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Started by SamanthaB4 • 7 replies • 387 views

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SamanthaB4 (Florida)
Posts: 10

Posted:

Is it common practice for board and management company to hide behind web site portal. All communications funnel through portal and zero communications come back out. I have yet to get a reply from anyone one.

SheliaH (Indiana)
Posts: 6,964

Posted:

Does "come back out" mean your emails are coming back as undeliverable? If so, check the address you're using or call the property manager (you don't have to say who you are) and ask for the right email address.

In my community, we have one email for our property manager and another for the board. The board email goes to all board members. Consider why you're writing. For exampke, If you're asking for a maintenance request and sent that to the board, they probably forwarded it to the property manager for follow up. The reverse is also true and your question may be related to something that requires research before you get a response. I assume you want responses that are complete and accurate - or would you prefer a slapdash answer to a serious question?

COVID has also slowed some processes down, so you may just have to be patient and not expect a response 5 minutes after hitting send. Board members do have a life outside the association and the property manager may have more than your community to attend to.

I don't know what your emails are about or how many you've sent, so before you send any more, trying slowing down a bit and give them some time. That said, you should get some sort of acknowledgement of your email, so if that's not happening, you may need to go to The next meeting

If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it. Marcus Aurelius

GeorgeS21 (Florida)
Posts: 3,808

Posted:

It would depend in the communications.

I have been president of a Florida HOA. Our property manager maintained a website for our community and twenty or so other communities.

The PM would forward all emails to the Board, with their answer to whatever question was asked - assuming it might develop into more than a usual business transaction. The president usually ends up answering the ones that should be answered, that are beyond the authority of the PM - sometimes I would not answer at all (if nasty notes from owners), but most times I would simply tell the PM what I wanted done, while cc’ing the other board members. Sometimes it would simply be to tell the owner when the next board meeting was - and, that we would add the topic to the agenda.

JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265

Posted:

We have a Gmail address that we ask owners to send all/any communication with the BOD to. Any Email sent to this address automatically gets distributed to each BOD Member. The BOD then decides the response and who will deliver it, assuming we do not ignore it.

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

No one can give you an individual answer. It has to be decided upon by a group. How often does your HOA meet? Ours met 1 time a month. So if something was submitted we have to wait to discuss it at our next meeting. Which may or may not be resolved in just 1 meeting.

The PM should not be making any decisions or communicating back unless contractually obligated to. They just send it to the board whom are VOLUNTEERS.

Your problem isn't necessarily my problem to concentrate on.

Former HOA President

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

This is a little confusing, Samantha. We have website portals too and the one for Owners if full of all kinds of info for them. but it isn't the email address for management or anyone else.

I think Melissa is waaaay off base here. Questions to management from owners are common. Most often the PM can answer them. The PM does NOT have to wait for a board meeting. If Owners want something to be done, they submit an agenda item (here, anyway)

GeorgeS21 (Florida)
Posts: 3,808

Posted:

Agree with Kerry - it is the specific purpose of most PMs to handle the day to day management activities of the HOA.

ClareL (California)
Posts: 29

Posted:

It is very common!!! Especially if you begin to ask questions about how the HOA is run. You begin to look like the crazy aggressive homeowner and they will avoid you at all costs even when your intentions are genuine.

Best advice I can give is that If you find yourself in this type of HOA, expect that it will be a very slow process for the HOA to finally take your requests seriously.

What helped me is giving the HOA a “due date” of when to get back to me or when I would follow back up with them for an answer. 48 hours is usually standard but with HOA’s, I suggest 5 -7 business days.

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