HOAleader.com - Tip of the Week - February 1, 2019
Published: Fri, 02/01/19
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That Time the HOAleader.com Email In-Box Stunned Us with Blatant Racism—and a Few Readers Proved Our Point
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We don’t like being the bearer of bad news, but in this week’s tip, we warn that you may have a problem you don’t even realize at your community association.
The good news, however, is that we have advice to help you prevent it.
In December, we reported on the most recent incidents of alleged racial incidents at condos and HOAs and offered tips on what boards can do to avoid having their members throw them into a racial incident.
Then we received email responses—and we’re not naming names here—that proved the point of the article—that you may not even realize that your association may be at risk for a claim of racial bias despite the good intentions of most (probably nearly all) of your board and members.
Our experts were blown away by the emails we received after we published our article. They weren’t terribly surprised, but they were nonetheless stunned.
“Wow,” says James R. McCormick Jr., CCAL, a partner at Delphi Law Group in Carlsbad, Calif., who represents associations. “It’s amazing to me because I look very white, but my mother was born in Mexico, so I’m half Mexican. I’ve sat with older crowds at associations who were very racist and were bad-mouthing Mexicans. All I could think was, ‘You have no idea who you’re talking to.’”
When we touched base with Bob Kmiecik, a partner at Kaman & Cusimano LLC, which represents associations throughout Ohio, he jokingly said he thought we were making stuff up.
Sadly, we aren’t making stuff up. And we know these are legitimate emails from real people because the author of the most alarming of the responses signed the email and had no qualms including professional designations in the signature block.
Read that email in its entirety—along with another email that highlights another problem and our experts tips to help your association handle this problem—in our new article: https://www.hoaleader.com/members/3853.cfm
Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President
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This report is intended to be your road map for an entire year of operations that you begin using today and turn to for years to come. It provides you with checklists compiled by our editorial team with substantial input from experts on HOA operations and management from across the country to ensure you're steering your association in the right direction and not letting crucial issues slip through the cracks.
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Recent articles posted at HOAleader.com:
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Houston, Condos and HOAs Truly Do Have a Potential Problem with Bias
In December, we reported on the most recent incidents of alleged racial incidents at condos and HOAs and offered tips on what boards can do to avoid having their members throw them into a racial incident.
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/members/Houston-Condos-HOAs-Truly-Do-Have-Potential-Problem-with-Bias.cfm
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How to Read Your Association's Financial Reports (and Fulfill Your Fiduciary Duty)
Did you miss yesterday's webinar on HOA financials? If so, you missed a content-packed session, led by two community association management experts. But it's not too late! Order the on-demand webinar recording, and your entire board can benefit from this training session. In just one hour, you'll get the information you need to begin confidently reviewing financial reports for your association and identifying when something doesn't seem right.
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/products/how-to-read-your-associations-financial-reports-b.cfm
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Why You Should Wear Only One Condo/HOA Board Officer's Hat
In this week's tip, we offer a suggestion to limit your risk as an officer of your association: Don't take on too much. The issue arises because word has reached us that in a Florida condo, no owners stepped up to be a condo's treasurer. So the president accepted the role, tacking them onto his current presidential duties.
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/public/Why-You-Should-Wear-Only-One-CondoHOA-Board-Officers-Hat.cfm
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When You Can Serve In More Than One Condo/HOA Officer Position--And Why You Should Avoid It
Word has reached us that in a Florida condo, no owners stepped up to be a condo's treasurer. So the president accepted the role, tacking them onto his current presidential duties.
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/members/When-You-Can-Serve-In-More-Than-One-CondoHOA-Officer-PositionAnd-Why-You-Should-Avoid-It.cfm
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How Many Bad Decisions Can One Condo Board Make? Our Experts Count 4
An HOAleader.com reader asks, In 2017, our association was hit by a severe wind storm. Two units were declared uninhabitable by the fire chief, code enforcement, etc. Two units' walls were blown away, and the roofs were crushed in by a large tree...
Click here to read full article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/members/How-Many-Bad-Decisions-Can-One-Condo-Board-Make-Our-Experts-Count-4.cfm
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