Becoming a first time member of your Homeowner’s Association or Condominium Association Board can be a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be! Here are a few tips on how to make the transition smooth.
1. Get your Board Member Education Certification: On July 1, 2010, section 718.112 of the Florida State Statutes 718 Condominiums, was amended to require that within 90 days of being elected or appointed to the board members must take a division approved education curriculum to qualify for board service.
Fortunately, there is a simple way to get this certification. You can take a state approved online course to get this certification. Here is a link to a state approved course: http://store.thehumanequation.com/bbCondominium-Operations-A-Primer-for-Board-Members-P143.aspx
2. Meet with your Property Manager: Make an appointment with your Property Manager to go over the financial statements and learn what the Board has been working on and what they are planning for the Association. This is a great way to get one-on-one information on how your board has been running things and what issues need to be dealt with. With this one-on-one communication, you can ask all the questions you have privately to get an up-to-date summary of what really is going on.
3. Know your Associations Governing Documents/By-Laws: Take the time to read your Associations Government Documents and By-Laws. When you purchased your home, you should have been provided copies of this information. It is very important that you not only read this information, but know it by heart. Many mistakes are made by not knowing what your association does or does not allow, or mis-interpreting the information. If you are unsure of what is written, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. Your property manager or your association lawyer should be able to assist you with clarifying all your concerns.
4. Don’t try to change the Association to fit your “Personal” preferences: Remember, Associations are built up of many people with many different ideas on how things should be run. The responsibility of the Board is to ensure the community as a whole is taken care of and happy living in the association. So try to remember that you should not try to change the association without considering if this is really for the benefit of the association, or for the benefit of you. The association comes first.
5. Learn from Previous Board Members: Be it good or bad, you need to learn from the mistakes and accomplishments of previous boards. Do your homework. Read the minutes from previous board meetings and understand how and why things were done that way. Understand the process of how things were accomplished and what problems they may have encountered. If possible talk to previous board members and discuss issues that they dealt with during their term and why they made decisions they made. It will help you better understand the history of your association board and learn from their knowledge. Knowledge is the key to good management.
We hope these tips have helped your transition to becoming a knowledgeable, trusted member of your association’s board. Remember, if you ever have any concerns or questions, you should contact your Property Manager. They are state certified and required to keep up to date on current laws that affect your association. They are your number one source for complete and correct information on the management of your community.