Looking for feedback on general HOA items

If you have a moment to provide feedback on any of the following questions I would greatly appreciate it:

1. If your HOA/their Management Company offered educational seminars at no cost to the homeowners to teach about how HOAs operate, understanding the governing documents (Declaration, Bylaws, R&R), how budgets and association fees are established, understanding rule enforcements, and answered other general questions, would that interest you (for yourself or as a general idea to offer residents who could benefit from this)?

2. If there was one thing you wanted to change about HOAs in general or perhaps your particular HOA what would it be?

3. Before you got involved in your HOA (as I assume your membership on this website means you are) did you understand the roles of the Management Company vs. the Board of Directors?

4. If you are currently fairly educated about HOA operation and governance how did you learn?

5. What do you think motivates members to attend board meetings and how long do yours usually last?

Thank you for your time and look forward to chatting with you all.

Hi Sarah,

Welcome to the forum. We seem to be full of opinions. Hopefully they will be helpful.


Our legal firm offers monthly luncheon seminars that are free to Board members and their guests.
In the past 8 years I believe I've attended 2 or 3.

Would I be interested, yes. Would I attend? That would depend on what the topic is, the time it would be offered and where the seminar would be held.

If I wasn't on the Board and hadn't gotten involved in my Association, I doubt if I would attend.


Membership apathy.

Any ideas on how to do this?


Yes.
However, we are self managed, therefore knowing those roles were not relevant.


On the Job Training and personal research (which includes this forum).

Keep in mind that my personal background and work experiences helped also. I understood how to understand and implement government regulations. I understood organizations and roles Officers and Directors have. I understood and had background in leadership positions.

I've told this story before. When I first moved into our development I volunteered at the annual meeting. My offer was accepted and I found myself on our Architectural committee (to be honest, I was the entire committee). Well, within 6 months I was removed from the Architectural committee because of differences of opinion between the Board and myself over interpretation of the governing documents and what the role of the committee was. After that, I took a you leave me alone - I'll leave you alone attitude. Big mistake on my part (but we all have 20-20 hindsight).

I was left alone for about 15 years. Then they tried to claim I had a violation that was not there. I fought the issue. Initially, I tried to reason with the Board. I did a bunch of research and came across many (what I call) anti-HOA sites. Members of those sites wanted me to take the Association to court come hell or high water. Fortunately, I also found this site where the regular posters asked questions like "What do your governing documents say?" and "Have you checked applicable laws?" They had me dive into the issues directly and gave me some options.

Getting nowhere with the Board and not wanting the expense of a legal battle, I chose to take the issue to the membership. I did this with newsletters. I attended every board meeting I could and wrote about them in the meeting. I shared what I learned through my research and encouraged members to take a position. I criticized the Board but also praised them when it was warranted. Well, that went on for 3 years. At the 3 year mark I felt I wasn't reaching anyone other than myself. I actually told my wife (as I went off to the annual meeting) that if a specific issue passed, I would take it as a sign and quit the newsletter.

Thankfully it was at that meeting that the support I had gathered showed itself. The questions I had raised others were asking. The Board looked like deer in headlights as they had no answers (they had gotten the same newsletter but ignored it thinking I was just an angry member) for the questions raised.

I wasn't elected to the Board that night, but I was the following year. During that year I discovered that what I thought I knew about the Association and HOA's in general was minor. I learned there were a lot more problems then I was aware of (even though I attended meetings) and the OJT started day one.


I attend because I'm on the board. Otherwise, unless there was a specific issue that (to be honest) affected me directly, I doubt if I would attend.

Our meetings last between 1 and 2 hours.

If you care to share, these questions sound like background questions for a story or a book or ??
Mind letting us know why these questions?

Would you be more specific as to why you are asking? I see them as a survey for someone interested in opening an HOA management company, or writing a book or news article, and maybe, just maybe a new board member?

Actually Larry, I think that those courses should be mandatory in High School.

Yeah, not too many high-schoolers buying homes. Not too many in college facing that issue, either. My suggestion that the community colleges be involved is that, at least in my area, they are the one publicly-supported place that a working adult can go to continue his education without having to quit his job.

The online idea is good for all HOA owners but I feel if you want to be on a board where your actions will effect the value of millions of dollars worth of other people's real estate that you should have to demonstrate some higher level of knowledge than the average homeowner.

I was a first time homebuyer and took such a program - had a little information on HOAs, although I didn't realize there were so many. It was (and still is) free and walked participants through the entire process, down to closing on the house. I think EVERYONE considering buying a house should take such a class (the classroom portion was about 6-8 weeks, as I recall) The only thing I'd change about it would be to add more information on HOAs

Actually, what highschoolers really need (and junior high, for that matter) is a good financial education class. Illinois once had mandatory consumer education (at least when I was in high school during the late 1970s (boy, I'm old!) Kids can learn about budgeting, managing a checking account, comparison shopping, etc. Basic education like that might help them avoid some of the financial mishaps us Baby Boomers have gotten ourselves into.

Sarah, oh Sarah. Where have you gone. Are you still looking forward to chatting with us all.

I hope my blunt questions didn't force her out, but hey, a girl's gotta know these things!

It does sound like a typical "help me with my homework" laundry list of questions. Maybe to help with writing a paper or an attempt at conducting a survey. Still, most of the times I have seen such requests is on more scholastic subjects, such as math, science, sociology, psychology, etc., which makes this particular set of questions very odd.