Risk Management

In the January 2020 issue of Community Management Association Insider, we talked to two property management professionals with decades of experience about how the numerous codes of conduct for association managers play out in the real world. They provided valuable insights on why ethics are so important in management and explored the first “bucket” of…

You’re not alone if you have hard time getting your clients to remember that community associations are businesses — and businesses need document retention plans. Yet many associations take an ad hoc approach (at best) to managing their paperwork. “This can become a problem because community associations are required to keep a great deal more…

A property management company in Chicago recently faced a class action lawsuit on behalf of community association members who were disgruntled about the fees charged for disclosure documents when selling their units. (Horist v. Sudler & Co.) The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals shut down the lawsuit, providing managers some important protection. But, warns Blake…

In most community associations, the architectural review or control committee is among the most powerful, if not the most powerful. “Architectural control is probably the last area in HOA land that allows some flexibility,” explains David Wilson, who heads up the South Carolina community association department at the law firm Black, Slaughter & Black, P.A.…

Gun rights can trigger emotional responses on both sides of the issue, and the debate is becoming more common among community associations, as they aim to protect themselves. But even when a community is largely in agreement about the need to restrict firearm possession on the property, it might not have the power to do…

With gun violence making headlines almost daily in some parts of the country, responses among communities vary widely. “There are some associations where they’re open to owners having firearms for self-protection, but others don’t feel the same way and are more concerned about firearms in the community,” says Michael Kim of Michael C. Kim &…

Community association managers don’t have to look far for codes of ethics. CAI, CACI, IRIM, BOMA — all of these organizations have established codes. But how do they play out in the real world? We asked two property management professionals with decades of experience between them. Their insights, shared in this two-part article, provide valuable…

From governing documents and vendor contracts to communications with owners, community association boards of directors may feel like the constant deluge of paperwork is drowning them. “This can become a problem because community associations are required to keep a great deal more documents than any individual director is accustomed to in their personal lives,” says…

No one can say for certain when the next recession will strike the U.S. economy, but one thing is certain — it’s going to happen. Yet, despite the hardships many community associations suffered in the last round, some remain just as vulnerable as they were then. It may be up to their managers to nudge…

The so-called Great Recession wreaked havoc on community associations across the country, and many economic experts are predicting that the next recession looms on the horizon. Whether it’s sooner or later, there’s no doubt that another will come eventually. Are your clients taking the necessary steps now to protect themselves? Cash shortfalls In the previous…