Compliance Mindset for New Owners

I can only speak anecdotally for my HOA, but we seem to have a problem with new owners not adhering to HOA rules, particularly when it comes to remodeling.

Because of state mandated disclosures, every owner is cognizant of the fact they are moving into an HOA, but for whatever reason, few new owners behave as if they have never read the rules. So many new owners being remodeling without Board approval and the complain about getting fined for not receiving approval either feigning or legitimately being ignorant of the rules.

In the case of remodels, do any of your HOAs require an owner to answer yes or no via a form on whether or not they will be remodeling their unit and if yes, to immediately fill out an application for approval? In my opinion, that would alleviate an owner getting fined for not filling out a form and it would create a compliance to HOA rules mindset.

What are ways that you instill a compliance to HOA rules mindset for new owners?

I'm not surprised people don't know the rules - how can you do right when no one tell you what the rules are? You've read enough conversations on this website to know realtors don't tell the buyers and neither does the bank if the house was purchased in a short sale. Or the seller doesn't tell them, and in my opinion, the seller should be mandated to do so. In some states that's the law, but I don't know how hard it's enforced.

Even after all that, there are people who feel rules applying everyone else but them. After going to all the trouble of getting pre-approval for a mortgage, walking through several homes, going back and forth with offers and counter offers, packing and unpacking, spending 90 minutes or more signing dozens of papers at closing, do you really think people will then sit down to read the HOA rules, let alone till out an exterior change from to put in a swingset???

HOAs don't do themselves any favors when they nitpick over stupid stuff, approving this, but not that because someone hates the applicant or new ARC committee members aren't given clear instructions on what they're supposed to do - or they ignore it because the rules are "dumb" and they don't like vinyl picker fences anyway.

Since you usually don't know what people were told, the best you can do is make sure HOA paperwork is available at closing and homeowners sign a form indicating they've received and read them, and will comply with the rules. Whether they actually read them you can't control - let them explain why they signed the form without reading it. That could include a set of design standards to review whothehell know what's expected, how to file the request, how long reviews take, etc.

Oh, and see some sort of welcome pack with candy, coupons to local businesses, etc.,so you can try to start off on a good note instead of your first contact being a violation notice. If you have some sort of social committee, stopping by to welcome new neighbors would be a good way to newbies to get the 411 on current events. Better still, a board member can go along on those visits don't get can see you're a friendly human, not a member of the Walking Dead squad.

Another idea is to prepare some sort of checklist homeowners can use when they plan to sell. Do they know they're supposed to disclose this house is in a HOA and that membership is mandatory? Have they checked to ensure any exterior changes they made were approved and have the paperwork to prove it? Are they current with all fees? Stuff like that could help them sell the house because the buyers wont have to contend with any weird surprises?