking and recording video is perfectly legal, and you do not need to notify the owners or post signs upon the property that the association is taking or recording video. There is no privacy issue as long as the cameras are not directed into a resident’s home or into a bathroom, shower, changing room, or other area where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. There is no reasonable expectation of privacy for persons who use the common areas or come onto the association’s property (with the exception of bathrooms, showers, units, etc.).

Lastly, a surveillance camera’s video recordings are not part of the association’s official records. The association’s official records are limited to written records, and a video recording is not a written record. As such, video camera recordings are not open for review by the association’s membership. Moreover, an association is not legally obligated to store the recordings for any specific period of time. However, if stored for any amount of time, the association must be sure to preserve the video in case it may be used as evidence in a court proceeding. Video footage should, therefore, be made and stored in a location where it will not be tampered with or duplicated. The footage should be stored in a secure location with access limited to authorized personal. Any footage that is to be kept should be preserved in an original and unaltered version by saving it in a secure manner that is incapable of being edited.

 

Mr. Edwards manages the community association practice in Becker’s Sarasota office and serves as corporate counsel to hundreds of condominium, cooperative, mobile home, and homeowners’ associations located in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and Highlands Counties. Mr. Edwards is also one of only 190 attorneys statewide who is a board-certified specialist in condominium and planned development law.

In addition to his extensive experience as a community association lawyer, Mr. Edwards has trial and appellate experience in many areas of corporate and civil litigation, construction litigation, covenant enforcement, real estate, and foreclosure law.

For more information email kedwards@beckerlawyers.com, or visit www.beckerlawyers.com.

 

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Our national team recently completed this striping and sealcoating job in Weston, FL!

Our national team recently completed this striping and sealcoating job in Weston, FL!

Do you have properties across the nation? Contact ASP, we will assign an account manager for all of your properties and handle it from there.

Join us Wednesday at the Palm Beach Condo & HOA Expo!

Make sure to stop by booth 332 and meet a few of our local account managers 😉

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PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

OUR WORK

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    Sealcoating asphalt in West Palm Beach homes is a great way to protect your property from oxidation and ultraviolet rays. Asphalt starts to deteriorate at a microscopic level as soon as it is installed.

    The asphalt’s binders begin to harden when it is exposed to oxygen. The asphalt surface can crack and become brittle from the continued hardening. Rainwater, moisture, and oxygen can penetrate pavement surfaces even if they have the smallest cracks.

    The asphalt subbase can be affected by water and moisture. This can cause it to weaken and lose its strength. Sealcoating is very helpful as it protects the surface against oxidation and fills surface voids.

    How water damages asphalt

    The asphalt sealcoating of parking lots and driving surfaces allows them to resist water and prevent it from contacting the asphalt surface. Water can seep through asphalt, particularly when it is heavy rain.

    Water can cause sub-base to become softened if it collects. Soft subbases can cause potholes or expensive repairs. Sealcoating asphalt surfaces create a protective layer that repels water. Sealcoating asphalt surfaces can help you save significant money on future repairs.

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    Parking lots and asphalt surfaces must withstand harmful car chemicals like oil and gas. Particularly vulnerable to chemicals from automobiles are parking spaces.

    The asphalt can soften if it is contaminated with gasoline or automobile oil. Oil or gasoline can penetrate asphalt pavement and cause sub base to degrade.

    Asphalt sealcoating is made up of additives that protect asphalt from chemicals used in automobiles. You can also fill surface voids to reduce the depth of oil and gas that can penetrate asphalt.

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HB 1203: LOTS OF NEW PROTECTIONS FOR MEMBERS LIVING IN HOAs MAKES IT HARDER FOR CAMs

HB 1203: LOTS OF NEW PROTECTIONS FOR MEMBERS LIVING IN HOAs MAKES IT HARDER FOR CAMs

  • Posted: Mar 27, 2024
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HB 1203: LOTS OF NEW PROTECTIONS FOR MEMBERS LIVING IN HOAs MAKES IT HARDER FOR CAMs

House Bill 1203 and SB 7046 merged to eventually create a huge bill for the protection of homeowners in HOAs.  It starts by placing lots of responsibilities on community association managers.

A community association manager or community association management firm that is authorized by contract to provide community association management services to a homeowners’ association must do all of the following:

(a) Attend in person at least one member meeting or board meeting of the homeowners’ association annually.

(b) Provide to the members of the homeowners’ association the name and contact information for each community association manager or representative of a community association management firm assigned to the homeowners’ association, the manager’s or representative’s hours of availability, and a summary of the duties for which the manager or representative is responsible. The homeowners’ association must also post this information on the association’s website or application required under s.720.303(4)(b). The community association manager or community association management firm must update the homeowners’ association and its members within 14 business days after any change to such information.

