In early July as per Miami Herald, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed new updates to the condo laws.  One important focus is on financial statement disclosure.  From July 1, 2018, Condo associations overseeing 150 or more units will be required to make financial reports accessible to unit owners on a password-protected website.

Transparency in operations is key for a condominium association to build trust with residents and ensure accountability.   Are annual fees utilized appropriately?  Are assessment charges reasonable?  Making your residents fully aware of the association’s expense management and financial health is essential.

Given the need for increased transparency, lessened misappropriations in funding, and enhanced public appeal, many more states are likely to follow suit.  In light of the Florida Condo Website Law, we highlight five ways your association can build operational and financial transparency.

How to prepare for the new Florida Condo Website Law

1. Craft an easily understandable CC&R/Governing Docs

   Every COA is required to create a CC&R, or a Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions document and/or governing documents that condo owners must sign at the closing.  A CC&R highlights community rules that residents must abide by.  If crafted well with simple language, residents can easily understand association expectations and how it aligns with overall operations.  If you already have an existing CC&R, re-evaluate the content for ease of understanding.  Governing documents should also include how the association plans to share financial information with unit owners.  Be aware that much older association documentation may not accommodate more modern technological methods of conveying this information.  Review your CC&R to make sure it meets your current community’s requirements and the law.

2. Encourage owners to attend and participate in board meetings

   To keep unit owners informed of pertinent issues impacting the association such as annual budgeting and development projects, encourage them to attend and participate in association meetings.  Creating an open dialogue ensures that their voice is heard and taken seriously.  Provide owners with a meeting agenda well in advance so they can know about issues ahead of the meeting.  Also, provide them with a best practices guide on how to effectively discuss and vote on issues.  Another way to encourage residents to attend the board meeting is by using community-specialized communication software to send them notices of the upcoming events.

3. Be open to sharing financial information

   To build trust with owners, be open about the financial health of the association when they ask.  The types of financial information required for resident disclosure vary on state laws and governing documents.  Usually, some financial disclosure is required even at a broad, summary level.  Visit your state’s legislation website to identify any recent updates to condo laws.  

4. Create a community website

   The best way to communicate important information about your community to residents and the public is through a website.  The website should include community contact information, office hours & location, board member information, common amenities, and the latest news.  Gated content for residents, board members, and managers only should include meeting minutes, association meeting calendar, and financial reports.

5. Implement a knowledge base

   Create an easily searchable knowledge base on frequently asked questions that owners and board members will want answers to.  Answer questions about maintenance, board members and meetings, and company financials.  Take a look at our Best Practices Guide for creating a knowledge base and the Top 50 Questions your association should answer.

Communicating relevant information to owners, board members, managers, and the public in a timely manner is of utmost priority.  By doing this, your management exercises transparency, reduces the chances of litigation, keeps current residents informed and happy, and enhances community appeal to the public.

Pilera Software, LLC is a comprehensive property management suite that helps property and community managers automate communications, streamline maintenance and rule violations, and manage activities.  Our offerings also include a knowledge base, document library, online forms, and community and company websites.

In a condo or an apartment building, neighbors live close. And close neighbors are bound to have friction every once in a while. But you don\’t have to get involved in every complaint. You only have to get involved if an owner complains about something specifically prohibited in the community rules. So if one neighbor doesn’t like the way another neighbor’s cat looks at him, unless there’s a no-pets policy, that’s a problem between neighbors. Most communities, however, have rules against “nuisance” behavior. The trick is figuring out what’s a nuisance.

If someone is complaining about noise or smoking, those complaints are relatively easy to fix by creating stricter rules. Maybe smoking should be banned in all common areas. Quiet hours could be established to cut down on noise complaints. But what if a family of nudists moves in next door and their naked barbecues are visible through the slats of a backyard fence? Is that a nuisance?

