Does Anyone Serve on the BOD of Their Condo or Cottage?

Wear a bullet proof vest...........:bang:

I was Sec/Treas of my condo HOA for 4 years. Unfortunately, it can be frustrating, especially when you are dealing with out-of-state owners. It can also be rewarding, and you are certainly doing a big service to your board.

First: Create an updated contact list with at least two methods of communication for every owner.

Make sure you know what constitutes a quorum in your bylaws, and create an email proxy form (make sure your bylaws specify that proxies can be sent by electronic transmission.) Send out requests for proxies two weeks before any meeting to any homeowner who can't attend, and hound people until they are returned. It makes taking a vote at meetings MUCH easier.

Revisit Roberts Rules of Order re: taking minutes. Date & time, location, distributions, members present, guests, proxy votes held, and presence of a quorum in the top paragraph. Be sure that you establish due notice once the meeting is called to order. (This actually helped us win a dispute once.) Use bullet points for everything else below. Every little detail does not need to be recorded. I would usually just note "discussed problems with lawn service. No resolution taken", or "John Doe, Unit 4, will investigate lawn service companies and report back to the board" or whatever... obviously any motion, resolution, and/or vote needs to be recorded.

Make sure the fire dept. has keys to every unit. This was a law in Okaloosa Co. I have no idea if it is in Walton, but it's a good idea.

That's all I can think of at the moment, but please feel free to PM or email me if you ever have a question or need help.

Communication to your residents is really important. When they don't know what's going it can be an endless series of headaces. Most folks don't realize how much time the process of getting something done can take, so letting people know the status of projects and the like through a quarterly newsletter can be a big PR win.

Make sure there is insurance for the board members.

I've just been elected to a two year term as Secretary/Treasurer of my condo in Seagrove Beach. Does anyone have any pearls of wisdom they'd like to bestow on me?

...find out where the previous Secretary/Treasurer hid the Scotch.

.

I've just been elected to a two year term as Secretary/Treasurer of my condo in Seagrove Beach. Does anyone have any pearls of wisdom they'd like to bestow on me? I've memorized the Florida statutes and my condo bylaws so I'm okay on that account (I think ;-)).

All advice and cautionary stories gratefully accepted !

Congratulations. It will be the longest 2 years of your life.

Wear a bullet proof vest...........:bang:

I'll tuck this one in the back of my mind just in case. ;-)

I was Sec/Treas of my condo HOA for 4 years. Unfortunately, it can be frustrating, especially when you are dealing with out-of-state owners. It can also be rewarding, and you are certainly doing a big service to your board.

First: Create an updated contact list with at least two methods of communication for every owner.

Make sure you know what constitutes a quorum in your bylaws, and create an email proxy form (make sure your bylaws specify that proxies can be sent by electronic transmission.) Send out requests for proxies two weeks before any meeting to any homeowner who can't attend, and hound people until they are returned. It makes taking a vote at meetings MUCH easier.

Revisit Roberts Rules of Order re: taking minutes. Date & time, location, distributions, members present, guests, proxy votes held, and presence of a quorum in the top paragraph. Be sure that you establish due notice once the meeting is called to order. (This actually helped us win a dispute once.) Use bullet points for everything else below. Every little detail does not need to be recorded. I would usually just note "discussed problems with lawn service. No resolution taken", or "John Doe, Unit 4, will investigate lawn service companies and report back to the board" or whatever... obviously any motion, resolution, and/or vote needs to be recorded.

Make sure the fire dept. has keys to every unit. This was a law in Okaloosa Co. I have no idea if it is in Walton, but it's a good idea.

That's all I can think of at the moment, but please feel free to PM or email me if you ever have a question or need help.

This is excellent! And I think I shall take you up on your offer because there's still a lot I have to learn. We've been mismanaged for so many years that it's really like starting from ground zero.

Communication to your residents is really important. When they don't know what's going it can be an endless series of headaces. Most folks don't realize how much time the process of getting something done can take, so letting people know the status of projects and the like through a quarterly newsletter can be a big PR win.

I am on the same page as you in this regard. The previous boards and manager were like a black hole: information went in and it never came out. You're right on the money when you say that being kept in the dark is very disgruntling. It certainly irks me!

Make sure there is insurance for the board members.

I will check up on this just to make sure we have the necessary fidelity bonds.

