GPM Resources

A property management company acts as the liaison between the associations’ Board Of Directors and outside vendors. They maintain the property’s common areas, handle financials for the association, address maintenance and service requests, and look out for the overall best interest of the community.

A homeowner community association is a nongovernmental association of collective members of a community, such as a neighborhood, condominium, cooperative, or group of homeowners or property owners in a delineated geographic area.

There are several factors to consider when evaluating a new property management firm. Quality of service, industry reputation, length of time in business, number of staff members, frequency of on-site visits, the experience of the individual property manager, vendor relations and many more.

A board of directors is a requirement for a community homeowners association to function properly. These elected volunteer officials are responsible for all operations of the association and ensuring the community governing documents are followed and enforced.

The property management company acts as the facilitating arm of the board. Once the board of directors has come to a decision it is then turned over to the management firm to put the plan into action. From overseeing new projects and neighborhood improvements to enforcing community policies and requesting bids for renovations.

The ultimate objective of a property management firm is to implement the required actions on behalf of the BOD and homeowners to improve the overall quality of life and value of the community. This is achieved through transparent communication, quality service, attention to detail, responsiveness, and industry experience.

Most homeowners associations have the benefit of providing the neighborhood with numerous amenities such as tennis courts, golf courses, pools, a protective gate and many others. Furthermore, HOA fees can be used for ground maintenance, which can help maintain the appearance of the entire neighborhood.

Your governing documents can be “amended” if a large enough portion of the community votes for the change. Normally, it requires a two-thirds vote of the homeowners. Although actually amendments normally cannot be added without a community vote, the board can pass resolutions and create some policies and procedures on their own within the parameters of the covenants.

Home buyers sign agreements to be governed by the association and abide by the decisions of the duly appointed/elected HOA board of directors. Most of the time, nonprofit boards work through consensus. Express your concerns to the President and if you need to move further, write a letter to the board that explains your reasons for voting against the proposed topic. Bring this letter to the meeting at which the vote will be taken and ask to read your letter aloud and have it entered into the official minutes. You may be outvoted, but you will have shown how seriously you take the matter.

While bylaws are generally mutually agreed upon governing rules for an organization or business, covenants are usually long-term promises to do something or refrain from action that may last for several generations.

If you live in a planned community that has covenants, you most likely have to pay monthly Homeowners’ Association (HOA) fees and, at times, special assessments—often collectively referred to as “assessments.”

An HOA Board can typically raise dues as much as it needs to in order to meet its annual budget. There are exceptions, however.

A homeowners association fee (HOA fee) is an amount of money that must be paid monthly by owners of certain types of residential properties, and HOAs collect these fees to assist with maintaining and improving properties in the association.

When you buy a property governed by a homeowners’ association, you agree that you’ll obey all the HOA rules and pay regular dues and any special assessments. By joining an HOA you automatically become a member of the association. The purchase of your home becomes a contract with the HOA.