You need to remain objective when determining whether neighbors are acting appropriately. Some neighbors could be your friends, so leaving emotions and personal relationships out of the complaint is important. So is consistency. If you decide that nude barbecues are a nuisance, then maybe the clothes-averse 4-year-old in unit 12 is, too.

It is also important to keep in mind that some neighbors will just rub each other the wrong way and will bring complaints to you that seem petty. If you notice a pattern like this, you don’t have to get involved in every little complaint about whose flower pot ended up on whose side of the shared patio. But if there’s something you can do to improve everyone’s living conditions, it’s best to help even if help isn’t required.

Pilera is a best-of-class, easy-to-use, comprehensive online property management solution for apartments, condos, and associations. Pilera provides the easiest, most comprehensive data management capability available to property managers, leasing agents, boards of directors, and back-office personnel. Quickly and easily access whatever you need, whenever you need it, from wherever you need to be with office or mobile phone connectivity. You are never out of touch. Act on the document/information accessed from the office or “on-the-road” with Pilera-supported mobile capability. Contact us today!

Fall is right around the corner and although you might still be frolicking at the beach, your mind may be wandering to chunky sweaters, warm apple cider, and fall decor. But before you bring that fall decor outside your condo, it’s a good idea to check the homeowners association rules. No matter how tasteful your hay and Indian corn display, if it’s against the rules, it’s gotta go.

If you don’t follow your association rules, a few things could happen. First of all, nothing could happen if you association chooses not to enforce the rules. You could receive a letter asking you to take the decorations down. Or you could be fined for breaking your homeowners association rules.

If your association has a ban on outside decorations that you disagree with, there are a few things you can do. Talk to your neighbors if you’re new to the complex. The ban may be to outlaw pink flamingos, and the association could be lenient when it comes to fake fall leaves. You also could talk to the board about loosening their rules a little. Finally, check state laws. Some states have laws in place that allow wreaths or religious decorations that trump the rules of your homeowners association.

So before you display that scarecrow that’s been in the family for generations, do a little research. And if it absolutely isn’t allowed, remember that you can — for the most part — do whatever you want inside your condo.

Pilera is a best-of-class, easy-to-use, comprehensive online property management solution for apartments, condos, and associations. Pilera provides the easiest, most comprehensive data management capability available to property managers, leasing agents, boards of directors, and back-office personnel. Quickly and easily access whatever you need, whenever you need it, from wherever you need to be with office or mobile phone connectivity. You are never out of touch. Act on the document/information accessed from the office or “on-the-road” with Pilera-supported mobile capability. Contact us today!

Condo associations elect board members so that they have someone to go to with complaints, ideas, and concerns, and they know that those complaints, ideas, and concerns will be passed on to the management company to either be dealt with immediately or opened up to debate at the next condo association meeting. In that regard, condo association board members are a vital resource and link between owners and management.

The board is also responsible for keeping copies of the condo rules and regulations, and making sure they’re followed in the day-to-day. But what happens when a board member isn’t following the very rules they’re meant to enforce?

It can be a very awkward situation for the other owners if they see board members parking wherever they want, not cleaning up after pets, putting up unapproved decorations, and so forth. What options exist when this is the case?

The first step is to speak to any members of the board who are following the rules and ask them to speak to the board members who aren’t. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, you can ask around and see if there’s enough support among residents to vote out the offending board members in favor of others who will enforce the rules.

Just because a person is on the board, it doesn’t mean the rules don’t apply to them. And if they won’t comply, it’s up to the other owners to take action.

Pilera is a best-of-class, easy-to-use, comprehensive online property management solution for apartments, condos, and associations. Pilera provides the easiest, most comprehensive data management capability available to property managers, leasing agents, boards of directors, and back-office personnel. Quickly and easily access whatever you need, whenever you need it, from wherever you need to be with office or mobile phone connectivity. You are never out of touch. Act on the document/information accessed from the office or “on-the-road” with Pilera-supported mobile capability. Contact us today!