Last week Community Associations Institute (CAI) held its Annual Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas #CAI2017. While I couldn’t attend in person I was happy to see an announcement come across my LinkedIn feed that a session on “Professionalism for the Industry” would be presented live on … [Read more...]
Mediation and Your Community Association
How is dispute resolution handled in your Condo or HOA? Some states have adopted mediation as the “go to” standard in community association (CA) disputes. For example, The State of Florida Homeowners Association Act requires presuit mediation before litigation.[i] Colorado’s Judicial Department … [Read more...]
Flag Code – Do You Know Yours?
Here we go again… an HOA vs. a homeowner’s display of a flag. This past Friday a U.S. Marine veteran living in a community in Kentucky received a violation notice from his HOA’s Property Management Company. The Marine proudly flies the Marine Corps flag over his garage, as does one of his neighbors. … [Read more...]
For the Benefit of the Members
Have you ever considered community association living similar to belonging to a club? And just like belonging to a club, for those who live in a community association, membership is required. Once you receive your copy of the rules and regulations and the invoice for the annual dues you are a member … [Read more...]
Ho Ho Ho and This Year “Uh… No.”
Every December since I’ve moved in to my (HOA) community our Board of Directors along with the residents have held a holiday party in a common area within the community. Our community park has a lovely paved, well-lit path that leads into a long, … [Read more...]
No Need to Ignore the Elephant in the Room!
Even at the earliest stage of conflict mediation offers an opportunity to resolve issues in dispute before filing a lawsuit. The simple approach to requesting mediation can come from your Attorney, on your own accord, from your Board, your neighbor or a vendor may request mediation to avoid … [Read more...]
CAM vs. Board: What is their Role?
What is the role of your CAM (Community Association Manger) versus that of your Association Board? Ask any homeowner or Board Member what they think the role of the CAM is and undoubtedly based on how many people were asked you will get that number in different answers! If you live in a community … [Read more...]
Mediation – and Your HOA
Oftentimes when someone mentions mediation, divorce instantly comes to mind, not how it applies to your HOA. Some states have adopted mediation as the “go to” standard in HOA disputes prior to entering litigation. The State of Florida Homeowners Association Act requires presuit mediation before … [Read more...]
Difficult Association Members and How to Deal With Them
There’s always one… that one difficult neighbor. The person who always has an issue or complaint, whether it’s maintenance; your yard; or your music is too loud, the list is endless. Crafty complainers will conjure up frivolous issues; cite Florida law even when they have no legal background! While … [Read more...]
Official HOA Records… May I See Them???
There are many rules regarding your HOA records that I can share with you and write about over the course of many months. Let's focus on an association member’s, your request to view and copy those records. You may be surprised by what you learn! The following applies to both Condos and … [Read more...]
