Condo Association Management Blog

I won't pretend to know the entire process but even if the HOA has a management company there should still be a board consisting of at least a President, Secratary, and Treasurer. I believe you might want to consider being the President if you are looking to take over the management of the association thus allowing it to be self managed. Or are you asking how to become a Management Company in and of yourself in which you could submit your own competitive bid to the current board for consideration.  
 
 
 
I am not a lawyer or completely knowledgeable about the laws in your state but these would seem to be two options in my own mind.

As the previous poster pointed out, you don't precisely say if you are on the board, if there is an active board and what you want to do. 
 
I recommend you look into being self-managed, especially for a community that small. See if the company will offer accounting services only and also get other prices for accounting services. Otherwise, someone will have to take in the checks and write the payments to the verious vendors and service providers.  
 
The board will need to have a fidelity bond (also known as Crime Coverage) and you should consult your insurance provider and your documents to see the requirements for insurance for the board. 
 
If you are serving as a director or officer, most documents require that you serve without compensation. This does not mean you can't be reimbursed for expenses (even gas) but you would need to track it and prove it. You also will probably need to either buy some software for acounting purposes if you do it in house, but the outlay will be covered if you become self managed. The trick is to keep it going. Most people don't want to do it. 
 
Now, if you want to be a management agent and get aid for it, that is completely different. I recommend that you look at CAI - Community Associations Institute. In fact, I recommend you look anyway, because they have a lot of good information and advice for self-managed communities. Part of it is knowing your state laws as well, and I don't know those. 
 
Either one will take some time and effort, so be prepared!

Good Morning: 
 
 
 
There are really two questions here, can you do this and should you do this? On the first one, if you are inexperienced with property management, you will want to think twice about doing it. There are so many ways for an association to get in trouble with its members, vendors, etc. that it should be left to someone with the experience needed in your state to keep your behind out of trouble. If you are insistent on doing this, make sure you insert a heck of a lot of money in the budget for a lawyer because you will likely them regularly. Then, go to CAI and start taking their courses on property management. Finally, what you are proposing to do is called self managing. Make sure your CC&R's, bylaws, or other governing documents do not have a prohibition against it. A lot of them in WA do without first obtaining approval from a supermajority of the ownership (67%) AND 50% of the mortgagee's (banks and mortgage lenders). that's a huge undertaking no matter what size you are. 
 
 
 
Next the question of should you. Again my answer is most likely no. As a resident of the community, you are going to be expected to volunteer your time which means you'll do this for no pay. If you do ask for pay, it's likely that a large percentage of the community will see that as some sort of unjust enrichment for a board member and provide a lot of opposition. One of the intangibles about being a board member is that it is a lot of volunteer labor. So, I would make sure that I had written consent from all eight people that they are ok with you managing the association. If you are then willing to do all of this for free and you have everyone's permission, I would say go ahead. Finally, make extra sure that your D&O policy, fidelity policy, and general liability policy will cover a self-managed association. Some may not. then, go buy your own policy to insure for any mistake you are certainly going to make. If you mess up, expect to get sued. 
 
 
 
Darron 
 
HOA Receivables Management

As a coach for condo boards, I'd ask you this question...When you say not helpful at all, what actions specifically are they failing in? Is the management company fulfilling it's contract? Do you need to rewrite the contract so that your association needs are met? Do you understand what the contract tells the management company to do?