HOAleader.com - Tip of the Week - April 11, 2014
Published: Fri, 04/11/14
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This Just In: How to Prevent Reporters from Crashing Your HOA Meetings
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In this week's tip, we lend a hand to a reader who wants to know if her board can
punish two residents who, without notice or permission, invited a reporter
to an HOA meeting expected to be contentious. (Read the original post on our
discussion forum.)
This is so not cool! "Wow, they invited like a news reporter?" asks an
incredulous Robert White, managing director of KW Property Management &
Consulting in Miami, which oversees about 125 associations totaling
30,000-35,000 units.
This type of situation is something you likely won't learn about until it's
too late. "You probably wouldn't find out until after it happened,"
predicts Steven Parker, president of FirstService Residential Nevada in
Las Vegas, which manages hundreds of community associations. "And
communications have already deteriorated dramatically when a resident is
bringing in a reporter on the sly."
It's not just a reporter who can cause tension or disruption. "I've not had
that specific situation come up," says Beth Grimm, an attorney in Pleasant
Hill, Calif., who's practiced HOA law for more than 25 years, representing
both associations and homeowners. "I've had boards call and ask, 'Can I
bring my real estate agent' or somebody else, and I tell them, 'I don't
suggest you do.'
"I also had one situation that involved a four-unit association," adds
Grimm. "The boyfriend of purported owner was a lawyer, and he'd bring in a
tape recorder in his pocket and turn it on before the board started having me
come to meetings. He'd secretly tape them and goad them on into saying things
they shouldn't be saying. When I got to a meeting, I asked if he was recording.
He said yes, and I took the recorder away from him. I've had people do really
obnoxious things."
That said, generally, association meetings are open only to owners or to
owners and residents. "In Nevada, the meeting is open to residents, and
technically the reporter shouldn't be there," says Parker.
But what can you do to enforce restrictions intended to prevent meeting
crashers? Get tips in our new article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/990.cfm
Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President
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Recent articles posted at HOAleader.com:
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Reporters at Your HOA Meetings: Film at 11!
An HOAleader.com reader posts, "Two residents in our community of 200
decided to invite a reporter to a possibly agitated meeting. They did not
inform anyone until the meeting was over and the reporter was trying to
interview residents. This was an official members-only open meeting. Was
this a proper move by these two individuals? Please advise; can the board
fine them for this?"
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/Reporters-at-Your-HOA-Meetings-Film-at-11.cfm
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Is This HOA Board Being Reasonable? Lawn-Care Regs During Droughts
In January, California's governor issued a statewide drought emergency
and called for residents to ration their water use. Still, some boards are
reportedly still enforcing HOA rules requiring owners to keep up lawn
maintenance. Here our experts discuss wither these boards' actions are
reasonable and if boards should take alternative measures.
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/Is-This-HOA-Board-Being-Reasonable-LawnCare-Regs-During-Droughts.cfm
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How to Simplify the Tracking of Your HOA's Rentals
In this week's tip, we offer groundwork that will help you track and monitor
your HOA's rental restrictions. Rental caps are hotly debated but perhaps
less common than the debate level suggests.
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/How-to-Simplify-the-Tracking-of-Your-HOAs-Rentals.cfm
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Tips for Monitoring and Enforcing Your HOA's Rental Cap
If your association has a limit on the number of rental units permitted, you
need a process for monitoring who's renting, including possibly a waiting
list if you're at already at your max. Here we offer tips for tracking rentals
easily and fairly, enforcing it, and for communicating your system to
homeowners.
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/Tips-for-Monitoring-and-Enforcing-Your-HOAs-Rental-Cap.cfm
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Owners: You've Exceeded Your HOA Guest Limit!
In this week's tip, we address a thorny yet persistent problem: Your HOA has
rental restrictions. But you're constantly facing the question of owners
with frequent guests--sometimes when the owners aren't even
present--whom you suspect are actually renters.
Click here to read full article:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/Owners-Youve-Exceeded-Your-HOA-Guest-Limit.cfm
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