...find out where the previous Secretary/Treasurer hid the Scotch.

.

Heck, Shelly, I'd be happy to know where the money is. I already know what throats the scotch went down.

Congratulations. It will be the longest 2 years of your life.

If they're productive years I won't mind it one bit.

Looks like you have the right frame of mind for this task.. Good luck to you....

I'll tuck this one in the back of my mind just in case. ;-)



This is excellent! And I think I shall take you up on your offer because there's still a lot I have to learn. We've been mismanaged for so many years that it's really like starting from ground zero.



I am on the same page as you in this regard. The previous boards and manager were like a black hole: information went in and it never came out. You're right on the money when you say that being kept in the dark is very disgruntling. It certainly irks me!



I will check up on this just to make sure we have the necessary fidelity bonds.



Heck, Shelly, I'd be happy to know where the money is. I already know what throats the scotch went down.



If they're productive years I won't mind it one bit.

All I can add to this is a big congratulations to you, Mermy! Your long, tedious, frustrating journey has paid off. You give new meaning to the saying..." a dog with a bone"! I am proud of how you conducted this effort and look forward to hearing all about the new HOA! Best of luck!

To expand on WCW's post:

- Record the meeting with a simple tape recorder (make sure it has batteries in it, I knew someone that was famous for forgetting them). This makes the secretaries job much easier and there's no question of what was said.

- The Association should have keys to all units. Some owners balk at this and think you just want to peak at their hideous condo furniture. Remind them that state law allows the entrance to a unit by the association in the event of an emergency fire, water leak, etc. If this means taking the door down with a fire axe so be it. Any damage as a result is the responsibility of the owner and not the association. I was told by a CAM instructor that if someone won't provide a key and an emergency arises take the door down, don't try to pick the lock or use a credit card. They are aware of this upon purchase of a condo as they are agreeing to the association rules, bylaws, and state laws.

- Communication is the biggest thing. Email is great, but a BB similar to sowal is even better. They can easily be restricted to owners only and there are plenty of freebies out there.

- When someone is behind on their dues you're going to have to be a biatch. Put a lien on that sucker and accelerate the dues if possible. Don't listen to sob stories. If they can't afford the dues then they need to sell the property. Also liens should be filed annually. It's hard to collect if this isn't done and should be done to anyone. You can't be selective or you'll probably get sued.

- Bid out every vendor. Times are tough and when it comes to vendors it's a shoppers market.

- Contracts with vendors. Not really necessary and can be a real problem when they aren't delivering. Make sure that the contract has a 30 day release clause MAX. I'm not saying all vendors do it, but many times associations are stuck with a crappy vendor because they bought into the song and dance that ended when the ink on the contract dried.

- Have a lawyer. Someone threatens to sue, refer them to the lawyer. Ninety percent of the time it's an idle threat and that will shut them up real quick.

- Have an accountant. You don't want the IRS seizing your common elements because you put a decimal point in the wrong place. Day to day financials should be handled by the treasurer, but end of year taxes should be done by a proffesional.

That's it for now, if I think of anything else I'll come back. :wave:

You have my pity

At our condo association I saw a most unusual situation...a woman habitually lied for another man (not her husband) and no sex was involved...excuse me there was Dana Perino.

Follow Robert's Rules of Order...I still have my copy,😀

At our condo association I saw a most unusual situation...a woman habitually lied for another man (not her husband) and no sex was involved...excuse me there was Dana Perino.

Follow Robert's Rules of Order...I still have my copy,😀

The large hard bound is great. The soft back takes a lot more effort to beat someone unconscious. :cool:

To expand on WCW's post:

- Record the meeting with a simple tape recorder (make sure it has batteries in it, I knew someone that was famous for forgetting them). This makes the secretaries job much easier and there's no question of what was said.

- The Association should have keys to all units. Some owners balk at this and think you just want to peak at their hideous condo furniture. Remind them that state law allows the entrance to a unit by the association in the event of an emergency fire, water leak, etc. If this means taking the door down with a fire axe so be it. Any damage as a result is the responsibility of the owner and not the association. I was told by a CAM instructor that if someone won't provide a key and an emergency arises take the door down, don't try to pick the lock or use a credit card. They are aware of this upon purchase of a condo as they are agreeing to the association rules, bylaws, and state laws.

