Homeowner Issue Log

I want to have our management company start a log of homeowner reported issues. We seem to have the same issues reported over and over again. I have to assume other people are doing this.

>What format do you use?
>Do you post the issues and resolutions (or inability to resolve) on your website?
>What is your process?

Thanks

Our MC sends supplementary materials to directors every month before our monthly board mtgs. Among them are the "courtesy (warning) letters sent to Owner and what the violations are. If these owners don't correct the violation they are called to a disciplinary hearing with the Bi lard, which is help d in executive session, i.e., is confidential

None of these would be posted on our web site, an, with Tim, I agree they shouldn't be.

Wait, now I'm not sure what you mean, Jan. If you mean complaints that Owners have about maintenance, etc., those come to the board via work orders that our MC prepares for the relevant vendors. These also aren't posted on our website.

I want to start the log because we have some issues that continue to be raised but with different board members. One interesting one is homeowners demanding that the owner of an unimproved lot build their house. There is a persistent rumor that the CCRs state you must build within one year of purchasing a lot. Not true but new board members have to spend time tracking it down to answer the homeowner.

Another is when we send a letter to a homeowner about a violation and are then a different board member is notified of the same violation and asked to follow up. A log would give us a single source of truth.

We started keeping a separate log this year. We are a small group. It is maintained by the HOA Secretary.

I would disagree.

This may have been your experience but it hasn't been mine.

Yes, you CAN educate a diverse population – you just have to do a little work. It’s true some things work better than others, but if you have a website and perhaps a newsletter, you can hit people both ways.

For example, if there’s a rumor that the CCRs require a house be built within a year of purchasing a lot, all you have to do is publish an article stating that isn’t true, encouraging people to read their purchase agreements, CCRs and Bylaws FIRST and then ask about anything they don’t understand.

But let’s start with your Board members – if people are giving various answers, it appears THEY could use a little education. I recall Melissa saying has said she had a copy of the governing documents available during board meetings. Maybe your board needs to bring it and start reviewing it before giving an answer.

n my community, we had published all the board members’ emails before coming up with ONE email. Homeowners were told some questions might require a review by the entire board before they received a response – that’s another way you can eliminate confusion and the board can speak with one voice.

Once you get a sense of what the issues are, you could with a periodic column for the website and/or newsletter where you answer certain questions that keep coming up - sort of a "frequently asked questions" that can be archived on your website? People can be told to refer to that, as well as the governing documents.

If you still insist on a log,why don’t you just ask your property manager if they could do this - you said you want them to keep it, so that's where you should have started. Maybe they’re already doing it for other clients and you can look at some samples to see what can be adapted for your community. If you’d rather do it yourself on an Excel spreadsheet, there may be templates on Office.com you can adapt.

Jan

A better product would be a simple database program as you could do searches like such and such address, such and such person, combinations of bot (or more) etc. thus easily able to show anything about any place or any person at anytime. You could even sort on the type of violation like trash, parking, noise, pool, etc.

One of the simplest, easiest to use, and least costly (usually free) database programs is contained in Microsoft Works. Any Microsoft Works Programs data (database, spreadsheets, word, etc.) can be uploaded into Microsoft Office Products.

For data and record keeping you want to use a database program, not a spreadsheet.

MS Works is very, very easy to understand and use.

Jan

If you are using a management company, through their software, they should have the ability to track both violation and management issues, with many giving homeowners and board members online access.