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Association fees are an integral part of keeping a planned community or condominium building running smoothly. They’re key to paying bills for routine services and amenities and, in some communities, can contribute to additional bonuses for members, like social events. But when members don’t pay their association fees it can very negatively affect the community. Even if a few members don’t pay their assessments on time, an association can face serious financial problems.

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—some of them controversial. The past year has created divisiveness in political conversations and discussions about recent exposes regarding sexual harassment. 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.

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. 

Telecommuting has become commonplace in many industries, with workers being encouraged to work from locations other than their company’s office. Small business owners might try to save money initially by finding a solution to running their operation other than leasing commercial space that locks them into a lease and rent. And parents of young children sometimes decide to watch other children to bring in additional income. Seemingly diverse types of workers often have one thing in common: Their homes must sometimes double as work space.

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. 

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.

No matter how high the quality of the homes and amenities in your community is, it’s inevitable that over time they’ll need maintenance to keep up their appearance and performance. Ultimately, some will need to be replaced—and members will be required to pay for the expense. It’s tempting to put off contributing to repairs; members, and especially those who are feeling a financial pinch, might argue that the replacement and maintenance of items that are currently in fine working order is an issue that can be dealt with in the future.

Because the decisions that a board makes very rarely please everyone, you could find yourself having to prevent unacceptable behavior toward board members. A board may have just approved a large special assessment to finance an improvement, and some owners may not be pleased with how the association’s finances are being handled. Most displeased owners may focus their energies on building consensus and replacing current board members.

Rules passed by a homeowners association are for the good of the community, and safety rules are especially geared towards protecting members. In a planned community that’s laid out in a neighborhood fashion, a major risk of accidents is traffic—specifically, speeding or careless driving that’s even more common thanks to some drivers feeling that it’s okay to use smartphones while they’re behind the wheel.

Whether they’re sunset or city skyline views, homes in areas noted for their scenic beauty are a hot commodity. Homeowners who have paid a premium for housing that boasts those views feel they should be entitled to enjoy them—unfettered by other structures or foliage that might later get in the way. To this end, some of the most notable community association litigation cases have dealt with view protection bylaws.