- Communication is the biggest thing. Email is great, but a BB similar to sowal is even better. They can easily be restricted to owners only and there are plenty of freebies out there.

- When someone is behind on their dues you're going to have to be a biatch. Put a lien on that sucker and accelerate the dues if possible. Don't listen to sob stories. If they can't afford the dues then they need to sell the property. Also liens should be filed annually. It's hard to collect if this isn't done and should be done to anyone. You can't be selective or you'll probably get sued.

- Bid out every vendor. Times are tough and when it comes to vendors it's a shoppers market.

- Contracts with vendors. Not really necessary and can be a real problem when they aren't delivering. Make sure that the contract has a 30 day release clause MAX. I'm not saying all vendors do it, but many times associations are stuck with a crappy vendor because they bought into the song and dance that ended when the ink on the contract dried.

- Have a lawyer. Someone threatens to sue, refer them to the lawyer. Ninety percent of the time it's an idle threat and that will shut them up real quick.

- Have an accountant. You don't want the IRS seizing your common elements because you put a decimal point in the wrong place. Day to day financials should be handled by the treasurer, but end of year taxes should be done by a proffesional.

That's it for now, if I think of anything else I'll come back. :wave:

All very good points! Here's a simple way to accomplish all of this without lifting a finger... contract with a good property management company to take care of the nitty gritty for you. It's well worth the expense, and then some.

All very good points! Here's a simple way to accomplish all of this without lifting a finger... contract with a good property management company to take care of the nitty gritty for you. It's well worth the expense, and then some.

Very true, or contract a CAM on an annual basis. There are tons of them out there so be very choosy. Also be careful of companies that have 500 associations and a hand full of CAM's, this can leave you hanging. Also be very clear of the CAM's duties.

CAM = Community Association Manager - They are licensed by the state of Florida.

A little trick for you on CAM's. Their license number is sequential, so the lower the number the longer they have been doing it. You can also search for complaints on the FDBPR. Don't get smoke where the sun don't shine. A friend of mine has been a CAM for about 15 years and has a license number in the triple digits. Currently I believe they are running around the 20,000 mark.

These are excellent points, and that is something I forgot to mention, we did have a CAM... My role as Sec/Treas was much less demanding than it would have been otherwise. It is definitely a worthwhile investment, IMO. They are on top of all the current issues and should have a history of problem-solving, so nothing really fazes them...

Basically all I did was help plan meetings, attend meetings, take minutes then email them to the CAM. My signature was on file with the bank in case it was ever needed, but it was not. She did all the tough work - paperwork & filings, though she was constantly swamped with too many properties to manage.

I like SWGB's idea of an online community bulletin board - that would have helped us a lot! The issues we had to deal with were constantly hampered by poor communication. We had owners living all over the country, and though it helped having a CAM, she was usually too busy for proper communication. When I would assist, I was often met with wrong phone numbers and invalid email addresses. Snail mail was the only solution, and we often would not get any response... until invoices for a special assessment were sent, then suddenly everyone wanted to know what was going on. :roll:

We ran into the same problem with owners everywhere and bad contact info. Our Mgmt company did a really good job of getting contact info updated. We also tried to put together an email list, but found that some of our older owners didn't use the internet! So we ended up using snail mail for some and email for the rest.

On independent CAM's, be really really careful and ask for references. There are a lot of shucksters out there who do the very least amount of work for the most pay. They can really really screw up things like insurance and financials if they don't know what they are doing!

We ran into the same problem with owners everywhere and bad contact info. Our Mgmt company did a really good job of getting contact info updated. We also tried to put together an email list, but found that some of our older owners didn't use the internet! So we ended up using snail mail for some and email for the rest.

On independent CAM's, be really really careful and ask for references. There are a lot of shucksters out there who do the very least amount of work for the most pay. They can really really screw up things like insurance and financials if they don't know what they are doing!

Very true, they'll show up with a list of vendors they highly recommend. Read buddies who will drain your finances.

Excellent info for me! I hear it loud and clear about the importance of communication, from board to CAM and board to owners. This definitely falls into the category "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Thanks y'all and keep it coming! :wub:

Excellent info for me! I hear it loud and clear about the importance of communication, from board to CAM and board to owners. This definitely falls into the category "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Thanks y'all and keep it coming! :wub:

Kick butt, Mermy!