Lounging by the pool and taking a dip can be very refreshing, especially when the temperatures are high. Homeowners Associations and Condominium Owners Associations provide this ultimate luxury amenity for prestigious homes and condos.

Homeowners Association (HOA) board recalls are rare, and when they do happen, it is crucial to ensure they proceed according to the association's bylaws and state laws. These laws provide the basis to determine whether a recall is necessary and how to conduct it.

We've reached an exciting stage in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With the vaccine program now rolling out, citizens are more than ready to heave a collective sigh of relief and start getting back to normal. Simultaneously, however, the vaccine program will be incremental, meaning it could be months before enough people can be vaccinated to make a dent in the infection rates. If your community association is considering instituting a mask mandate over and above your local ordinances, please consider these four takeaways. 

Group or Mass Texting features have existed for a while, but the service hasn't always been popular. Many people recall a 2018 news story about residents in Hawaii getting a false Emergency Alert Text that showed just how integral this service is but also how important it is to get it right.

There are plenty of single-service providers out there who offer a group text platform, but if you're interested in using this technology for your community, talk to your community manager to see if your community management software offers texting capabilities. It's also important to discuss any state and local laws that may affect how group texting can be used for your association.

The cost of living continues to skyrocket across the World. In this case, the financial burden incurred in operations across various sectors remains a thorny issue. Your HOA is no exception. The association has to maintain a delicate balancing act between increasing assessments and keeping the fee to a nominal amount that homeowners are comfortable with but will pay the bills.

Condo repair laws tend to define a line between resident and building maintenance. Everything inside one owner's unit, from the walls out, is resident territory. Every home asset outside the unit walls is the HOA's responsibility. But water damage blurs that line in an unpleasant and sometimes multiple unit-spanning way.

Security is a priority for individuals living in a community. For that reason, community associations or HOAs adopt various approaches when it comes to securing their properties, including the use of intercom systems and video surveillance. Other community associations opt to hire security personnel. The process of hiring security staff is no mean task.

An HOA Board has the duty to adopt rules known as covenants and restrictions. Those restrictions often include restrictions on HOA members owning pets.  As an HOA Board member, you may wonder what is permissible especially with regard to service animal classifications and HOA Pet Restriction Enforcement.  The following paragraphs explain what the classifications are and how the Board can fit those classifications into your HOA's pet restriction enforcement rule.

During an election year, it's not unusual for community associations to grapple with issues related to the legality of displaying political signs. Yet, these are unusual times. The nation is experiencing a time of increased interest in political activism. Not long ago a video of dueling protesters at a political rally in a Florida community association went viral and made national news. That video made many homeowners and boards aware of the necessity of knowing what political activities are legal in their community association.

As the elected members tasked with making decisions that affect the whole community and all owners, it is imperative that every HOA board is fully conversant with the fundamental rules that facilitate effective leadership. Typically, a board is responsible for solving disagreements, managing finances, and generally enforcing rules that seek to make the community a better place. However, without the knowledge of HOA best practices, achieving excellent results can be difficult. Here we discuss some of the best practices that board members should always adhere to.