In a condominium gated home development and other incorporated housing areas, homeowners form homeowner associations (HOA) to protect their properties and interests. They form a board of directors from homeowners in the development to sit on the board. Board members are voted on and usually selected based on their skills. They typically aim for professional people living in the development including lawyers or accountants, whose skills can translate to the job at hand.
The idea of sitting working professionals on the board is a logical and potentially very good idea but the challenge is that the professionals are typically very busy and focused on important matters regarding their own businesses. As a result, the roles they play on the board of homeowners association, is secondary and not near as important.
Although their intentions are to be available and attuned to matters relating to the good upkeep and management of the property, more often than not, the property gets short-changed in terms of focus and good decision-making.
What does the Board of Directors of a HOA do?
The board has responsibility for the management and operation of the association’s business affairs. They must operate and apply their judgments based on and in accordance with the laws and bylaws of the HOA that were created when the community was first developed.
Typically the HOA is formed as a non-profit corporation. The board is contracted by the HOA and has authority and control of the property’s management. The board’s responsibilities, powers and duties include all of those written into the general law, as long as they are consistent with the provisions of the documents governing the association.
Board members will typically serve without compensation although they may have their expenses or a small stipend paid in the event of travel or excessive time required. They will serve for a predetermined period of time and then must be re-elected if they wish to continue to serve on the board.
Officers Serving on the Board of an HOA
There are usually four officers who serve on the board. They are
- President
- Vice President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
Depending upon the size of the development, its location and amenities, and the types of homeowners, the responsibilities of the board can be numerous and time-consuming.
The board must not only take care of the day-to-day business of the property, they must also collect HOA dues and special assessments, handle disputes between homeowners, defend against any lawsuits brought against the property or launch any against a party that they feel has caused damages to the development, and deal with any shortfalls in budgeting.
Also, in the event of a natural or man-made disaster the board must take any actions to repair the damages and deal with any collateral issues related to the disaster.
Quite often the board falls short of its obligations. When this occurs it may not only cause dangerous scenarios for the homeowners, it can also cause home values to plummet. For this reason homeowners know it is important for an HOA board to use the best available options to ensure their HOA needs are met.
Ammcor
If you own in a property In San Clemente, Orange County, and that property is part of a development that has a homeowners association, there are options available to ensure that your needs are met. Ammcor, a company that provides HOA support services, is built to act as a back office and staff for an HOA’s board of directors. As such they provide every important HOA service and they provide these services in support of the existing HOA board.
The company currently provides its services to homeowners of more than 15,000 homes in Orange County. Ammcor reviews from satisfied homeowners confirm the quality and completeness of their services. They are experts in property management and offer a level of care that creates confidence and assuredness for homeowners.