eAlerts

Foreclosure Sales Prices Matter

Your clients may have the legal right to foreclose on a delinquent owner’s property, but that doesn’t mean they should — especially if the sale price is disproportionately low. That approach could backfire, with the sale overturned by the courts. A recent ruling from the South Carolina Supreme Court (Winrose Homeowners’ Ass’n v. Hale) drives…
Dispute Resolution

When is a Foreclosure Sale Price Too Low?

Governing documents typically give community associations the right to foreclose on delinquent owners at some point. That right, however, doesn’t necessarily entitle an association to sell foreclosed property at whatever price it wants. A recent court case (Winrose Homeowners’ Ass’n v. Hale) drives this point home. A state Supreme Court found that the sale price…
eAlerts

Thinking About Common Area Cameras? Proceed with Caution

When it comes to installing cameras in common areas, your clients may have any number of motivations. They could be driven by an uptick in area crime, pressure to crack down on rule violators, or just the desire for a greater sense of security, among other reasons. Cameras may be more affordable and less obtrusive…
Featured Articles

Cameras in Common Areas: Yay or Nay?

Leaps in technology have made it easier and less expensive to conduct surveillance, prompting more and more community associations to consider installing cameras in their common areas to combat problems like crime and rules violations. But cameras might not turn out to be the simple solution they expect. In fact, they could create problems of…
Featured Articles

The Dog Dropping Dilemma: Why DNA Testing Might Not Be the Answer

The idea of DNA testing to get to the bottom, so to speak, of dog droppings left around a community struck many as absurd when it first came on the scene. The practice remains far from widespread, but more associations’ boards are giving it a second look as they and their managers struggle to cope…
eAlerts

You Probably Have More Liability Exposure Than You Realize

Community association managers carry a lot of risks, and, contrary to popular belief, they’re not all covered by their clients’ insurance policies. If you’re counting on those policies for protection, you could be left on the hook for defense and liability costs. “Many managers mistakenly believe they have adequately shifted all their risk to clients,”…
eAlerts

The ADUs are Coming! Associations Fret Over the Spread of ADUs

There’s a new threat — or opportunity, depending on your perspective — to community associations, and it seems most associations aren’t ready for it. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are being pushed by advocates for affordable housing, the elderly, the environment, and, perhaps most critically, legislators. Are your clients ready? “It’s the wave of the future,”…
Featured Articles

Are You Sure You’re Covered? Filling The Insurance Gaps for Association Managers

Community association boards of directors often rely heavily on their managers to help them obtain insurance coverage for the association and the board. But what about the managers themselves? According to insurance professionals, many managers have insufficient protection, whether because of misunderstandings about their coverage under association policies or other reasons. “Many managers mistakenly believe…
eAlerts

ARC Blunders Lead to Association Liability

Architectural review committees play an important role for associations that strive to achieve consistent and pleasing aesthetics in their communities. But, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility — and the irresponsible use of that power by an architectural committee can prove costly for its association. As a recent case out of…
Featured Articles

Setting Your Compass, Part Two: Real-World Ethics for Association Managers

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…