How do you record CC&Rs/Bylaws violations?

Greetings!

I have been on my HOA board for several years, the last two serving as president. When I became president of the board, I carried over as the board member who records our monthly property inspections where we note violations of the CC&Rs, issues to discuss with various sub-committees of the board, our property manager, etc. I'm wondering what system others use to record and document these items? Is there software out there designed specifically for this purpose? In many cases, I assume the professional management company handles this, but it is not part of the contract we have with our property managers. So, as volunteer board members, we also meet an additional day per month to inspect the property for these issues. Everything is then captured and sent to the property manager for follow up.

What I currently do is keep all violations in an Excel spreadsheet. Each violation gets a row. I capture violation date, address, the specific section of CC&Rs/Bylaws that is in violation, if it's a repeat and/or do we need to initiate the fine hearing process, and a completed column for when a committee or board member or the manager notes the issue has been corrected. This works fairly well; however, I find it to be time consuming.

What I would really like is a form system where we input the data into a form and a letter to the owner (and renter, if applicable) spits out automatically so we reduce the number of data entry errors and miscommunication issues that come along with the process.

I'm curious what system others are using and how well it works for you.

Thanks,
Daniel

Daniel

Most management companies will utilize software that incorporate violation and maintenance tracking. I am in the process of customizing my software to handle this. It is a process IF you looking to do right, and especially since California has certain processes that must be adhered to.

Depending on the size of your HOA, you might want to re-consider having your management company do this for you. Yes, there will be an additional monthly fee, but additional services do cost more.

If you knew how to really use Excel or Access, it can be done through those programs, but remember, to do it correctly take much thought as there are many forms to deal with. To give you an idea, I have 200 forms created to run this process for my associations.

I would also caution spending a whole lot of time developing a spreadsheet (Excel) or database (Access)as the person who comes after you might not be as versed as you are and simply choose not to utilize the system. That happened to us. We had an individual spend time and develop a good database setup using MS Access. Unfortunately years went by before I became involved, came upon the disk that had the data and realized what was done. Nobody before me understood (or didn't have) Access and the data became a CD that got passed on with nobody knowing why.

We are 130 lots. We utilize paper forms (one form for each violation tracking the progress to resolution or hearings). These are filed within lot files. We also only do inspections once a year (vs. monthly). Our Architectural committee is responsible for the inspections and initial enforcement.