5 New Years Resolutions for HOA Managers

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As the New Year begins, HOA managers and boards should start thinking about what 2023 has in store. Here are some important resolutions that are essential for a well running homeowners association.

1. Recruit Board Members

Each HOA manager needs to focus on recruiting and finding people who are interested in community affairs. One way to approach them is with an invitation to join an HOA board. Another good idea is to put a notice in the newsletter that they are accepting new members. Also, ask current board members to accept new people.

2. Planning Committee

Events are an integral part of an active community. Put together a committee that will create events that all residents will participate in. Set up an advanced schedule for the year. Propose a budget for yearly events and plan promoting the events.

3. Community Safety

Plan and implement safety measures in the community. Once a year, preferably at the beginning of the year. Conduct a safety check on all community lights, door locks, pool lights, fencing and community signage. Make sure all safety measures have been taken to keep residents safe.

4. Community Maintenance

Make sure all pool equipment, playground equipment, tennis court and all recreational amenities are functioning properly. Make necessary repairs to the common buildings, grounds and areas. Make a new year plan and budget for lawn maintenance, seasonal planting and curb appeal for the community.

5. Review and Update Governing Documents

As part of the HOA New Year’s resolutions, a board should consider reviewing and amending old documents. Doing so will allow these documents to reflect the times and environment today, as outdated documents can put associations in a bind. As new technologies continue to emerge, HOA boards will likely need to do this every year to avoid getting left behind the times. Refresh yourself on the procedures for holding annual meetings and Board elections, the types of architectural changes that are allowed, and the procedure for getting changes approved by the Board or the architectural control committee. Also, it can be a good idea to consider whether the rules governing the use of common areas need updating.

Even the simplest New Year resolutions can keep you on track and make being an association Board member a more enjoyable experience. Why not try one or more of these resolutions to make 2023 a positive and successful year for you and your Board?

Is Your Association Required to Confront the Bully?

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These days, it seems like there’s no such thing as a minor disagreement. Normally, owner-to-owner disagreements between neighbors in a homeowners’ association or condominium association fall outside of the association’s authority or jurisdiction, but not necessarily when the disagreement reveals a more-sinister motive: discrimination.

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For additional information on community associations' responsibility to address discrimination issues, Click Here.

SAFETY REMINDERS FOR RESIDENTS TO KEEP IN MIND THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

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While everyone wants to enjoy the holiday season in their community, it is important to make sure everyone stays safe during this enjoyable time. Here are 4 safety reminders that will help everyone in the community stay safe.

1. Outdoor Yard Ornaments

During holidays and even birthdays, gaining in popularity are gigantic yard signs, blowup novelties, special effects, and more. With all of these comes risks. If you are going to use ornamental yard decor, ensure that it is within your property boundaries and does not go on to sidewalks, driveways, or common areas.

Glass ornaments can be attractive to young children and can break easily. Stepping or crawling on the glass is a problem, but some ornaments also contain lead, mercury, or methylene chloride, which can poison children if they touch, taste, or swallow them.

2. Disrupting Noises

Ensure your yard decor or outdoor festivities and parties are not loud and disturbing the solace of your neighbors. Don't use outdoor decor that makes noise or has flashing lights that can disturb your neighbors.

Make sure you are informed about your association’s noise rules. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to file general grievances about the level of noise they hear coming from a neighbor’s home. This might be loud music or noisy parties that go late into the night.

3. Electrical Items Outdoors.

While holiday lighting does contribute to the splendor of the season, it is crucial that outdoor light safety be of the utmost concern for the protection of you and your community.

Make sure you plug in all outdoor electrical decorations into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). This safety outlet is designed to cut the power if electricity comes into contact with water, which is common outside. Also make sure your outdoor lights are labeled “waterproof” if you live in a wet area.

Don't run your extension cords through window or door cracks. The cord could become pinched, which can ruin the insulation around the wires and lead to a dangerous shock.

