Condo Association Management Blog

do you have a few hours or days to learn all this ? 
 
bob

IL needs this desperatley! We have some of the most mis-managed corrupt Condo and HOA's in America!

I agree with Amanda!! 
 
We need legislation regarding mandatory education requirements when a person is on the Board. Illinois had absolutely no enforcement of what laws we do have unless you sue on your own. We have a run away Board that makes it's own rules and disregards the ones that are in place. It is time we speak up. Janet

To begin with, there should be a job description for each board position. This should lay out the general responsibilities of the position.  
 
All board members need to recognize that they have a fiduciary responsibility to represent ALL owners, not just a small group or click. This is a very difficult concept for most (and one of the misconceptions - they don't have free reign to make things go their way). 
 
This is strictly a voluntary position (illegal to pay for this)and it takes time - especially if there is no property management company (as is the case with many smaller associations). A small association can expect to pay from $35 to $55 per unit per month for a management company! 
 
It is a thankless position (all of them)and as a board member, they can expect to hear ALL complaints. 
 
You can be put in a very uncomfortable position by having to give warnings and/or impose fines on neighbors. 
 
The new member should be (or get) familiar with the financial situation and with contract services, learn how to compare bids for services, etc. 
 
I could go on for hours, but this is a good place to start.

There are many community property management companies that want to keep board members dependent. They do not want an independent board because the management company wants total control of the board. Keeping a board uninformed gives the management company the upper hand. Educating the board is not a priority. This leads to all decisions being made by the management company.  
 
 
 
The management contract could help clarify what guidance a management company will give the board.  
 
 
 
I am a member of CAI (Community Associations Institute). The organization has seminars and courses for community association members.  
 
 
 
I have recently suggested to my CAI chapter that it have a course on how to hire a manager. Hopefully, the issue of manager guidance will be addressed at that seminar.  
 
 
 
Also, good minutes and resolutions are a must. We don't have these at my association. Also, the person who is running for a board position should have come to meetings and should have participated in some way in the upkeep of the association. They should have volunteered.

Thanks so much for everyone's comments. I'd love to include a few of these in my article. If you could e-mail me your comments directly to danielle_braff@hotmail.com, along with your full name and title, that would be great!!

Hallelujah and AMEN Janet! I sued on my own it was expensive and we still lost. It all depends on the JUDGE IL LAW EMPOWERS these MORONS! a few years back for one year IL DEPT OF REV did have a standing Regulatory BOARD regarding problems in IL HOA and COA's however it was only for new legislation and a waste of state funds IMAGINE THAT...I am living with builder defects as well as many other contactor issues. 52 units no club house no spinkler system no pool not even lights on the street we HAVE NOTHING! and we Pay 103 per unit a month for WHAT? I have no idea. If u ask its for maintence,snow and lawn care. Our grass is brown summer after summer. It does not even need to mowed it does not grow! They laid sod on top of ROCK! They fix nothing!

In NY there are no rules or guidlines for condos. Our management company is more corrupt than our board, there is no agency to take responsibility for condo owners. Board members and management companies feel running a condo is to steal as much as they can.

Sounds about right Marsha! Managment companies are worse then the BOD...

I believe our management company brought about all the cheating and extortion that is taking place where I live. We never had a problem with the two previous management companies and our grounds looked beautiful until now. This mgm. person doesn't fix anything, gives fake fines, and her company has the worse reputation of any management in New Jersey. Yet, our HOA still works with them...possibly the managment company is splitting the extra money that is being charged to us with the president of the board. We were lucky until we got the new management company and a broke president whose wife threw him out and divorced him. They started replacing items that didn't have to be replaced just to make a profit and get extra money. The management person bragged about going to the closing of a deceased school teacher condo and collected $3,750 for fines because the poor deceased school teacher couldn't replace her light bulbs after she dies and before her condo was sold. Can you imagine bragging about doing this and she was only asked if Carol's condo was sold! This horrible mgmt. person thought it was okay to charge fines to a dead person and wanted to show how wonderful she was....of course, we do not know where any of the fines she charges goes to but we think it is probably split between her and some of the board members. I just can't believe what karma might hand to them and I hope it comes soon as I haven't met anyone who deserved bad luck like all of them that are cheating the honest people who live here.

Provide them with the following url 
 
 
 
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/ocp/ccoc/pdf/final_draft_manual_9_09_05.pdf 
 
 
 
That will enable them to print out a document developed by Montgomery County Maryland which is a manual for giovernance of common ownership community Properties. 
 
If you can rerad this manual will enable you to conduct all afairs of your association legally,protect the right of the majority to rule but protect the minorities right to have a say in the proceedings. This document coupled with a basic understanding of Robert's Order New ly Revised edition circa 2005 are all you shall need.