A homeowners’ association (HOA) is an independent self-governing organization comprising residents living in planned housing communities. These estates can be in the form of townhouses, single-family homes, high-rise residential apartment buildings, or condominiums. Its purpose is to promote the ‘’common-interests’’ of the occupants residing in these housing estates. In doing so, the homeowners’ association can impose and enforce regulations that are within the scope of its CC&R Declaration. Only then can it maintain the amicable relations the residents within the housing communities maintain among themselves. People who purchase homes in the housing communities falling within the HOA’s jurisdiction automatically become its members.
Why do housing estates hire companies offering to provide HOA management services?
The members constituting the homeowners’ association convene a series of meetings every year. In one of these gatherings, they elect from amongst themselves volunteers to hold important posts in its Board of Directors. These board members take on the responsibility of:
- Ensuring the proper maintenance and cleanliness of the common areas within housing estates,
- Maintaining the finances, preparing the budget, disbursing the payments, and collection fees from the occupants,
- Enforcing the CC&R regulations necessary to maintain cordial relationships among the occupants and to punish violators, and
- Looking into the grievances and arbitrating petty disputes which arise among occupants who constitute the homeowners’ association.
Unfortunately, the board members of most homeowners’ associations often face many problems in the course of discharging their duties. Many of the occupants often criticize the manner in which these members go about performing their functions. The occupants often forget the board members do not get any remunerations for the services they provide. Most of them might not even have the necessary qualifications, skills, and experience to do their duties. This is why board members seriously consider hiring reliable companies offering to provide HOA management services.
What do HOA management service companies do?
The experts of trustworthy HOA management service companies generally perform the following functions for their customers:
- Guide and assist the board members of the homeowners’ association in discharging their duties efficiently,
- Implement the decisions and policies the board members approve in their executive meetings,
- Enlighten the board members on how to comply with statutory regulations the local authorities might impose on all homeowners’ association,
- Ensure the occupants of the housing abide by regulations of the CC&R declaration of the homeowners’ association and apprehend the violators, and
- Schedule the various meetings the board members might convene and prepare the necessary management reports.
Hiring a reliable company specializing in providing HOA management services can be a boon for members of homeowners’ associations. They ensure the proper and efficient functioning of their organization. However, they need to know how to select the right corporate enterprise. The company they shortlist should have a valid license to conduct business activities in the field. It should even have a good market reputation, as evident from positive online customer reviews on its business website. The experts the company employs should be well-versed in the law, real estate management, finance, and property maintenance. Above all, the fees the company charges for its services should be reasonable for the members to afford every month.