As the holidays approach, you may be wondering what are some important things to know concerning government documents or legal issues when it comes to board member rights and responsibilities. Check out this article where three common questions are answered about your HOA and board members.

Some older individuals choose to live out their final years in their residences alone rather than in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities. Additionally, there are times that other individuals may experience specific mental health issues that make them unable to care for themselves adequately. Associations are often at a loss with how to assist these individuals. Plus, associations are not professional healthcare or mental health providers, so they can't address such matters. Instead, associations will need to request help from family, friends, or governmental entities.

The remedies available to homeowners for handling a problematic board member depend, in part, on the applicable state's laws and the HOA's governing documents.

Homeowners associations rely on people to make decisions and perform organizational functions. For constitutional matters, a vote comes from all HOA members. For day-to-day affairs, an association acts through its board of directors and officers.

Homeowners living in HOA Communities face a variety of requirements, regulations, and rules by choosing to live in these private communities. One of the requirements for members is the payment of HOA fees. We want to give members the necessary information concerning HOA fees and the many issues that arise when homeowners fail to pay.

As we have seen, an HOA cannot just decide that it wants to prohibit short-term rentals one day. The prohibition must be grounded in some authority derived from the community declaration. For the most part, a community with an existing rental restriction in its mandate will have the right to enforce the regulation.

If the Association's declaration prohibits rentals (short-term or long), the HOA can likely enforce the prohibition unless there is some other reason why the restriction is unenforceable.

Did you know that you don't have to be interested or involved in a specific cause to serve on a nonprofit board of directors? The fact is that there are lots of nonprofits right in your community that has vacancies on their boards of directors. A great deal of the time, they don't even require prior experience. Read on to learn more!

Did you know that you don't have to be interested or involved in a specific cause to serve on a nonprofit board of directors? The fact is that there are lots of nonprofits right in your community that has vacancies on their boards of directors. A great deal of the time, they don't even require prior experience.

The board's job is to make decisions. HOA association management companies work on the association's behalf. Management companies have no decision-making power over the HOA. However, they do act at the board's behest. The management's job is to carry them out.

We base the best relationships between HOAs and the management companies on open communication and clear expectations. However, suppose you're not exactly sure what your management company should be doing for your association. In that case, it can be challenging to determine if you're getting the total value of your service agreement. Here's how to set appropriate expectations with your management company—and why it's crucial.

While keeping dues as low as possible sounds like a good idea, it's not always the best idea. Read on to discover when raising dues is actually in a community's best interest.

Homeowners associations can do their part to protect and preserve our freshwater supply by adopting sustainable landscaping practices.

Under Florida law, an association attempting to enforce a covenant or restriction against one homeowner while allowing another homeowner to violate the same regulation without consequences constitutes selective enforcement. Unfortunately, this is a common problem for association boards.

In the months after the devastating collapse of Champlain Tower South Condominium Association in Surfside, Florida, residents and board members are questioning how to keep themselves and their property safe.

Benefits of using best practices include improved quality and performance, better planning and evaluation methods, innovative approaches to operations and management, and increased organizational accountability.

Most board members take their position seriously. However, there are a fair number of potential pitfalls and possible liability issues if a board member isn't careful. For these reasons, it can be a huge advantage to work with a community association manager who can help board members avoid snags and ensure the association runs smoothly.

A homeowners association is the cornerstone of a planned community. When run properly, it brings continuity, preserves architectural integrity, maintains common areas, protects property values, and promotes the concept of "community." Every association should be responsible for its assets and operation following state laws and the community's governing documents.

Has your board instituted an ethics policy for all directors and committees? Typically, the first requirement is that all nominees for directors sign a confidentiality promise never to sue the board. So, if a board member does something wrong, illegal or unethical, how can the HOA get relief?

There are numerous considerations when allowing third parties to use a common area clubhouse to provide classes or other services. However, it is the facilitation of exercise classes that raises the most concern.