Practical Advice for Condominium and Homeowners Association Leadership

Thank you for taking on a leadership role in your condo or HOA. It's a big job that has the potential to truly benefit your community. And it carries a lot of responsibilities—including legal responsibilities. The biggest of these is to fulfill the fiduciary duties you're required to meet as you carry out your role as president, secretary, treasurer, a vice president, or a director at large. Why is this so important? Because you're at personal financial risk—we'll say that again to be sure it sinks in: your personal wealth, that you've worked hard to build, is at stake—if you ignore them. Fulfill them, and that personal risk evaporates. It's that simple. You probably recognize at least some of your obligations as a fiduciary, but it's important to understand the full scope of your legal duties. And this special report, Your Fiduciary Duties: A Practical Guide for Condo and HOA Board Members, will give you what you need to know.... keep reading

As a reader of HOAleader.com, you've seen us say it over and over and over: "First, read your governing documents..." Or "Your first stop should be your governing documents." Or "Find out what your governing documents say." But if you're new to the condo/HOA world, (and even if you're not so new) you may not really know what those governing documents include. What documents are included? What should I be looking for if I'm reading them? Are certain documents more important than others? And what about the law--where does that fit in when I'm trying to figure out my governing documents? We've got you covered with this information-filled report.... keep reading

Special assessments get no respect. We'd even go so far as to say that they're almost universally reviled. However, the wisest board members view them through a practical lens. Special assessments are simply a tool to help communities fund necessary projects—one you should consider when necessary rather than let required maintenance or repairs go undone. In this comprehensive report, we've sought the advice of legal and community association management experts to help you better understand the role of the special assessment and make your job of deploying them less stressful.... keep reading

The best-run HOAs have boards that are smart with money. Those boards manage their owners' money with care, and when they have unplanned projects that require additional funding, they're equally methodical and thoughtful. What do those boards do that's so smart? They explore every funding option, starting with well-known ideas like drawing on reserves, taking out a loan, or passing a special assessment. Then they unearth funding options that few HOA board members know about. In this special report, you'll discover tips and guidance on funding options from HOAleader.com's expert contributors.... keep reading

In this newly updated and expanded special report, we lay the groundwork for your HOA board to draft policies and procedures governing a broad scope of condo or homeowners association life by providing you with an exclusive collection of sample policies released to you by HOAleader.com's expert contributors.... keep reading

"Fiduciary" is not just a big word. It carries legal consequences if you--even unknowingly--breach that duty. Here's what you need to know about fulfilling your fiduciary duty as a homeowners association board member.... keep reading

An HOAleader.com reader asks: "What are legal steps to start to apply an initiation fee to new owners? Our community is a golf and country club located in Naples, Fla."... keep reading

Condos in New York City must now work to reduce their carbon footprint as a result of the Climate Mobilization Act. What’s included in the legislation? And perhaps more importantly, do our experts see this type of ordinance affecting condos in other big cities? Here’s what we know.... keep reading

Join us for an in-depth webinar on May 15, when two community association lawyers will help you understand how you can strengthen your ARC to ensure fewer headaches, happier owners, and a fairer, more consistent outcome.... keep reading

In this week’s tip, we send a dire warning: Owners are mad as heck and more willing to try to “throw the bums out” than ever before. That’s according to two of HOAleader.com’s expert community managers, who say they’re seeing a notable spike in recall elections.... keep reading

In just one hour, you’ll understand the changes your community could face in the future and hear actionable information you can use to best position your community for a smooth and successful future.... keep reading

An HOAleader.com reader asks: "A potential buyer of a vacant unit asked for the last 12 months of board meeting minutes. Is this an acceptable practice, or is this confidential?"... keep reading

Two of HOAleader.com’s expert community managers say they’re seeing a notable spike in recall elections. You can hear more from them on this and other trends their clients are experiencing in this month’s webinar: How Bad Condo and HOA Boards Hurt Themselves: Expert Community Association Managers Offer ‘Tough Love’ Your Board Can’t Afford to Ignore.... keep reading