Guide to Annual Meetings:
An annual meeting is as much a celebration of the Association and its accomplishments as it is a time to handle the necessary business of the Association. If an annual meeting is well organized and the board and management work together, it generally will not run more than 1 1/2 hours. When it is over, everyone should feel good about their Association and the people who have been elected to run it.
Board Meetings – Getting The Job Done
Property managers are often asked for advice concerning the best approach for conducting board meetings. The manager should take advantage of these opportunities to assist the board members in structuring productive board meetings. Many board members have not had experience operating a business or conducting board meetings. The property manager, on the other hand, has generally participated in many board meetings and has seen and heard the good, the bad and the ugly. Let’s look at some tips the manager may provide to the board.
Recording the Minutes of Board Meetings
What type of information should the minute contain? Minutes, at a minimum, should contain the following:
Community associations have undergone explosive growth in the past few decades. It is estimated that over 50 million Americans now live in a planned community compared to almost none only 30 years ago. This growth is accelerating and, as is often the case, progress is accompanied by confusion. It is important that every community association board know what a reserve study is and the pivotal role it plays in the future of the association. A reserve study is the physical and financial analysis of all common elements that the board is responsible for maintaining and details a repair and replacement schedule over the next thirty years. A reserve study is critical for many reasons, of which the most influential may be that it is a key financial tool that helps the board to fulfill its fiduciary responsibility to maintain the common property of the association. Read more (PDF)
HOA should be sure workers are insured - California homeowner associations (HOAs) and HOA management companies will want to pay attention to a recent ruling coming out of the state's Second Appellate District. The case, Heimen et al. v Worker's Compensation Appeals Board, involved the claim of a worker injured on association property for worker's compensation benefits. Read more
HOA Board Service Guide: Serving on the board of a homeowner association is a high calling. Well-meaning volunteers are elected to roles that are critical to the well being of the community. But what exactly is a board member supposed to do to fulfill this charge? Here's a handy guide: Read more