4. Parking Problems

Another problem during the holiday season are parties that result in parking problems. This problem can be exasperated because many visitors are spending the holidays with families, resulting in more parking congestion. This congestion can also endanger children in the community.

Parking problems like these can result in community disputes and complaints. This usually results in enforcing HOA parking rules, which are a set of policies that regulates where residents and guests leave their vehicles. These rules are part of the HOAs governing documents such as the CC&Rs.

These are some safety concerns to keep in mind this holiday season. Check your HOA rules to be incompliance with lighting, parking and animated decorations.

Evicted Tenant Operated Illegal Airbnb out of Charlotte Condo

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It took the condo’s new owner, Natalie Siburt, running into a would-be guest dropping off luggage outside her home, to kick off a battle with Airbnb to get the listing removed, the Charlotte Observer reported.

https://therealdeal.com/2022/10/29/you-might-have-the-wrong-address-evicted-tenant-operated-illegal-airbnb-out-of-charlotte-condo/

Recently begun enforcement of 15-year-old law creates headaches for some homeowners

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Unbeknownst to ordinary homeowners, everyone connected to the water supply, if they have an irrigation system, has to have one installed or get it tested annually if they do,” she said on condition of anonymity as her board hadn’t OK’ed spilling the tea.

https://journalnow.com/news/local/recently-begun-enforcement-of-15-year-old-law-creates-headaches-for-some-homeowners/article_5308298c-554b-11ed-9548-739250a4913e.html

Condo Repairs: Federal bill provides access to financing for building rehabilitation loans

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Federal legislation was introduced to provide condominium associations access to insured building rehabilitation loans—a move that would help board members make critical structural and safety-based condo repairs.

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR THE FALL SEASON

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Although it doesn't quite feel like it yet, Fall is just around the corner. What better time to start prepping your home for the weather to come? We've gathered the most important Fall home maintenance tasks to get you and your home ready for this next season.

MAKE SURE YOUR ROOF IS IN GOOD SHAPE

Inspect for missing and loose shingles. Ice, rain, snow and wind combined with rapidly changing temperatures and humidity wreak havoc on roofs. Your roof is your first defense in protecting your home. Without it functioning properly, water damage can occur. This causes deterioration to insulation, wood and drywall, making electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems vulnerable.

CLEAN OUT YOUR GUTTERS

It’s good to clean out your gutters every season, but it is most important to do before fall hits because you don’t want them to get clogged. All of the leaves on your trees will fall and these can easily get stuck in your gutters and cause damage if the weight becomes too heavy.

FIX ANY CRACKS IN YOUR DRIVEWAY

When water gets into cracks it freezes, expands, and can make the crack even bigger. Enough small cracks can turn into big cracks, and eventually the concrete can crumble. You would prefer a driveway without a giant pothole. So, using concrete crack sealer, fill it up and be done with it.

SEAL UP AIR LEAKS

A home with air leaks around windows and doors is like a coat left unbuttoned. Gaps in caulk and weatherstripping let cold air into your warm home, and sealing up a drafty house can save up to 20% on your heating bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

FERTILIZE YOUR LAWN

You know what they say: The best offense is a good defense. If you want to keep your lawn looking great in the spring and summer, you need to prep it for the fall and winter. Roots are still active when the grass isn't growing, so applying fertilizer will prevent winter damage.

HAVE YOUR FURNACE INSPECTED

Hire an HVAC professional to test for leaks, check heating efficiency, and change the filter. They can also do a carbon monoxide check to ensure air safety. It’s also a good idea to stock up on extra air filters and change them every few months.

SWEEP YOUR CHIMNEY, AND CLEAN YOUR FIRE PLACE

This is an extremely important check that you need to do before the start of the fall season. Creosote is a very high flammable substance that builds up inside the chimney as a result of burning wood and it needs to be cleaned out for your safety and energy efficiency. Before you get the fireplace up and running with your marshmallows, your fireplace also needs a thorough cleaning. Make sure there are no nests from spiders, and clean out all the leaves that may have fallen into the fireplace area.

