PLANNING A BOARD MEETING CHECKLIST Plan: Planning will take time, but it will ultimately save time and will lead to better-informed and prepared boards and smoother meetings. Determine the Best Meeting Time: Take into account the schedules of board members and association residents and then choose morning, afternoon, evening or a combination to obtain optimum attendance. Adopting a regular meeting location and time [...]
A Proactive Approach to Collecting Delinquent Assessments For over 20 years, Mulcahy Law Firm, P.C. has successfully collected delinquent assessments from owners on behalf of the associations we represent. We are often asked what the “secret” to effectively assessment collection is. This cheat sheet shares our secrets. Please contact Beth Mulcahy, Esq., or anyone on the Mulcahy Law Firm, P.C. [...]
Annual Meetings Must be Held Once a Year Under Arizona law, A.R.S. Section 33-1804(B) and 33-1248(B) an association must conduct an annual meeting of its membership at least once a year. Conducting a successful annual meeting requires knowledge of the association’s documents, planning, organization, preparation and execution of the plan. Meeting Requirements and Purpose Requirements for an Annual Meeting Typically, [...]
Dealing with a Bully in a Community Association Most members in an Association understand that rules and social decorum dictate how they are to interact with Board members, Association employees, and other members. However, there are a small percentage of people that do not abide by rules and social decorum and they are always looking for a fight. These people [...]
Working with Rental Properties Over the past few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of rental properties in Arizona, including short-term/vacation rentals. Sometimes an association’s board or manager frequently contact legal counsel for assistance in dealing with tenants who do not comply with the governing documents. The short-tern/vacation rentals present a unique enforcement challenge due to [...]
Community Association Management Community associations throughout Arizona are managed by three types of management; self-management, an association with paid staff and a community association management company. Many associations choose to hire a management company and then rely on that management company to handle the day to day operations of the association. It is important to note that currently there are [...]
Insurance Overview Protecting the community association and board of directors requires a close look at insurance coverage and risk to prevent the coverage gaps that only become obvious after a loss or lawsuit and there is no payout. Insurance Coverage for Community Associations Directors and Officers Liability Coverage (D&O): Typically covers the board of directors. Common claims include the board’s [...]
The High Cost of Crime for Community Associations According to the United States Department of Justice, a property crime is committed every three seconds, a burglary takes place every twelve seconds, a motor vehicle is stolen every twenty seconds and a murder occurs every twenty-three minutes. Unfortunately, these statistics affect every segment of our society, including community associations. Increased crimes [...]
Communicate: Listen to homeowners who have concerns or problems with the association; Return/respond to phone calls/e-mails within 24/48 hours (if possible); Notify the board immediately regarding important information about their association; and Apologize and make the necessary corrections when mistakes happen. Give a weekly update to (email every Friday) to board members on accomplishments for each week Oversee Maintenance and [...]
There is no special formula or “secret sauce” I can give you to have a successful association. It really depends on a number of different things– strong and effective leadership by a board, good communication with your members at all times, being aware of and following the law and your corporate governing documents and having an outstanding team to guide [...]
