California is home to over 50,000 homeowners associations.
Every community association is managed by an HOA board of directors who take care of every aspect of HOA living. If you own HOA property, you can even attempt to join your board and become a major player in your HOA community.
To start, you should know what these volunteer homeowners do for the association. In today's post, we'll explain the responsibilities of an HOA board in Coachella Valley. Keep reading and you'll be able to decide if you want to be a board member or not.
Accounting and Reporting
One of the most important responsibilities of an HOA board member is collecting HOA dues from homeowners. Every member of the HOA must pay monthly dues, which are then pooled together to pay for everything that the community needs, from maintenance to new amenities.
The board's treasurer will also perform various accounting duties. They'll have to take care of bookkeeping duties and create budgets that make sense for your community.
Without good accounting practices, you may have to hike HOA fees, which will anger community members. In the worst circumstances, poor accounting can have a detrimental effect on the community, lowering home values along the way.
Vendor Coordination
To ensure the community stays in good shape, HOA leadership has to deal with local vendors. You'll schedule them to take care of everything from garbage pickup to home repairs.
Vendor coordination is one of the most important and time-consuming responsibilities of an HOA board. Failing to stay on top of vendor scheduling can quickly see your community fall into disrepair.
Many communities choose to hire HOA management for this reason. HOA management companies come with built-in vendor relationships. Whatever your community needs, an HOA manager will be able to call the appropriate vendor in minutes.
Compliance and Governance
All HOAs have unique governing documents. These are the HOA rules and regulations that all homeowners must live by. HOA boards are responsible for ensuring all homeowners are compliant with the regulations.
Not all homeowners choose to abide by the rules, so the HOA board needs to enforce them, issuing penalties whenever necessary. As you might guess, this can create an uncomfortable power dynamic between neighbors.
Holding HOA Board Meetings
The final major HOA board responsibility we'll discuss is running HOA meetings. There are two types of HOA meetings: HOA board meetings and community-wide meetings. Both are essential for the smooth operation of the HOA.
Board meetings can involve more community members, but they typically involve the board discussing day-to-day community concerns. Community-wide meetings involve everyone and tackle the bigger picture of the HOA.
Running successful HOA meetings requires good organizational skills. You'll need to hear out homeowners' concerns and take action to make the community's wishes a reality.
Is It Time for HOA Management?
Now that you know more about the responsibilities of an HOA board, you can see how much work it is. Many HOAs choose to hire community association management to bring experience and professionalism to the community.
As part of a franchise that's been in the industry for two decades, PMI Coachella Valley is one of the top HOA management groups in the area. Contact us to find out more about what we do and how we can help your community thrive.
