Frequently Asked Questions
Please contact us if you cannot find an answer to your question.
A homeowners association is a community association living in a neighborhood where you and your neighbors share common property, amenities, and services. Residents share enjoyment of them as well as the costs of preservation and enhancement. Most community associations are mandatory (vs. voluntary).
To understand how a community association functions, think of them like small municipalities. They govern (have rules and penalties), conduct business (provide services like trash removal) and, similar to small towns in earlier eras, they often have parks, recreational facilities, etc. and social events. The members (homeowners) vote the decision-makers into office (Board of Directors) but, as in small towns, have no say in the day-to-day decisions made that effect their community.
Fees include fixed costs to the management company, including office, telephones, computers, accounting & management software, fax machines, copy machines, cell phones, insurance, or any modern office expense and labor costs. Total fixed costs plus labor costs and the profit margin divided by the number of homeowners yields the management company's typical charge. Typically smaller communities pay more and larger communities pay less per door.
Included with the fee is a community manager, someone who does the accounting, and any administrative staff (including a portion of the cost for a receptionist). Each group is responsible for multiple communities. Remember that the management fee pays for multiple employees to complete the services provided by the management company (the community manager does not get the entire fee), and the management company is in business for its livelihood and those of its employees. Also recall that the management fee is only a small portion of what is included in your individual homeowners association fee. You are also paying for all the services provided by the association, like insurance, snow removal, groundskeeping, etc.
Few people like fine print or red tape, but there are several important documents homeowners need to be familiar with. Collectively, they are called governing documents. Individual documents differ depending on the type of association you live in. Governing documents provide structure within which the board can work effectively. They guide board decision making and support association operations. Their greatest value, however, lies in the protections they provide to members. Community association governing documents typically include several items in descending order of authority.
- Articles of Incorporation: Create the corporation under state law and define the Association's basic purposes and powers
- Declaration or master deed, including Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions, or CC&Rs (in condominiums and planned communities): Regulates resident behavior. They bind all the owners to the Association, establish Association responsibilities, and define owner's rights and obligations.
- Bylaws: Contain provisions concerning actual association operations, such as meetings, procedures for electing board members and officers, and general duties of the board.
- Rules and Regulations: Adopted by Board of Directors but must be consistent with the declaration, bylaws, and state laws.
The Board is elected to serve the association. That association is comprised of all the homeowners in the neighborhood, not just an exclusive few. This democratically elected governing authority is tasked with enforcing the covenants which are created for the common good of the neighborhood. Although there may be parts of the covenants that cause inconvenience to some, they are there to promote conformity and harmonious living throughout the community.
If residents cannot resolve a situation between themselves, then turn to your association. Should you have a situation that cannot be resolved through neighborly means, and you are willing to actively participate in the enforcement provided by the policies and guidelines, you may file a complaint with your management company. If the situation is deemed in violation of the policies and guidelines, the board of directors will institute the enforcement policy. Your continued assistance will be required.
An assessment is an owner's financial obligation to the community association during a period of time. It covers the owner's share of common expense. Occasionally, special assessments may be levied. A special assessment is a one-time assessment, often voted on by the owners to cover a major expense that was not included in the annual budget.
First, you must log in your account on the portal via your web browser on your computer or your phone app. You will see instructions for making your payment there via credit card or e-check.
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