Five New Year's Resolutions Members Can Make to Help Their HOA.

1.       Use Proper Channels - Use the proper channels as set forth in the member’s regulations for communicating with your association regarding issues. Handle things in a professional and courteous manner. Otherwise known as “covenants, conditions, and restrictions” (CC&Rs), HOA rules must be understood by each member to effectively understand and communicate the issues at hand. Doing so in a courteous and businesslike manner will help the association respond quickly and accurately.

2.       Personal Responsibility - Each member should take personal responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of their property. It is important for the member and the safety of the community to keep your immediate common area free of litter, toys, trash cans and other belongings. This includes sidewalks, streets, and common grass areas. Such items should be neatly stored away where they belong.

3.       Protecting Community Property - Each member should assume a certain amount of responsibility for helping to protect and maintain community property and amenities. Playgrounds, pools, golf courses and clubhouses are all part of community amenities that are provided for the leisure and enjoyment of the paid member.

When the member or members guests and families are using the amenities, it is important to use them with care and restore them to the condition they were in when they found them. Community amenities are highly sought after by homebuyers shopping for an HOA community. The condition of the amenities is equally important. Part of the member’s monthly HOA fees go towards the maintenance, repair and upkeep of these amenities.

If each member works together towards a common goal to keep their community amenities functioning properly and looking beautiful, it will help enhance the community and help the HOA use funds and other needed areas within the association.

4.       Be a Responsible Pet Owner - Each member of the HOA should have thoroughly read the members packet with instructions for pet owners. Each member should help the association by following these instructions and being a responsible pet owner. Is important to locate the designated pet walk areas and walk your pet only in those places.  It's also important to have litter or waste bags readily available when you walk your pet to pick up any pet waste your pet makes during walks in the common areas. If there are pet waste bags provided in the pet walk area and if it is required to use it to pick up waste in the work area, then follow those instructions as well.

It's important that each member or resident have a well-behaved pet. Your pet should be controlled and not aggressive towards other people while walking through communities. While on your own property, pets should not be excessively barking loudly, imposing on the peace and repose of neighboring community members. Loud barking dogs or nuisance pets is often a complaint to HOAs. If we all do our part to ensure our pets are well behaved it makes for a happier community for everybody.

5.       Parking - In your community resident members package are instructions for each resident as to the parking regulations within your community. Whether a townhome, Condo or single-family residence, each homeowner should read the instructions regarding the designated parking areas and follow them. If a resident or member is having a special event or party, it may help to call your HOA office and ask if there are any provisions for overflow parking and find out if extra parking is allowed in any community area or on the streets.

If every member in the community made a New Year's resolution to follow the regulations as set forth by the HOA, this would help your community association function better and let them focus more on the enhancement of the community.If all members work together for the betterment of the entire community, the community would be a more pleasant place for all members to reside with peace and enjoyment.

Working together as a team will also protect and preserve community common areas and amenities, keeping high standards in the community and preserving property values for your investment, as well as enhancing the future sale of your property, and the investment of new homeowners coming into the community.