(c) Provide to any member upon request a copy of the contract between the community association manager or community association management firm and the homeowners’ association and include such contract with association’s governing documents.

So what do you think so far of the new protections for members of an HOA?

Every Sunday:  Ask Questions get them answered! 

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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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4 Things to Consider Adding to Your Budget For an Amazing Resident Experience by BuildingLink

4 Things to Consider Adding to Your Budget For an Amazing Resident Experience by BuildingLink

  • Posted: Jan 04, 2024
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If you’re like most multifamily communities, August marks the beginning of your budgeting season. To create an amazing resident culture, property managers need to get ready to sharpen their pencils. In today’s competitive environment, however, that means more than just nailing down your expense forecasting for the new year.

 

 Residents these days expect more than ever from their community’s amenities and services, reflecting broader changes in their lifestyle and work habits. With the continued trend of working from home, many residents are now looking to their apartment amenities to serve as extended living and working spaces. This presents an exciting opportunity to create an outstanding culture and experience that drives them to renew their leases and recommend the property to others. In this post, we share four things that property managers should consider adding to their budgets this planning season.

 

1. Community Events

If you haven’t already considered hosting community events, now is the time. By hosting fun and exciting events for your residents, you’ll help them form connections with their neighbors and engage with the property. These connections can create a sense of belonging and mutual support, leading to a happier and more harmonious community. The increased engagement between residents can also foster a culture where residents take better care of shared spaces, since they have a stronger sense of pride and ownership within their surroundings.

The scale of your community events can range from more casual gatherings, such as coffee hours in the lobby, to more elaborate occasions, such as holiday parties or outdoor movie nights. Budgeting for these events may vary accordingly. A small-scale event can be executed with a minimal budget, while a larger-scale event may need a more significant budget allocation to factor in food, entertainment, and decorations.

For those wrapping up the end of summer with a resident event, our blog, “Six Resident Event Ideas: Summer Edition,”can provide some great inspiration.

2. Concierge Services

For many, concierge services are one of the first things that comes to mind when you think about high-rise lavish apartment home living. Providing services that make residents’ lives easier is a huge draw that can drive satisfaction up and enhance their quality of life.

Don’t worry if your property can’t afford a full-time concierge to work as a front desk associate. You can choose to provide select key services that can be managed within your budget. Package tracking is an excellent example, as it eliminates the stress of missing deliveries for residents. Similarly, a reliable key management system can provide residents with peace of mind regarding access for guests, cleaners, pet sitters, and more.

Pro Tip: To optimize your front office and concierge services, consider using a platform such as ConciergeLink. From enhanced incident report management to paperless shift logs and time tracking, you’ll know your property is always running smoothly.

3. Fitness & Wellness Amenities

In today’s health conscious society, providing fitness and wellness amenities within your property is an excellent way to improve the culture, allowing residents to stay active without needing to leave the property. Consider budgeting for updated exercise machines, spa facilities such as a sauna, or meditation areas to help residents unwind and relax. If your property is limited in physical space, consider establishing a partnership with a local wellness center or gym as an alternative solution. You may be able to offer residents discounted gym memberships or wellness services adding value to their residency.

Providing ways for residents to take care of their physical fitness does more than improve their individual quality of life. It also helps create a vibrant community culture that residents can enjoy and take pride in, positioning your property as one that truly cares for and invests in its residents.

4. A Branded Mobile App

Leveraging a branded mobile app is a powerful way for property managers to improve communication with residents and enhance their overall living experience. These branded apps can serve as a centralized platform for residents to access important information, receive communication, request service fixes, and more. With a mobile app that reflects your property’s branding, you can foster a stronger sense of belonging and familiarity among residents.

BuildingLink offers custom mobile apps for both iOS and Android platforms. You can customize the app to your property’s logo and colors, providing your residents with a seamless and professional look that aligns with your brand identity. Learn more about our custom mobile apps here.

Partner With BuildingLink

Trusted by condos, co-ops, HOA’s and multifamily properties around the globe, BuildingLink helps property managers deliver superior resident experiences while streamlining maintenance and operations. We offer tools that will simplify your record-keeping and administration, communications, maintenance, and front desk operations.

When you’re ready for smarter property management, book your BuildingLink demo today.

