Budget

Our annual budget was approved and sent to homeowners. The board is now wanting to add a line item that will be more than 25 percent of the existing budget. The management company says we can add a line item with a zero allocation and run in a deficit. I am strongly against doing this as I don't see this as a fiscally responsible choice. Any thoughts?

To hire a parking patrol company. we currently do not have a patrol or IMO need one. I am a board member and feel this is not needed and a sneaky way to go around paying for a patrol company.

Thank you. The board has not approved yet. It was given to us as an alternative to having a special assessment to pay. It will be discussed further at our January meeting. As always, thank you for your insight.😀

The reason for the patrol is because our management will not deal with any form of parking violations and suggested to hire a patrol to do so. I do not know if it has to do with California law or not. We are small (40) home community.

Melissa has all the answers!

What's your advice, to Jill, Richard?

In CA, LetA, there's no requirement to send the budget out for owners ratification. It and a bunch of other things, e.g., reserves study, though must be sent out annually. this can be done electronically to owners who've signed up to received these items by email.

I wonder if this board thinks that the parking patrol issue has reached an emergency level and therefore has no other choice than to get an outside company to enforce the parking rules and their service includes towing.

To make sure it’s not overkill, contract for on- call only.

I have posted before so quick back story.
Bought new home 15 years ago and read CCRS with no parking restrictions. Private streets. No rules until 1 year later when development compeletd.
A rule saying no street parking between 2-5 am. Was put in rules. Rule never able to be enforced. No signs, no fire lanes, no red curbs, no parking stalls. Never any fines. ( so in my mind no rule) Years ago board would put "no street parking" papers on cars until they damaged a car. CCRS have no parking restrictions, under "Use Restrictions" so although there is language added to rules saying no street parking between 2-5am it can't be enforced and has never been enforced. It has been challenged as a more restrictive rule than what CCRS Use Restrictions.

There is no emergency situation. One owner has several cars and that's the issue. A couple board members say they don't want people parking in front of their house. We also live in large 5-6 bedroom homes many with guest houses so several cars per homes is to be expected.

Recently the Management Co. said they will not and do not enforce any parking issues that we should hire a patrol. Budget completed and sent to owners. We never budgeted for patrol so we were told we would need a special assets to pay for the patrol. Then Management Company stated we did not need an assessment but could run in a deficit and have add a line item with a zero balance

That's where we stand in limbo with no clarity.

IMO, it is reckless for the majority of a board to hire a patrol company to enforce a rule that is unenforceable.

I would not want a MC that suggests running a deficit is OK, it's not. If dues need to increase for a contracted item, then raise the dues. In this case, no way.

As a MC, I can cite for violations, but I don't enforce violations, the governing body does. For a towing company to tow a vehicle they someone to sign off on the tow. It can be a Board member or a patrol company. As a MC, I would never sign off.

If something is a code violation enforced by a city, I will handle those types of complaints.