Did you hear about the Florida family that got in hot water with their homeowner association for putting up its Christmas lights too early? A neighbor put in a complaint about the display, which triggered an investigation. The homeowners say they had no idea it was against the community rules to put up Christmas lights before Thanksgiving. And though they offered to keep the lights turned off until the permitted date, the family was told it was still breaking the rules.
Not the happiest of holiday stories, but looked at from an association’s point of view, there’s perhaps a few valuable things to be learned to avoid a similar incident next year.
This time last year, we wrote a post on the six New Year’s resolutions every condo association could commit to. It included ideas like investing in software, defining position tasks, getting proactive about meeting goals, enhancing homeowner participation, and reviewing and updating association management, financial, and real estate documents.
Hopes are high for a greater degree of “normalcy” in 2022. With that in mind, here are a few best practices we believe can help homeowners and condo associations make positive changes in the new year.
Ensuring Homeowners Understand What’s in Governing Documents
It’s not surprising the homeowners in the case mentioned above didn’t know there was a rule about when they could put up holiday lights. Even association members can feel overwhelmed and underinformed of what rules govern their community.
Good communication, particularly during holiday times when people tend to decorate their home’s exterior, can go a long way in preventing complaints and fines. Because the association board is responsible for creating and enforcing the community’s CC&Rs, it’s the board’s job to communicate and enforce any restrictions.
Today, boards communicate with homeowners by email, text, social media, newsletters, website postings, and printed notices posted on the association property. Combined with a shrinking attention span, it’s challenging to make sure community members know all the important matters that affect their association.
Three ways to ensure everyone’s clear on rules and regulations are:
- Keep messages clear and to the point.
- Make them relevant to the specific matter that’s approaching, such as holiday decorations.
- Be sure messaging is consistent across all channels.
Can Everyone Get Along?
How to improve community relations is an ongoing challenge for boards. But a community where people care about and look after one another is a goal worth whatever effort it takes.
Fortunately, the more owners know, the smoother the relationships will be between community members and between the board and members. Along with communicating clearly and frequently with homeowners, here are three tips to boost friendlier relationships within your community:
- Encourage participation. People feel valued and involved when they share in the consequences and rewards of an organization’s actions. As members get to know each other better, they’ll be more inclined to try and work things out amongst themselves.
- Educate newcomers. Associations are just like a growing family. The newest members need to learn how things are done. Some are first-time community members and have no experience with association boards.
- Seek assistance from HOA management services. It will help your board make better-informed decisions and keep it from having to clean up after contentious member matters.
Here's To a Great 2022!
All homeowner associations have their advantages and drawbacks. Good leadership from association board members translates to a well-managed community where social relationships are enhanced and regulations adhered to. We hope these suggestions ensure all your community members have an enjoyable new year.
