ASSOCIATIONHELPNOW
by Sherri Hall
By Sherri Hall
It’s no secret that customer service is an essential part of any industry. This, of course, includes the community association industry where customer service is a high priority for property managers and management companies. But who are the customers in this industry?
[Read more…] about The Importance of Customer Service in Community Associations
by Sherri Hall
By Sherri Hall
Oftentimes, associations find themselves faced with the task of imposing a special assessment to take care of an emergency item that wasn’t budgeted for in the reserve fund. But what if the reserve fund did have enough to cover the cost of the unexpected repairs because it just so happened to be overfunded? How can an association even find itself in such a position with an excess reserve fund?
by Sherri Hall
By Sherri Hall
Here’s a familiar scenario, not new by any means, but none the less an issue managers deal with frequently. The association you’ve been the manager for during past two years has had the same landscaping company since you came on board. The current board members have been in their positions before you became the manager at the community. However, there are a few new board members who have been complaining about several issues with the landscape maintenance in the community. The longer serving board members have become very friendly with the landscaper – and it has been noticed the landscaping crews take time trimming the shrubs in those board members beds, which is not part of the contract. Meanwhile, the newer board members have also noticed leaves go uncollected in parts of the community, some brown spots are appearing on common area lawns go untreated, weeds are not attended to in as timely a fashion as they should, all which are part of the current landscaping contract. As a manager, how should this issue be handled? Is recommending putting the landscaping contract out for bid the best solution? Will the longer standing board members hold it against the manager if they recommend leaving a beloved vendor who is not acting within their contract? What is a manager to do? We spoke with Denise Becker, PCAM, Regional Manager with Corner Property Management, to gain some insight on the subject.
[Read more…] about How, When and Why a Manager Should Recommend a New Vendor
by Sherri Hall
Sherri Hall
Trees are an invaluable resource, not only to our planet as a whole, but also to our community associations. They produce oxygen, give us shade and provide beauty to our properties, and therefore, it’s important to care for them properly.
[Read more…] about CARING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY’S TREES: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
by Sherri Hall
By Sherri Hall
Among the responsibilities of condominium and community associations is the obligation to maintain accurate records. Accordingly, the taking and keeping of minutes of board meetings is extremely important to the proper operation of an association. But what is the proper way to do so and what information must be included? We spoke to Attorney Stefan Richter of Clemons Richter & Reiss in Doylestown, Pennsylvania for an expert opinion on the subject of meeting minutes.
by Sherri Hall
By Sherri Hall
Property managers are used to walking around their communities and having residents come up to them with questions, complaints, suggestions and more on a regular basis. However, managers get to go home at the end of the day. For board members, though, home is the community. Oftentimes, board members are faced with these interactions with residents during their “off” time.
[Read more…] about Ways to Control the Stress of Being on the Board – From a Manager’s Perspective
by Sherri Hall
By Sherri Hall
Imagine walking along the grounds of your community when you notice what appears to be a small rabbit hole. You look ahead and see a few more similar holes. Filling them with dirt doesn’t seem to help. In fact, they just keep coming back and getting larger and larger. That’s when you realize, you might just have a sinkhole issue on your hands. But how can you know for sure? And, what should you do about it?
[Read more…] about Found a Sinkhole in Your Community? Here’s What You Need to Know
by Sherri Hall
By Sherri Hall
Depending on whether your association runs on a calendar or fiscal year schedule, you may be in the midst of working on your budget, just about to start or several months away from beginning the process. Either way, it’s important to ensure that you’re taking the steps necessary to complete the task timely and effectively. We spoke to Michael Pesce, President of Associa Community Management Corp, to obtain some tips for creating an association budget. [Read more…] about Tips for Creating an Association Budget
by Sherri Hall
By Sherri Hall
Although not required in every state, many community associations choose to have homeowner forums, or member question and answer (Q&A) sessions, in addition to or as part of their open board meetings. Such a forum is usually held either at the end of an open board meeting or in a separate meeting specifically scheduled to allow homeowners to ask questions or raise concerns regarding community matters.
[Read more…] about Best Practices for Conducting a Homeowner Forum as Part of your Board Meeting
by Sherri Hall
By Sherri Hall:
The idea of having a community garden, one in which a group of people care for collectively, is becoming a trend throughout the United States. [Read more…] about Is a Community Garden Right for your Association? What you Need to Know.