Today is the opening day of the 2013 legislative session in Colorado!  As I mentioned in previous blog postings this week, Senator Morgan Carroll has gone on record that manager licensure and beefing up the HOA Information and Resource Center are on the drawing board.  However, we don’t expect those bills to be introduced early on…

I love the fresh start of a new year. Like many people, I use the last few days of the year to reflect on accomplishments, identify areas for improvement and growth, and set goals for the next twelve months. The last week of the year often slows down enough for reflection and planning, and I can chart my course for things like client relations activities, changes to internal business practices, and training for that three-day bike ride I want to complete in July.

How does your community association plan for the year ahead? If you’re a new board member, perhaps you’re eager to begin addressing concerns that led you to volunteer in the first place. If you’re a seasoned director, you may have a project underway that you intend to see to completion. But what are your goals as a board? Is your board approaching the New Year with a unified vision and voice?Continue Reading Better Communication in 2013

As the 2013 legislative session is slated to begin on Wednesday, Senator Carroll has gone on record with the Colorado Springs Gazette on her commitment to pass legislation that would create an HOA Czar and to license community association managers.  The bills will be introduced in the House and are expected to receive support in both chambers which are controlled…

Side Streets, carried in the Saturday edition of The Gazette in Colorado Springs, highlighted an interview with Mark Ferrandino – the new Speaker of the Colorado House.  Clearly, the Speaker is not a fan of HOAs and believes members of HOAs need "a way to complain and enforce the laws . . . "  As a result, he’s in favor of providing the HOA Information Officer with the authority to investigate and enforce Homeowner Bill of Rights provisions of the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act ("CCIOA"). 

The Speaker’s disenchantment with HOAs comes from personal experience.  Evidently, at some point in time, the Speaker purchased a home in an HOA and thought the assessments were being handled through his mortgage payment.  As a result, he did not make his $25.00 monthly assessment payment.  After six months of not paying his assessments, the Speaker received notice that a lien had been recorded on his home. Continue Reading Speaker of the House Not a Fan of HOAs

Yesterday, the Denver Post reported that Senator Lucia Guzman and Representative Cristana Duran are planning to introduce a bill during the 2013 legislative session in Colorado ". . . to incentivize HOAs and other entities to build electric-car-charging stations."  However, the Post also reported that Duran said "We don’t want to mandate their construction."

Since there…

For those of you who follow our blog, you know that every year I post New Year Resolutions for directors of HOAs. For 2011, the resolutions focused on addressing the fiscal health of associations and in 2012 they focused upon individual development of directors. 

As I have reflected upon the less than constructive interpersonal dynamics which have become far too common in some HOAs during 2012 and the venomous diatribes of a small number of HOA critics, I’m more convinced than ever that it takes both directors and residents of HOAs (and managers and HOA lawyers for that matter) to do their part to create harmonious and livable communities. As a result, I humbly offer for your consideration the following 2013 New Year Resolutions for Directors and Residents of HOAs:Continue Reading 2013 New Year Resolutions for Directors and Residents of HOAs

I’ll admit it, I’m something of a Grinch.  I’m just not very good at putting up the holiday decorations that so many other people do so well.  My neighborhood is having a holiday light competition.  I haven’t managed to put up any lights, but if I were to put up anything, it would look like the house on the right:

The Armstrong family of Wellington’s house would look more like the one on the left – if they decided to go "low key."   The Armstrongs have a tradition of an extraordinarily elaborate display, combined with holiday cheer for passersby and charitable giving for those less fortunate.  The Fort Collins Coloradoan recently reported on their struggle to keep their light display in spite of their homeowners association’s objection.Continue Reading How to be a Grinch

Here it is, not even Christmas yet, and I’m talking about the new year? What gives?

We all know that it is easy to get caught up in day-to-day activities and “emergencies” that command so much of our time. But we also know that, every once in awhile, it is a good idea to take a step back and reflect on where we have been, and where we are going. While this seems obvious, and may apply to so many aspects of our lives, it is applicable to the operation of community associations as well.Continue Reading Strategic Planning for the New Year