PUT SEASONAL FURNITURE AWAY

A lot of homeowners forget to store their summer patio furniture before fall. While this may not be a problem for drier regions, homes that experience a lot of rain should contemplate putting their seasonal furniture away before fall hits. This could potentially save you a lot of money and from needing to replace your outdoor furniture next year.

INSPECT YOUR SCREENS AND WINDOWS

Fall is the perfect time to throw open windows and let fresh, cool air inside before the days get too chilly. But you should check your screens first to make sure they are aren't warped or bent. Large spaces encourage curious insects to enter your home. This is also a good time to check your window weatherstripping to make sure the felt is intact and not letting any drafts through.

Fall is right around the corner. With it comes dropping temperatures that can damage your home. How are you preparing your home for this transition from summer to autumn?

HOA and Condo Manager Association Management Group (AMG) Awards College Scholarships

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Carolinas HOA Management Company Gifts Four College Scholarships to Community Students

(GREENSBORO, NC) Four college students have been awarded $1000 scholarships from  Association Management Group (AMG), one of the Carolinas’ largest professional homeowner association managers, representing more than 30,000 property owners. Open to residents and vendors of AMG properties, as well as AMG employees and family members, the third annual AMG College Scholarship Program selected the winning students based on essays they wrote about the importance of community. The essays were evaluated anonymously by a judging panel comprised of twelve people: representatives and staff from AMG, HOA board members from Greensboro and Charlotte, NC, and Greenville, SC, as well as client community vendors. “We are in the business of helping create safe, enjoyable, attractive communities with the goal of enhancing the quality of life of residents through effective homeowner association governance,” said AMG Founder and CEO Paul Mengert. “It’s quite meaningful to hear from these students about how powerful community has been in their lives and the ways their neighborhoods are inspiring them to be our leaders of tomorrow. How these scholars value their communities is a true tribute to the dedicated volunteers who serve on their hometown association boards.”  

This year’s AMG College Scholarship Program winners:

Tiffany Soliben of Aiken, SC, who attends Aiken Technical College in Graniteville, SC, was awarded the Corey Flynt Scholarship. The scholarship commemorates the life of Flynt, who died in a 2017 car accident. He was the son of AMG President Dacy Cavicchia and brother to Charlotte Director of Operations Danielle Rudisill and Special Projects Coordinator Cassie Kutay.

Christian Willis of Greensboro, NC, a student at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, received the Tommy Badgett Scholarship, named in honor of a long-term AMG employee and friend who passed away in January 2021.

Hakim Thompson of Mebane, NC, matriculating at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC, won the Billie Butler Scholarship, which celebrates Butler’s twenty-plus years of service to AMG clients in the Charlotte area.                                                                                       

Khamryn Pollock of Woodruff, SC, a student at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, was awarded the Ron Erickson Scholarship, to commemorate the life and accomplishments of the late world-class financial planning professional and role model.

“The AMG College Scholarship Program celebrates several inspiring people who mean so much to AMG and their communities,” said May Gayle Mengert, AMG Vice President. “AMG cannot think of a better way to honor their lives and legacy than by assisting future generations in their advancement, as these individuals have the same passion and commitment for higher education.”

About AMG:  AMG is a professional community association management company dedicated to building effective community associations. AMG guides and assists executive boards to help protect the association's interests, enhance the lives of community members, and improve the property values in the community. With offices throughout the Carolinas in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Raleigh, NC, and Greenville and Aiken, SC, AMG is a knowledgeable partner in enforcing community governing documents with a proven set of processes and techniques, and supporting communities with a broad range of services which can be tailored to individual community needs. Association Management Group, Inc. is a locally Accredited Business by the BBB and is a nationally Accredited Association Management Company (AAMC) by the Community Associations Institute. For more about AMG, visit https://www.amgworld.com.