Background checks have long been used as a way for owners wishing to lease their units to determine who may rent their property. However, this practice has recently come under fire, as rejecting tenants on the basis of their criminal history may violate state and federal discrimination laws. With that in mind, how should homeowners associations handle background checks for…
In an opinion issued today by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, it upheld an insurance company’s exclusion against repairing a policyholder’s hail-damaged property with reasonably matching materials in Pleasure Creek vs. American Family. The Court relied heavily on the recent decision from the Federal 8th Circuit in Noonan v. American Family that upheld a similar exclusion. In relevant part, the…
There is more to a homeowner association than meets the eye. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes, with these associations dealing with regular challenges and potential pitfalls that can cost them money and anger residents. Knowledge of the most common homeowner association mistakes makes it easier to avoid trouble. Here are five mistakes that come up time after…
Running a successful homeowners’ association is a difficult task. Each resident within a community has their preferences for how they decorate and maintain their home, and there always seems to be one or two owners who simply do not want to operate inside the HOA guidelines. In many cases, some owners will find conflict wherever they go, regardless of how…
Insurance is generally the largest budgeted expense for most homeowners associations (HOAs). But not every insurance policy is the same. So how do HOAs know whether the insurance policy they’ve purchased meets their needs? These are just some of the things HOAs need to be consider when they’re deciding which insurance policy to purchase. What is the Policy Deductible? Every…
In the United States, community associations represent the fastest-growing form of home ownership. These organizations include townhome associations, condominium associations and cooperatives. According to a 2010 estimate from the Community Associations Institute, there were 62 million Americans living in community associations. That’s about 25 million homes. There are law firms that serve the legal needs of these associations, including their…
Realtors and other real estate professionals play an important role in assisting buyers and sellers in transactions involving homeowners associations (“HOAs”). is here to help professionals ensure that their clients have all of the information they need to make an educated decision about their particular situation, and to make sure their transaction goes as smoothly as possible. For sellers, this…
Click here to download the checklist (Preventative Maintenance Plan “To Do” List) 2. ___________ Follow the Preventative Maintenance Plan. Retain qualified professionals (contractor, engineer, etc.) to inspect all association-maintained improvements. Best Practice Tip 4: Liability! The board and its management company should not do the inspections. 3. ___________ Review and Act on the Inspection Summaries. After inspections have been conducted,…
As summer rapidly approaches, we tend to think about shorts, barbeques and warm weather finally coming after a dreadful winter. However, a significant part of summer is the massive storms that happen all season long. Summer storms often afflict significant damage on roofs, exteriors to houses and even the roads. But who pays to repair storm damage when it happens…
Being a member of the Board of Directors at your Homeowners Association can be a thankless job. With all of the issues the Board has to deal with, responding to document requests from homeowners should be an easy one. Still, one of the major complaints we hear from Boards is the overwhelming amount of paper, documents, and other files that…
