HOAleader.com - Tip of the Week - Seotember 6, 2013
Published: Fri, 09/06/13
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Make Your HOA's Open Forum More Productive--Here's How
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In this week's tip, we give the lowdown on rules
you can consider to ensure your HOA's open forum
is worth the time for both you and your owners.
If you don't already have an open forum at board
meetings, consider adding one. "In Massachusetts,
we don't have a statutory requirement to have an
open forum-our condo law has very few statutory
requirements regarding meetings," says Robert
Galvin, a partner at Davis, Malm & D'Agostine PC
in Boston who specializes in representing condos
and co-ops.
"But most of my clients have open forums," adds
Galvin. "This is a very important thing to do
because if you don't have open meetings, there
becomes a suspicion by unit owners that something's
wrong or maybe the board's doing something
inappropriate It's vital to have a forum where
the unit owners can express their opinions and
listen to the board's deliberations."
Before you establish any rules for your open
forum, think carefully about when you'll schedule
it. "Most of our associations do have some type
of open forum," says Erin McManis, a senior
associate at Mulcahy Law Firm PC in Phoenix,
who advises many associations. "If they don't,
we encourage them to have one, preferably at
the beginning of the meeting. That way, if owners
can't stay for the whole meeting, they've at
least had the opportunity to say what they
wanted to say."
A contrary view: Schedule it for the end to
strategically eliminate bad behavior. "Most
associations that are smart will put the open
forum at the very end," contends Brian F.
Lozell, CPM, director of condominium management
at Seneca Real Estate Advisors, a Chicago startup
company that manages less than 100 units so
far; at Lozell's prior firm, he managed as many
as 1,000 units. "One of my clients insisted on
putting it at the front of the meeting, and I
said, 'This is bedlam! How much time are you
going to spend on this?' The more opportunity
you provide ... they'll use the time to complain."
The first rule to impose on your open forum is
on yourself-to set the proper tone, says Matthew
A. Drewes, a partner at Thomsen &Nybeck PA in
Edina, Minn., who represents associations.
Find out how-and get the dirt on five rules to
consider governing owners' behavior-in our new
article: http://www.hoaleader.com/members/891.cfm
Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President
P.S. Due to the Labor Day holiday, there was no Tip of the Week
email last week. We will be sending an extra email out next
in the coming week as a result. Stay tuned!
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Recent articles posted at HOAleader.com:
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Does Your HOA Restrict Lighting? Should It?
An HOAleader.com reader wants to know if boards at other HOAs restrict
owners' use of lighting that affects common areas or neighboring property.
Here we discuss whether lighting restrictions are common, what the
restrictions typically cover, and possible restrictions that might be a
bad idea.
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/Does-Your-HOA-Restrict-Lighting-Should-It.cfm
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Doggone Dilemma: HUD Clarifies Rules on Service Animals
On April 25, the Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a memo to
clarify how the Americans with Disabilities Act interacts with HOAs' rules
on service animals. Here we explain how this clarification affects HOAs'
response to owners' requests for pets in no-pet associations.
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/Doggone-Dilemma-HUD-Clarifies-Rules-on-Service-Animals.cfm
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Picture It: Owner Wants to Install Cameras on HOA Property
In this week's tip, we provide a snapshot on best practices when it comes to
owners installing cameras on HOA property and in their own unit.
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/public/Picture-It-Owner-Wants-to-Install-Cameras-on-HOA-Property.cfm
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HOA Owners and Security Cameras: OK or No Way?
In the blogosphere, an HOA owner contends her neighbor has put security
cameras in places that intrude on her privacy, like above his unit's door in
the common area and on his window pointing at her unit. The HOA asked the owner
to remove the camera in the common area, and he did. No word on any HOA action in
the second incident.
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/HOA-Owners-and-Security-Cameras-OK-or-No-Way.cfm
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7 Ways to Shrink Your HOA Legal Fees
In this week's tip, we share smart tactics to dramatically cut your HOA's
legal bills. All too often, board members fail to get necessary legal advice
in a timely manner because they're concerned about the risk of exorbitant
fees.
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/public/7-Ways-to-Shrink-Your-HOA-Legal-Fees.cfm
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