property manager misinforming

The annual insurance renewal for our property is coming up.

the property manager seems doing everything possible to avoid getting actual comparisons.

with a cost of 180,000. isnt' there a requirement for associations to get bids.

texas house bill 1588 required all hoas to now get bids for any contracts or services over 50,000.

please tell me this also applies to condominiums

I think you are referring to the statute sections that SB 1588 and its incarnations added. All I know is that TPC 209 (applying to non-condo HOAs) says:

In addition to the other applicable requirements of this section, an association that proposes to contract for services that will cost more than $50,000 shall solicit bids or proposals using a bid process established by the association.

TPC 81 and TPC 82 (applicable to condominiums) say nothing like this.

Go around your property manager directly to the source: your insurance broker. Quoting insurance is what they do extremely well.

Sorry, your association needs to start over from scratch, throw the baby out with the bath water. This is all messed up.

Of the regular annual operating expenses, I would say it is often one of the larger annual expenses.

All you can do is maybe speak about this at board meetings (if an open forum happens at board meetings) or maybe send out flyers. I would keep firmly in mind that the owners have spoken, regarding who they want on the board. That the owners are largely absentee does not matter.

I do not support speaking with the COA's vendors. To me, doing sotlooks like too much of an attempted end run around the COA's Board or manager. It fouls up communications and relationships.

remember,, Our condominium is self managed. we employee maintenance employees and an onsite property mananger.

we contract out to a management company the bookkeeping and document retention and notification duties.

The managment company has several communities which it completely manages. including providing manager, maintenance of the common areas etc.

For those communities the management company has an insureance broker who provides all of the properties with the required insurance.

For some reason. probably igorance on the assoications part, years ago, the management company suggested that our community could be included in his group. He suggested the association would reap benefits of being in large group. Suggesting we would get better coverage because we were part of a large group. i.e economies of scale.

he did not inform the association of the downside of being in a master group. there are several.

There are numerous considerations that should be part of the decision making process when choosing whether to have our own broker or stay with exisitng broker. Broker has repeatedly stated that management company it its direct contact.

Every attempt to get another hoa insureance broker to present options to our board has been stmied by this manangement agent. he is stating that If condo association(ours) has a broker go to market and shop for insurance for just our association that would be a red flag to insureres and would possibley result in the association not being able to get insureance or getting unfavorable rates.

All i am asking is that the board get two independent proposals and bids. Unfortunately, every meeting that this is brought up, the management agent strongly interjects that I am wrong for suggesting this. Or belittles me and tells the board that he already has the best possible insureance available etc.... I do know , some board members have recognized the extreme reaction this management agent has whenever the option of getting comparisons is mentioned. They do agree that we should get bids. However, the property manager (not managing agent) is now backing away from his assureance to me that he would get bids to present to the board. I know whats going on here.

Could i file a complaint with the state insureance board against the broker?? my goal is to ensure that the board agree to independently , without the managing agent present, have another insureance broker make a presentation. If after reviewing all of the informatoin the board chooses to stay with existing broker , which is not our broker. Than so be it.

remember,, Our condominium is self managed. we employee maintenance employees and an onsite property mananger.

we contract out to a management company the bookkeeping and document retention and notification duties.

The managment company has several communities which it completely manages. including providing manager, maintenance of the common areas etc.

For those communities the management company has an insureance broker who provides all of the properties with the required insurance.

For some reason. probably igorance on the assoications part, years ago, the management company suggested that our community could be included in his group. He suggested the association would reap benefits of being in large group. Suggesting we would get better coverage because we were part of a large group. i.e economies of scale.

he did not inform the association of the downside of being in a master group. there are several.

There are numerous considerations that should be part of the decision making process when choosing whether to have our own broker or stay with exisitng broker. Broker has repeatedly stated that management company it its direct contact.

Every attempt to get another hoa insureance broker to present options to our board has been stmied by this manangement agent. he is stating that If condo association(ours) has a broker go to market and shop for insurance for just our association that would be a red flag to insureres and would possibley result in the association not being able to get insureance or getting unfavorable rates.

All i am asking is that the board get two independent proposals and bids. Unfortunately, every meeting that this is brought up, the management agent strongly interjects that I am wrong for suggesting this. Or belittles me and tells the board that he already has the best possible insureance available etc.... I do know , some board members have recognized the extreme reaction this management agent has whenever the option of getting comparisons is mentioned. They do agree that we should get bids. However, the property manager (not managing agent) is now backing away from his assureance to me that he would get bids to present to the board. I know whats going on here.

Could i file a complaint with the state insureance board against the broker?? my goal is to ensure that the board agree to independently , without the managing agent present, have another insureance broker make a presentation. If after reviewing all of the informatoin the board chooses to stay with existing broker , which is not our broker. Than so be it.

it's just a total joke.

there are several board members who did raise questions and insisted that the association should at a minium get a separate bid.

the managing agent has on numerous occasions advised against the need to to this.

Last night, at the meeting, the two board members that had been pushing for getting comparisons were not at the meeting.

anyway.. this is ridiculous.

augustin i'm starting anther thread regarding the board adoption of the budget.

Amiga, isn't this where the Serenity Prayer should kick in?

I say this with a twinkle in my eye and respect (and though a mere Gringa, also having hailed from the Southwest).

Keep talking to the directors displeased with the situation?

I will watch for your next thread.