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An association who employs a highly-qualified professional community manager should be aware of what role the manager plays. The manager has two primary responsibilities: to carry out policies set by the board and to manage the association’s daily operations.

Some residents expect the manager to perform certain tasks that just aren’t part of the job. When the manager doesn’t meet those expectations, residents naturally are unhappy. Since we want you to be happy, we’re offering a few clarifications to help you understand what the manager does.

• The manager is trained to deal with conflict, but he or she will not get involved in quarrels you might be having with your neighbor. However, if association rules are being violated, the manager is the right person to call.

• While the manager works closely with the board, he or she is an advisor—not a member of the board. Also, the manager is not your advocate with or conduit to the board. If you have a concern, send a letter or e-mail directly to the board.

• Although the manager works for the board, he or she is available to residents. That doesn’t mean the manager will drop everything to take your call. If you need to see the manager, call and arrange a meeting. If a matter is so urgent that you need an immediate response, call the association emergency number or 911.

• The manager is always happy to answer questions, but he or she is not the information officer. For routine inquiries, like the date of the next meeting, please read the newsletter or check the association website.

• The manager is responsible for monitoring contractors’ performance, but not supervising them. Contractors are responsible for supervising their own personnel. If you have a problem with a contractor, notify the manager, who will forward your concerns to the board. The board will decide how to proceed under the terms of the contract.

• The manager inspects the community regularly, but even an experienced manager won’t catch everything. Your help is essential. If you know about a potential maintenance issue, report it to the manager.

• The manager does not set policy. If you disagree with a policy or rule, you’ll get better results sending a letter or e-mail to the board than arguing with the manager.

• The manager has a broad range of expertise, but he or she is not a consultant to the residents. Neither is he or she an engineer, architect, attorney or accountant. The manager may offer opinions, but don’t expect technical advice in areas where he or she is not qualified.

• Although the manager is a great resource to the association, he or she is not available 24 hours a day—except for emergencies. Getting locked out of your home may be an emergency to you, but it isn’t an association emergency. An association emergency is defined as a threat to life or property.

Each year you receive a draft of the proposed budget for review and comment. A lot of work goes into preparing the budget. It’s a complex activity that has to start early so the budget can be finalized and approved prior to the beginning of the new fiscal year. Here’s how we do it:

• The board appoints a budget committee to help with some or all of the following tasks.
• The board and manager work together to gather all financial information we’ll need to project expenses for the coming year. This could be a reserve analysis, bids for contracts, projections for utility or service increases, comparisons of past years’ budget trends and many other details.
• The board also examines all sources of income—assessments, interest on investments, proceeds from concession or club operation and other types of miscellaneous income.
• The board creates a working draft by adjusting the expenses and income until they balance. This may be accomplished by foregoing certain expenses to avoid raising assessments. Or it may be necessary to raise assessments to cover increased expenses such as utilities that the board cannot control.
• When the board has developed the best possible draft budget, the association sends it to every member for review and comment. One of the reasons we start the process early is to allow you plenty of time to study the budget, ask questions and offer comment
• Based on member comments, the board revises the draft budget as needed.
• At the annual meeting you have the opportunity to vote to approve the final budget.

Know the Rules

Have you checked out the HOA’s covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs) lately? If not, now’s a great time to brush up on the do’s and don’ts of your community.

For those of you who were unaware, CC&Rs play a crucial role in keeping the association running smoothly. CC&Rs are legally binding rules and regulations that each homeowner agrees to when he or she purchases a unit within the association. If owners rent out their homes, it’s the owner’s responsibility to inform the new residents of the rules as well. CC&Rs include stipulations on assessments, building design and additions, and the governance of the association. All residents need to understand these CC&Rs so they don’t unintentionally violate them; owners can be fined by the association and—in extreme cases—sued for violating the CC&Rs. Owners are empowered when they understand the CC&Rs and the procedures for changing or amending them when they are no longer applicable or relevant to the community.

While they may seem arbitrary, the CC&Rs are legally enforceable. They also help ensure the association as a whole can thrive and that members are treated fairly and equally. So don’t be left in the dark—check out the association’s CC&Rs today!