HOA Building Projects: Should We Hire a Construction Manager?
By: Helsing Admin Boards of Directors are often resistant to hiring a Construction Manager on larger HOA building projects. This in large part appears to be that they do not understand what the construction manager does for them, and therefore they feel it is a wasted cost. Unfortunately, the risk of entering into any HOA […]
What is an HOA Board of Directors?
By: Helsing Admin Every association has one, but what exactly is it that an HOA Board of Directors does (or is supposed to do)? Your HOA Board of Directors is a body of elected members who jointly oversee the activities of your association. It is often simply referred to as “The Board”. An HOA board’s […]
We Need a Homeowners Association Loan…Say it Isn’t So!
Have you ever heard the words “We need a homeowners association loan,” uttered at your Board meeting? If not you are one of the fortunate ones. It seems that for years the badge that most associations wanted to wear read: “We haven’t raised our dues in years!” While this sounds great it can be your […]
Understanding Variable HOA Assessments
(and why HOA assessments don’t vary by the same percentage across units) By: Helsing Admin When an association is said to have “variable” HOA assessments it means that all homes in the community do not pay the same amount of assessment per month. HOA assessments may vary as outlined in the governing documents by unit […]
HOA Parking Rules: Too Many Cars, Not Enough Spaces
Answers to a reader’s questions By: Helsing Admin Can [1] HOA parking rules limit the number of vehicles owners/residents park at the HOA [2] require owners/residents to open their garage door to show that the garage is clear enough to park 2 vehicles [3] require owners/residents to keep motorcycles used only for recreation and not […]
Important Homeowner Rights in HOA
… things that are actually good to know and have nothing to do with rules! By: Helsing Admin Believe it or not – this is not about your governing documents or the association’s rules – although those are definitely things you should know. This article is about homeowner rights in HOA and things you should […]
Enforcing Rules and HOA Legal Fees
By: Helsing Admin A couple of our communities have just come out of litigation with homeowners who made improvements on their lots without architectural approval. In both cases, the cost of the improvements was probably about $3,000 to $5,000. In one case, the homeowner was asked to stop the work until he got approval and […]
HOA Board Responsibilities and Representation Letters
Are members fulfilling their HOA board responsibilities? By: Helsing Admin Every year, associations with a gross income in excess of $75,000 must have a review of their financial statements prepared by a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA). HOA board responsibilities include providing a copy of that review to all of the homeowners within 120 days […]
The Lender Certification Questions that Can’t Be Answered
Why Would they Think That the Lender Certification Questions Could Be Answered? By: Helsing Admin We have previously written about what the association’s responsibilities are on the sale or refinancing of a home, and have warned about the dangers of associations filling out Lender’s Certifications. However, for those associations that want to take the risk […]