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Good leadership and governance for Florida Board Members by SFPMA

Good leadership and governance for Florida Board Members by SFPMA

  • Posted: Oct 23, 2023
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Good leadership and governance for Board Members

“Seven keys to a successful board meeting”

One of the fundamental challenges that far too many board members and boards have is that they don’t have a strong understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

It sounds basic, but one of the fundamental challenges that far too many board members and boards have is that they don’t have a strong understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

Boards, in general,  do well with more fundamental board members understanding responsibilities — understanding the organization’s mission and providing financial oversight. Conversely, they struggle most with external responsibilities, including fundraising, advocacy, and community-building and outreach. This lack of understanding of what is — and is not — a part of the board’s essential roles can lead to a whole host of dysfunctions, such as micromanagement, rogue decision-making, lack of engagement, and more.

Since it’s impossible to do a job well if you don’t know what the job is, all boards must take the time to ensure that every board member fully understands what’s expected and needed of him or her, and then hold all members accountable when they get off track.

This starts with an understanding of the fundamental legal duties of each individual board member, which include:

  • Duty of Care — Each board member has a legal responsibility to participate actively in making decisions on behalf of the organization and to exercise his or her best judgment while doing so.
  • Duty of Loyalty — Each board member must put the interests of the organization before their personal and professional interests when acting on behalf of the organization in a decision-making capacity. The organization’s needs come first.
  • Duty of Obedience — Board members bear the legal responsibility of ensuring that the organization complies with the applicable federal, state, and local laws and adheres to its mission.

 

Board meetings should be productive, efficient meetings where the board conducts business. Stop and think about that for a minute. Are your meetings productive and efficient? Does the board meet to conduct business or socialize? Are you getting the most out of your meetings?

We’ve put together seven keys to a successful board meeting. Following these suggestions can bring new life to your association and keep volunteers interested in helping.

 

1.- Board meetings should not last more than one hour. Start the meeting when it is scheduled to begin and get straight to business. If you collectively have the focus to get done in an hour you’ll be amazed with how much you can accomplish. If you have no time limit, the meeting will typically drag on and a lot of time will be wasted.

When time is wasted at a meeting then people are less likely to volunteer because they feel their time is wasted. One hour meetings have a major impact on volunteers. Associations that hold focused, one hour meetings have more people volunteer. It’s also important to note that those volunteers stay active the in the community for much longer. Length of your board meetings may seem like a trivial matter, but it really does have a large impact on how the volunteers of the association view the organization and, in turn, how they view their role.

 

2.- Make your meetings action oriented. Don’t just discuss issues, make decisions. Every item up for discussion should end in a vote to move forward in some way or table the issue with a clear understanding of why the item is being tabled and when it will be revisited. When taking action on an item make sure it is clear who will be responsible for getting that task completed. Ambiguity cripples a board.

 

3.- Board Meetings are for the board. They are not neighborhood meetings or social gatherings. The purpose of a board meeting is to conduct business, not see how many people you can get to attend. Some board members try to get as many people to attend as possible. This is missing the point. Homeowners are, of course, welcome to attend but it is not a membership meeting. The purpose of the board meeting is for the board to consider the affairs of the association, make business decisions, and then have a clear plan of action.

 

4.- Take time prior to the meeting to think about what you want to discuss. Inform the community manager of this one week prior to the meeting. This way your topics of discussion can be placed on the agenda which will allow the other board members and the community manager the opportunity to think about and/or research the item you want to talk about. When you don’t come prepared and spring things on the other board members or on the community manager this typically results in a lot of unnecessary discussion with additional research needed in order to make any kind of decision. Remember, be action oriented. By planning ahead you can make more decisions at the meeting instead of causing an item to be discussed twice and delayed for months.

 

5.- There are an odd number of board positions for a reason. You will not always see eye to eye. Don’t take it personal if the other members of the board disagree with you. This will occur and is healthy. While each board member should attempt to come to a consensus with the other members, you will not be able to achieve this each time. Countless hours are wasted by board members continuing to argue a point just to obtain “victory” on a certain issue or to avoid any vote that is not unanimous. This occurs because someone is taking it personal. If your view is not shared on an issue, take a vote, and move on. Do not hold a grudge. Recognize that you can disagree and still work well with each other.

6.- If you think you may have a conflict of interest do not vote on that issue. Let’s say a board member’s spouse is on a committee. If the board is making a decision on an issue related to that committee then the board member with the spouse on that committee should excuse him/herself.

 

7.- Most associations should hold quarterly meetings (unless your bylaws require more). Meeting more often than that becomes excessive and unnecessary. Remember you want to have focused, short, productive meetings. This keeps people interested in serving on the board and on committees. If the association is constantly meeting then people feel it is taking too much of their time and they will stop volunteering. It is important to note that you are required to comply with the minimum meeting requirement in your bylaws. Most association bylaws require no more than quarterly meetings, but check yours to be sure.

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