Wednesday 27 December 2017

Duties And Responsibilities Of The HOA Board Of Directors California Property Owners Elect

By Joyce Long


If you have decided you want to become an active member of your community, getting elected to the board of its homeowner's association can be a great way to get started. Not all homeowners really understand what is involved in the day to day operations of an association. Most need to have a meeting with veteran members in order to clearly understand the duties of the HOA board of directors California homeowners put in place.

It is important that you become familiar with all the state laws governing homeowners associations. The Davis-Stirling Act governs California. You have to familiarize yourself with the bylaws, the covenants and restrictions, and all other documents pertinent to your community. If there is ever any conflict or question over a provision in the documents, you will be expected to know which regulation takes precedence.

Maintenance of building exteriors and common areas fall under the jurisdiction of an association. Common areas normally include any aspects of buildings that the residents share such as roofs and interior walls. As part of this committee, you are expected to go to official meetings, conduct property inspections, and help decide which upgrades and repairs are necessary in the coming year.

Creating an annual budget is another area of responsibility that falls on an association director. The monthly assessment paid by each homeowner is how the budget is funded. As part of the steering committee, you will decide how much money to allocate for expenditures, upgrades, and what reserve to keep for unexpected situations. Since the homeowners are paying into the budget, the directors have to keep expenditures as conservative as possible.

Disputes do arise between neighbors, and some homeowners will flagrantly break the rules of their community. When these situations arise, it is the job of each association to hand down a ruling. Most associations first attempt to discuss the situation with the homeowner in order to resolve the dispute. If talking fails, they may try another remedy before resorting to more severe measures.

Although the association directors are in charge of enforcing the rules and regulations regarding the community, they are elected by the homeowners and, as such, are accountable to them. That is why it is incumbent on the association to keep meticulous records and have them available to the homeowners. These records can be anything from bylaws, meeting minutes, and leases to insurance policies and an itemized accounting of the budget with receipts.

The directors have some rights and responsibilities in the case of an emergency situation. They are not empowered to act as insurance agents or law enforcement however. If a homeowner contacts a committee member pertaining to a perceived emergency at another homeowner's residence, the board member has the right to enter that home, but only for purposes of investigating a potentially dangerous situation.

As an association director, you have a lot of responsibility. Residents will look to you to give them restrictions guidance and enforce the regulations of their community. They elected you to represent them, and that is serious business.




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