eAlerts

The past year has created divisiveness in political conversations and discussions about recent exposes regarding sexual harassment. Living in close proximity in a condo building or sharing amenities year after year in more spread out planned communities can throw together members with different points of view about various topics—some of them controversial like those. But some states had reported a rise in hostility and aggressive behavior among community association members even before national events brought up these issues to argue over.

Board elections have the potential to cause a stir within community associations. They can become highly competitive, requiring campaigning or other gestures by candidates. Owners who aren’t happy with the outcome might protest, either acting displeased or escalating things to the point where they call for a new election. But just because owners are unhappy with something in the community doesn’t mean that it’s automatically wrong.

Federal authorities reported they have halted a homeowners association foreclosure fraud scheme, after a nearly three-year investigation. Federal authorities seized gold, cash, and other property from a Raleigh, N.C., man accused of fraudulently scooping up homes in foreclosure. He was charged with multiple counts of bank fraud and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property, among other crimes.

The day-to-day management of a planned community or condominium building can be a heavy workload, filled with tasks that are crucial for keeping the association running smoothly. When you’re busy with the daily duties, however, planning for an event that has only the potential to occur is easy to put on the back burner. The past year has shown that major disasters—whether they involve epic weather, acts of terror, or violent crimes on a mass scale—can and do befall communities across the country.

Some condominium buildings have a shared, central laundry room for members, instead of washing and drying appliances in units. Even in planned communities with freestanding homes, the association may decide to use a common laundry room. Having a well-maintained laundry room in a condominium building or a community is important for both residents and associations. Associations benefit from ancillary income, and members don’t have to find off-site laundromats, where they may have to spend hours waiting for machines.

While responding to a reasonable request for accommodation should be done carefully to avoid liability for the association and a subsequent lawsuit, that doesn’t mean you have to grant all requests. On the contrary, courts often rule that some requests are either overly broad or have no real connection to the member’s disability. Sometimes, both issues are at the center of a case.

It seems as if drones—unmanned aerial vehicles without a human pilot aboard—have been increasingly in the news for their use by the military, commercial businesses, and private recreational users. The use of drones in combat has long been talked about, the retail giant Amazon has launched a new service that uses drones to deliver packages, and drones are common at parks and open spaces.

Q: I manage a community association through a property management company. The association itself has some employees—namely, a superintendent for repairs—but I am the person who controls his workload. The employee had an accident on the property and filed a workers’ compensation claim. He’s also trying to sue the association and the management company for a second recovery. I was under the impression that there couldn’t be a double recovery for an injury in this type of case.

Homeowners in an Alabama community claim they've been paying hundreds of dollars every year but have no idea where the money is going because there are no meetings, no detailed budgets, and no communication from their association. They are blaming the developer.

The head executive of the developer and his daughter sit on the board of directors, which comports with laws governing associations in that area; however, homeowners haven’t spoken with him in a decade. Meanwhile, the board collects about $60,000 in dues annually.

No matter how large or small the community association you manage is, you’ll need to employ at least a few staff members. While they should receive training that’s specific to their job, there’s one type of training that’s necessary for everyone: how to abide by the Fair Housing Act (FHA). It’s easy to forget that maintenance workers, who fulfill many of their job duties without coming into contact with the community’s members, will sooner or later have interactions with home or condo owners.