HOAleader.com - Tip of the Week - February 20, 2009
Published: Fri, 02/20/09
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Emergency Preparedness for HOA Boards
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By preparing your community for disaster or emergency, you will
not only live up to your fiduciary duty to protect the
association's financial well-being, but you will also help
protect the safety of your neighbors. It's perhaps one of the
most valuable contributions you can make to your association.
This week's tip is about how to get started creating an emergency
plan. First of all, it's a good idea to work with an expert in
this area. After all, lives could be at stake. When you work with
an expert, make sure the plan you create covers the following:
* What qualifies as an emergency?
* Who's in charge once an emergency occurs, and how will that
person communicate with community residents before, during,
and after the emergency?
* When will an evacuation of your property be required, and how
will residents be notified if that becomes necessary?
* What procedures need to be implemented in advance to ensure
that residents--including those who are disabled or need
assistance--can be evacuated safely? How will you know who has
and hasn't evacuated, and how will you address those who
decline to evacuate?
* What must be done to secure the association's property, and who
will be responsible for those tasks?
Do you have any war stories about preparation steps your HOA took
(or didn't take) that made a difference when a disaster struck?
Let me know, and I will share them in a future Tip of the Week
email. You can contact me using this form:
http://www.hoaleader.com/public/department6.cfm. Please include
"Emergency Prep" in the subject line.
Finally, you can read more emergency preparedness tips for HOAs
in our just-posted article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/231.cfm
Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President
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Recent articles posted at HOAleader.com:
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Mold: When Is It Your HOA's Problem?
A growing number of owners are complaining about mold and
moisture in their properties, and they sometimes insist that
their homeowners association pony up the money to fix the problem.
When is mold a problem the association needs to address, and
when should owners foot their own repair bills?
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/232.cfm >
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Prepare Your Homeowners Association for an Emergency
Flooding in the Pacific Northwest. An ice storm in the Northeast.
Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf. Nobody expects disasters to hit
their area, but it's plain that catastrophes can hit anywhere and
everywhere. Here's how to help residents in your HOA prepare for
the worst.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/231.cfm >
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HOA Rules on Renovations: How to Make Construction Less Stressful
Without clear rules, a growth in owner renovation projects could
become a serious source of tension at your homeowners association.
Before that happens, do your own renovation of your association'
s rules to be sure they spell out what can and can't be done when
owners work on their property. Here's a guide to rules your
community should enact--and enforce--to keep peace during
renovations.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/229.cfm >
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Who Can and Can't Serve on Your Homeowners Association's Board of
Directors?
Even if you struggle to get enough owners to agree to serve, your
governing documents and your state's law likely require you to be
choosy about whom you allow to sit on your board. Here's a primer
on the best and worst people to serve on your board.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/228.cfm >
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Trouble Getting a Quorum? Try These 5 Techniques
Getting a quorum at HOA meetings is becoming harder every day.
You're not alone if you've been hit with a growth in homeowners
who've lost their home to foreclosure or abandoned their home
because they don't want to pay a mortgage on a house that's worth
much less than they owe. Couple that with run-of-the-mill owner
apathy, and you're facing an uphill battle. Here are five tips
for meeting the quorum challenge.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/225.cfm >
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