HOAleader.com - Tip of the Week - February 2, 2018
Published: Fri, 02/02/18
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How Not to Throw New Condo/HOA Board Members to the Wolves
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In this week’s tip, we lead you to a deep reservoir of information on how to get your new board members up to speed quickly and effectively.
The good news is that new blood on your board nearly always means fresh ideas and stretched thinking.
The less-good news is that even the best-intentioned board members often don’t understand all the details of their role when they join the board.
“Here’s the problem,” explains Robert E. Ducharme, founder of Ducharme Law in Stratham, N.H., who specializes in representing community associations. “People run for the board because they want to get involved. That’s a good thing.
“The bad thing is that they get on the board and don’t really have any clue of what the governing documents or their duties entail. That’s tough to handle whether you have a 2-unit or a 150-unit association.”
That’s why training is so critical, even for board members who believe their business or professional expertise provides them all they need to know about running a community association. “While operating a condo or HOA is much like operating any business that owns or manages property, there’s so much more to know, understand, and confront in a community association setting,” notes Lisa Magill, of counsel at Kaye, Bender & Rembaum in Pompano Beach, Fla., who advises Florida community associations.
“Board members have to have basic knowledge of legal procedures and requirements, understand the governing documents—especially their limitations—have compassion for the residents, navigate the dynamics of serving on a board, and obtain conflict-resolution skills.”
No worries! You can train newbies on what they need to know. Joe Wloszek is an associate at Cummings, McClorey, Davis & Acho in Livonia, Mich., which represents more than 100 community associations. He also has personal experience on new-board-member training, having lived in a condo for seven years and now having lived in an HOA for two years.
He believes in a multi-layered approach. Read about each tier of his suggested training regimen, along with our other experts’ recommendations, in our new article: https://www.hoaleader.com/members/3673.cfm
Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President
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Upcoming Event
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The Roles, Duties, and Responsibilities of HOA or Condo Board Members
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Recent articles posted at HOAleader.com:
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How to Train Your Condo or HOA's Newest Board Members
The good news is that new blood on your board nearly always means fresh ideas and stretched thinking.
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/members/How-Train-Your-Condo-or-HOAs-Newest-Board-Members.cfm
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When Your Condo or HOA Might Need Management Help
Lots of associations don't hire managers, and they're perfectly happy with that decision. Others, however, would actually be better operated with management help.
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/members/When-Your-Condo-or-HOA-Might-Need-Management-Help.cfm
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HOA Slips and Falls and the Lawsuits That Follow: How to Prevent Both
Yes, some people falsely claim to have been injured on HOA property, hoping for a quick and easy payout. But others have truly been harmed. Either way, slips and falls can do serious damage to your HOA or condo budget.
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/members/HOA-Slips-Falls-Lawsuits-That-Follow-How-Prevent-Both.cfm
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Why You Need an Annual Community Maintenance Chart
The beginning of the year is a great time to set a plan for regular community maintenance that can guide you during this year and in future years. Here we explain what an annual plan should look like and offer suggestions for particular times of the year.
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/members/Why-You-Need-Annual-Community-Maintenance-Chart.cfm
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Is This Practice an HOA Problem Waiting to Happen?
We're coming to the aid of an HOAleader.com reader in this week's tip. The reader asks a seemingly simple question in our discussion forum: "Is it a good idea for a board member to meet privately with a home owner to mediate a dispute?"
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/public/This-Practice-HOA-Problem-Waiting-Happen.cfm
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