A recent survey conducted by the Foundation for Community Association Research found almost half of the community association respondents didn’t have policies and procedures in place to safely collect and store homeowners’ personal data. This week, we’ll explore why that’s a problem. It’s true that associations often operate on the more low-tech side of things,…

A recent survey conducted by the Foundation for Community Association Research found that almost half of the community association respondents didn’t have policies and procedures in place to safely collect and store homeowners’ personal data. That’s a problem. It’s true that associations often operate on the more low-tech side of things, but that doesn’t mean…

This is Part 2 of a 2-part series. Read Part 1 here: In April, we discussed the numerous benefits associated with allowing owners to make payments online, as well as how managers can overcome resistance to the change from boards of directors. Now we have some advice for managers to smooth the transaction once they’ve…

This week we take a look at a recent court case that provides a warning of how architectural review slipups might land an association in court. The Architectural Review Committee (ARC) has a lot of power in a community association, which can lead to disputes with owners. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to…

The Architectural Review Committee (ARC) has a lot of power in a community association, which can lead to disputes with owners. One such recent case provides a warning of how architectural review slipups might land an association in court. Fortunately, you can take some steps to reduce the odds of this. Good Fences Make Mad…

This week we fill you in the U.S. Department of Labor’s latest proposed rules for overtime pay. Proposed rules introduced during Obama administration created quite an uproar among employers — not surprisingly, considered that they were expected to make more than 4 million salaried workers newly eligible for overtime. A federal district court judge halted…

The rules for overtime pay are again under the microscope. Proposed rules introduced during Obama administration created quite an uproar among employers — not surprisingly, considered that they were expected to make more than 4 million salaried workers newly eligible for overtime. A federal district court judge halted those rules days before they were due…

Many owners dread doing their laundry in the shared laundry room, but community association managers have several alternatives to help ease the drudgery. This week, we share some steps worth considering. First, technology can go a long way toward improving the laundry experience. Laundry services providers increasingly offer proprietary apps to their customers. For example,…

Many owners dread doing their laundry in the shared laundry room, but community association managers have several alternatives to help ease the drudgery. Here are some steps worth considering. 1. Embrace technology. Technology has spread to the world of laundry, from computerized washers and dryers to Internet-connected machines and notification systems. Laundry services providers increasingly…

This week, we dig into how your clients might reap substantial savings by upgrading to LED, or light-emitting diode, lighting. You've been in the dark if you don't know how much longer LED lights last than traditional bulbs. “We have some lights that will last over 100,000 hours, and most of our lights are rated…