HOAleader.com - Tip of the Week - April 16, 2010
Published: Thu, 04/15/10
=================================================================
You've Been Personally Sued: 2 Tips for Protecting Yourself
=================================================================
This week's tip offers advice for members of the homeowners
association's board of directors who find themselves in court for
actions they've taken as board members. If you've been sued
personally, remember these tips:
1) It's not unusual.
"Very often a disgruntled homeowner will sue the condo
association and board members individually because the
plaintiff believes it will put tremendous pressure on the
board," says Robert Galvin, a partner at Davis, Malm &
D'Agostine PC in Boston who specializes in representing
condos and co-ops.
"The homeowner's lawyer can say, 'If you agree to rescind
this policy my client disagrees with, we'll drop the lawsuit.'"
2) Your association's insurance carrier will often defend you.
You're likely covered if your association has directors and
officers insurance. "All the associations we represent have
D&O insurance, and their insurance company will defend them
in such suits," says James Donnelly, president and CEO of
Castle Group, a property management company in Plantation,
Fla., that manages 55,000 association units.
"Lawsuits against individual board members are rare, but when
it happens, that's why you have insurance."
"There may also be coverage under your association's general
liability policy," says Bob Tankel, principal at Robert L.
Tankel PA in Dunedin, Fla., a law firm that advises
associations.
Those aren't the only things you must know if you've been sued
as a board member. See our brand new article for 7 things you
MUST know if you're sued personally for board actions:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/419.cfm
Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President
P.S. To learn more about D&O insurance for HOAs, see our article,
"HOA Board Members: Ensure that You're Personally Insured":
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/130.cfm
=================================================================
Free Group Membership Upgrade
HOAleader.com members can now get a free upgrade to group
membership.
With a group membership, the rest of your HOA or condo board--up
to 9 additional members--will get their own member accounts.
It's a fantastic value.
Make your job easier. Help the rest of your board get up to
speed on HOA management best practices by adding them to your
HOAleader.com membership today for no cost.
Already a member? Create complimentary accounts for the other
members of your HOA board now:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/main.cfm
Not a member yet? Sign up now with our low individual rates and
then add your fellow board members for no additional cost:
http://www.hoaleader.com/details.cfm
=================================================================
Recent articles posted at HOAleader.com:
=================================================================
New Cases Scrutinize HOA Architectural Committee Decisions--Part 3
Three recent court cases are a reminder that your board is
responsible for oversight of its architectural review process and
can be held liable when it fails to meet that duty. In this final
installment of a 3-article series, we discuss a Washington case
where an architectural committee overstepped.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/417.cfm >
=================================================================
New Cases Scrutinize HOA Architectural Committee Decisions--Part 2
Three recent court cases are a reminder that your homeowners
association board is responsible for oversight of its
architectural review process and can be held liable when it fails
to meet that duty. In this second installment of a 3-article
series, we discuss a California case that didn't go well for the
HOA.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/416.cfm >
=================================================================
New Cases Scrutinize HOA Architectural Committee Decisions--Part 1
Three recent court cases are a reminder that your HOA board is
responsible for oversight of its architectural review process and
can be held liable when it fails to meet that duty. In this first
installment of a 3-part series, we discuss a case in California
where the community association went to court and won.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/415.cfm >
=================================================================
Tax Tips for HOAs
This week's tip is a sad reminder that condo and homeowners
associations need to file tax returns just like the rest of
corporations in the United States.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/public/414.cfm >
=================================================================
Tax Day: What Your Board Must Know about Homeowners Association
Taxes
Homeowners associations have to file tax returns like the rest of
the corporations in the United States. Here's a primer on the
rules associations must follow when they file and advice on
minimizing the stress of tax day for your HOA.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/412.cfm >
=================================================================
Get your own copy!
Subscribe to the HOAleader.com Tip of the Week at:
http://www.hoaleader.com/public/department49.cfm
=================================================================
Please feel free to forward the *entire text* of this email to
others.
Copyright 2010, Plain-English Media, LLC
909 Marina Village Parkway #183
Alameda, CA 94501
(866) 641-4548
http://www.hoaleader.com