corporate accountant is authorized to speak to board members other than the treasurer.

I was elected to our Board of Directors in November. I have questions on our financials that cannot be answered by our Treasurer. Our association manager indicates that our HOA will be charged an hourly fee for "research" to respond to my questions. I do not feel extensive research is required. I have provided names of each report, account numbers, check numbers, and amounts for the information I am requesting. The four other board members give a blanket acceptance to our financials with the reasoning that the management company is being paid to handle all finances for us. However, as a fiduciary, I have trouble approving items that are not clear to me.

Am I within my rights as a board member to expect an explanation for accounting practices that appear to misrepresent our finances without having our HOA charged additionally for this information?

First, with Tim. what does your contract with the Management Company (MC) say about the talks they do for you.

I assume they, they do take care of all your accounting matters since you indicate the Board has not trouble with the monthly "financials."

Every month when our board members receive the monthly financials online, our Prop. mgr. (PM) invites us directors to ask her questions about them. If she cannot answer them--and she can 90% of the time--she asks the had accountant at our MC. we are NOT charged extra.

Perhaps you can send your PM a few questions about the most recent month's financials to see if she'll reply.

Is your PM certified in any way? What kinds of questions are you asking, Mary? Is there a larger issue that's conceding you?

Good for you, and I think you should absolutely be able to see those. My board here operates pretty much the same way. I regularly spot things that look "odd", maybe one a month or so, and no one else even notices or bothers to question them. Often there's a simple explanation but there are times when a legitimate mistake or error in the books occurs. I think it's irresponsible for a board to just assume that your MC will always do things 100% correctly just because you're paying them to do it.

Mary, could you give an example question you have?

Seems like if the Board passed a budget, then it will know - by way of a Y-T-D monthly report - exactly where they are in regards to revenue and spending.

Or is this a reporting question?

What reports are you getting each month?