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Recommendations
This section is intended to provide neighborhoods with recommendations on how to better manage their associations. This forum provides newly formed associations an opportunity to learn from associations that have been in existence for many years. The newer associations can avoid the growing pains that the older associations or neighborhoods have suffered through.
If you have an experience that you have identified a successful solution to, please email your experience and/or suggestion to Haaci.org for consideration by the Haaci.org Advisory Board. Through your contributions our neighborhoods will improve and our children will benefit from these recommendations and the exchanging of ideas for many years to follow.
The following recommendations have been adopted by the Haaci.org Advisory Board.
Recommendations:
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Schedule all meetings for the same time and place each month, quarter, year, etc. This allows board members, committee members, and homeowners to better fit association meetings into their long-term schedules.
Provided by: Millhopper Station South Board of Directors
Contact: TBA
- Document all fencing standards, paint colors, etc. in writing. Acquire approved paint colors from local hardware and/or paint companies so that homeowners can make the appropriate color selection.
Provided by: Millhopper Station South Board of Directors
Contact: TBA
- If your association is responsible for the replacement of signs, pond aerators, roofs, fences, etc., it is a good idea to obtain estimates as to how much it will cost to replace these items in the future. Some items may be of small enough costs, that they can be paid for out of operating funds in the event they need to be replaced. If the replacement costs are sizable, then funds should be accumulated over several years to spread out the costs and to ensure sufficient funds are in reserve when it comes time to replace the items. One has to remember that specific replacement items have different lives and they will not all need to be replaced at the same time. Just as an association wants to ensure they have sufficient funds in reserve, they also do not want to have too much in reserve since that increases the assessment amount. The professional accounting staff of haaci.org will be glad to assist your association in the calculation of these reserves as part of your base membership.
Provided by: Homeowner Associations of Alachua County, Inc.
Contact: Homeowner Associations of Alachua County, Inc.
- Be sure all board members, officers, and homeowners understand the role they play within the association. Generally, the Board of Directors provides the association with direction via the wishes of the homeowners, whereas the Officers oversee the day-to-day management of the association. The more expertise the officers of the association have in their particular position, the stronger and healthier the association will be. In other words, ideally someone with an accounting background will serve as Treasurer. Someone with a management and/or leadership background will serve as President or Vice-President. Below is a general definition of each officer’s role within an association.
President – Coordinate meetings ensuring they are run properly and each participant at the meeting gets an equal voice. In the event participants do not conduct themselves properly, first the President should regain control of the meeting, and then the President needs to contact the person later and let them know of the concern. The president also ensures each officer is fulfilling their commitment to the association.
Vice-President – First, act in the absence of the President and fulfill any role the President assigns to them. A strong association will have a President that delegates actions to the Vice-President and other officers. The President should have as few action items as possible and keep themselves available and flexible for situations as they arise.
Treasurer – Review the financial statements and ensure the well being of the association. Ensure association funds are secure by ensure assessments are paid in a timely manner and all expenditures are appropriate. The Treasurer should ensure the management company is keeping in contact with homeowners who are behind in paying their assessments. In the ideal situation, the Treasurer will receive copies of all bank statements each month and compare them to the financial statements.
Secretary – The Secretary’s role is to ensure the minutes of all meetings are properly recorded and distributed. This does not necessarily say the Secretary must take the minutes, though they are responsible to ensure the minutes accurately reflect what took place in the meeting.
Provided by: Homeowner Associations of Alachua County, Inc.
Contact: Homeowner Associations of Alachua County, Inc.
- Particularly if you are a condominium association you will want to have a professional building inspector inspect the property on a periodic basis to ensure there are no structural concerns, water or sewage leaks, etc. It would not hurt to have a homeowners’ association property inspected even if you are a single-family homeowner’s association. Rely on the expertise of someone who has the professional training to identify concerns before they develop into emergencies or damage.
Provided by: Homeowner Associations of Alachua County, Inc.
Contact: Homeowner Associations of Alachua County, Inc.
- If you are a condominium association, particularly this is true for older associations, and you do not have documented Restrictive Covenants, take action immediately to get them into place. It is important to have them in place because even though there may not be a concern today, issues can develop overnight. If your condominium has limited parking and all of the sudden owners start parking boats, trailers, etc in parking spaces, then it can be a nightmare to resolve the parking situation.
Provided by: Homeowner Associations of Alachua County, Inc.
Contact: Homeowner Associations of Alachua County, Inc.
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