If the board of directors of the community association you manage has the authority to approve or deny proposed leasing and sales transactions, you might be wondering whether, if there is a denial, you should disclose the reasons behind it. And, if so, what is the best way.

One of the major draws of association living is the aesthetics of the community—specifically, the ability to compel owners to keep their properties well maintained. But, unfortunately, in your management of a planned community, you’ll have to deal with owners who don’t follow architectural review board guidelines or don’t keep up their properties with proper maintenance. There may be pressure from the board or homeowners to crack down on violations.

Associations, whether large or small, depend heavily on money to operate. Every aspect of keeping a community safe and running smoothly has a cost associated with it. Too often, associations make the news for negative financial reasons—fraud, bankruptcy, or other shortfalls that disrupt the community. However, an association that’s being run effectively combined with a strong local economy could have more money than expected. That’s great news for the association, but it creates the question of how that budgetary surplus should be used.

Keeping track of finances is an integral part of running a community association. There’s typically a regular flow of money being collected and paid out on a day-to-day basis in order to ensure continuous operations. But, although dealing with cash can be overwhelming, it’s crucial not to take shortcuts with the association’s cash management procedures. One common mistake that associations make is having the same person who prepares the checks also doing the books. That arrangement makes it difficult to tell if someone is embezzling from the association.

With so many things in an association-run community depending on cash flow, one of a manager’s most important duties is to carefully watch costs. But there are so many other aspects of managing a community—such as hiring and training staff, keeping on top of maintenance, and fielding member requests and complaints—that you might be tempted to spend less time on keeping track of contractor costs.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990, and the Fair Housing Act (FHA) was amended in 1988 to add protections for individuals with disabilities. But despite the length of time that these laws have been around, there’s still misinformation and confusion about how they apply to associations and their members, versus public spaces or private spaces that are accessible by members of the public. In general, the ADA applies to public spaces, and the Fair Housing Act applies to private spaces, such the interiors of members’ units.

Although one of the draws to community association living for many owners is the uniform aesthetic of homes and the ability to control fairly tightly changes that could be unsightly, sometimes homeowners want to make changes. Even if the architectural review board has approved certain changes, an owner might be tempted to stray from this if she thinks that the substitution for what has been approved is only slightly different. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking that a small variation would preclude the association from taking action.

Despite the fact that board member positions within a community association are voluntary, many members take them seriously—and sometimes become personally invested. That could create controversy when, as sometimes happens to comply with the law, association boards must be restructured. If you find yourself in the position of having to deliver the news and help with the restructure, you could be faced with accusations by board members that you’re improperly trying to oust them for your own motives.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990, and the Fair Housing Act (FHA) was amended in 1988 to add protections for individuals with disabilities. But despite the length of time that these laws have been around, there’s still misinformation and confusion about how they apply to associations and their members, versus public spaces or private spaces that are accessible by members of the public. In general, the ADA applies to public spaces, and the Fair Housing Act applies to private spaces, such the interiors of members’ units.

 Q:  An on-site employee in the community I manage was injured. The employee had issues from an injury he suffered before working for the association. The association is required to pay workers’ compensation benefits for his current injury, but it seems unfair that we are potentially footing the bill for more damage than this accident in our community actually caused.