Property management overstepping?

Started by KrystalA • 5 replies • 1557 views

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KrystalA (Iowa)
Posts: 60

Posted:

I have recently been made aware that our property management director is telling vendors that they are not allowed to talk to any homeowner that approaches them and that they are to only tell them if they have questions to go to the PM.

Is it me or is that a little messed up? What if the vendor is a snow removal company and I as a homeowner need them to unblock my driveway from a huge mond of snow that they pushed in front of it?

What if I am on the board and want to get some input on a job a vendor is doing such as repair work?

HaroldS1 (Arizona)
Posts: 314

Posted:

Well, is this what the board wants? The PM works for the board and should take orders from them. I assume in your case the board wants the PM to have sole contact with the vendors. Sounds reasonable to me to have to go thru the PM rather than allow every homeowner to have direct contact with and/or give instructions to the vendors. The board should honor this too, but after all they are da boss. Harold

JM2 (Oregon)
Posts: 439

Posted:

Hi Krystal:

Having homeowners going directly to vendors can cause problems. Part of the PM's job is to oversee the vendors. There are times when problematic things arise in HOA's, for instance, a board member requesting that the landscape maintenance company do their front yard for free.

If you have a PM, think of him/her as the CEO of the corporation. The PM answers to the Board, but supervises everything that goes on and is responsible for the smooth running of the corporation. The Board's responsibility is to set policy, and the PM then carries out the day-to-day operations within the parameters of Board Policy, any relevant laws, association documents, and ethical guidelines. The PM oversees the work of the vendors - for instance, working with the account manager of the landscape contractor, who instructs his/her workers on what to do. If you have homeowners constantly telling the landscape workers what to do, eventually you will have chaos; however, if the homeowners direct their concerns to the PM, then the PM can work with the account manager to take care of problems. Otherwise, it's easy to get into unauthorized work, and who pays for that?

The Board's job is to set policy and not micro-manage the PM. If there are concerns, address the PM directly about the vendor's work.

J. Patrick Moore, CMCA

MikeS1
Posts: 668

Posted:

I already have 4 managers and they never talk to each other. This is just a simple case of too many cooks in the kitchen. I agree that the PM should be the central contact.

RogerB (Colorado)
Posts: 5,067

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By MikeS1 on 05/17/2007 9:12 AM
I already have 4 managers and they never talk to each other. This is just a simple case of too many cooks in the kitchen. I agree that the PM should be the central contact.

Mike, you need to get rid of all but the one best Managing Agent

KrystalA (Iowa)
Posts: 60

Posted:

Thanks for your thoughts.

Until this year, the board had been pretty much leaving everything up to the PM. The PM would never get multiple bids on things such as mowing, snow removal, roofing, etc...

If a homeowner does call to complain or get help in a situation it nearly takes an act of God for the PM to get back to the homeowner and on top of that the PM has been very rude to the homeowners should they dare complain.

Example; A homeowner had a huge roof leak. called the PM emergency number, it was nearly 7 hours before the PM got back to her and then told her she would have to wait a couple days beofre her "guy" could come look at it.

An appointment was set, and the guy was hours late and after calling the guys company to see where he was, the PM ended up calling back saying she wasn't allowed to ever call and was going to issue a cease and desist and hung up on her.

During the next couple weeks the PM refused to return calls, was not cooperating with those trying to help the homeowner and the "guy" she uses even told her to call as he hadn't heard much from the PM either.

Long story short the "guy" informed PM this was a construction issue and the builder needs to be involved (warranty) and the builder ends up reading the riot act to PM for neglecting the issue and homeowner. All vendors/builders now involved have told homeowner to contact them during the rest of the situation to make sure it gets done.

In the end, turns out there was a construction issue on all buildings and all needed to be repaired...and if the homeowner hadn't been proactive and just let the PM handle it...it never would have been settled the way it was.

In the end, our new board is putting her under a microscope for 45 days and will determine if she has our assoc. in her best interest

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