April 2011

I just heard from Henry that the Happy Hollows HOA Board of Directors held a meeting last night and didn’t tell anyone about it. I bet they couldn’t afford that fancy snow removal service they hired for the winter and are going to cut down on the hours the pool is open to save money. They better not be planning to increase assessments!

Did you hear the Board appointed a committee to look into landscaping issues? I heard the Board President’s brother owns a landscaping company. Do you think this is some sort of scheme to give him a contract? I bet the Board President will get a kick-back on that deal!Continue Reading Stop the Insanity With Open Meetings!

The Aurora Sentinel published a story yesterday entitled Know where to turn when you have HOA nightmares. The story chronicles the troubles of a handful of residents of an HOA in Aurora. The complaints range from allegations of unfair late fees to retaliatory board members to inconsistent enforcement of covenants. Management for the HOA responded that the Board of Directors is following the governing documents in a consistent manner and homeowners are invited to address the Board as long as it’s done respectfully.

Unfortunately, these dynamics play themselves out every day in HOAs across the country. But it doesn’t have to be that way! The one thing we know for sure is boards of directors and homeowners must work together to create vibrant, healthy, livable and harmonious communities. Here are examples of how this works:Continue Reading Harmony in HOAs – It’s a Two-Way Street