Selecting a new management company - Texas - D/FW

Started by KristofferW • 8 replies • 240 views

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KristofferW (Texas)
Posts: 11

Posted:

Our board is considering changing management companies (Texas - DFW Area - Arlington). We are currently with Associa and have been for at least 15 years.

Are there any solid recommendations here, or what's the best way to choose? We have about 80 homes.

We plan to narrow it down, then hold meetings with some local companies. Looking for any guidance.

Thanks in advance!

JackieB4 (California)
Posts: 398

Posted:

Realizing there will be criticism no matter which path you take, I suggest you visit SEVERAl communities in your City/County and ask who their PMC is? Talk to BODs if possible? Have the flaws of your existing PMC written down...and ask potential companies if/how they might handle these situations? Financials and lack of transparency seem to be common issues.
Let us know how it goes. Great topic!

MichaelS56 (Minnesota)
Posts: 858

Posted:

Ask some of your more vocal residents what services they would like the Managment company to do?

NA1 (Massachusetts)
Posts: 190

Posted:

They are a vendor like any other. You are probably a decent size business. Treat it like any other business operation. Understand the requirements and how your current MC does or doesn't meet them, know which are the deal breakers and which aren't, write a RFP and include the requirements, send it out, analyze the results, meet with finalists, resolve questions, negotiate contract.

SheliaH (Indiana)
Posts: 6,964

Posted:

Be careful about using the names of specific communities and vendors - it's against the posting rules.

If you're unhappy with your current company, start by considering what the problems are and read the contract to see what the property manager is supposed to do. Are you asking for things that aren't in the contract - if so, either discuss the costs of that or drop it if you're unwilling or unable to pay those fees.

You may also need to take a good look at the board's relationship with the property manager. Do you have micro-managers among your group who need to be reined in? Is the board depending on the property manager to do all the thinking for them - if so, that's wrong. The manager's job is to handle the day-to-day at the board's direction, and they are not your attorney. Maybe some of you need to remember what lane everyone's supposed to be in. Or get out of the way and let the manager do the job you're paying him or her to do.

This may also go for some of the homeowners. You can't expect an immediate response to every phone call or email - some issues may require a review and decision by the board and the property manager can't overrule the board. They may need to refuse to do something that's outside of the contract or downright illegal. If there are concerns about the quality of service, be specific. Conducting a poll to see what the homeowners like and don't like about the current group can also give you an idea of what's been problematic.

Next, schedule a meeting with the property manager and his/her supervisor to discuss them. If there need to be adjustments to the contract to reflect current needs, bring the association attorney in to help with the renegotiations. Depending on the size of the company, it may be enough to ask that a new property manager be assigned to your community.

If you wish to renegotiate the terms of your contract, you should know if that will require a new contract. You can also work on a performance improvement plan if necessary - if the property manager hasn't made improvements within six months or so, then you can check the contract to see what you'll need to do to cancel it. There may be a cancellation fee if it's done before the contract officially ends along with some sort of advance notice - you don't just get on the phone and say you're out.

By the way, you don't have to tell them you're considering firing them - yet. If you talk about a performance improvement plan, that should give them a clue that something's brewing. The time allotted for the performance improvement plan should give you time to look around for another property manager if you think you may need to go that route.

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

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

Say, Kris, do you want a manger. full-or part-time on your premises? What tasks do you want the MC to do? Just collect dues and look for violations? Or??

I owned in a 80-unit 3-floor condo community in Charlotte, NC and never heard of or saw a PM, though I know they had one. We only had a pool and storage room for pool/grounds tools, and a large asphalt parking lot with raised planters, so a simple HOA vs complex with a lot of amenities, etc. We, I now think were a part of a PM's "portfolio account."

I rented in a 120 unit 5-story condo in downtown San Jose CA and it had a PM in an office on the premises 12 hours a week. She also was available by phone during reg. biz hours. But it was a complex HOA with a pool, spa, very nicely-outfitted clubhouse, Fitness Center, controlled entry gate to the underground garages, elevators etc.

With Shelia, what are the problems with the current MC?

NA1's scenario is how our Board in my HOA recently acted when it hired a new MC, eff. 2/1/24. They also added Jackie's advice to check references via phone calls and also checked with our HOA attorney who has clients who also have this MC.

After sorting through & discussing in ex session responses to their RFP (Req. for Proposals), they invited 3 firms to interview including our now ex-MC. The interviewees were teams from the MC & did not include a PM. The Board had decided to keep the former MC's PM. But even if they had not, an interview with possible PMs would come later.

I don't think I agree with asking some vocal owners this opinions. Waaaay too often, these ppl. do not have any idea what's in the contract with the MC and focus on their personal gripes or pleasures. Example, there was some talk here among an owners about keeping the Good? or bad?

One owner's reason for keeping him was that when she was trying to carry a cat from an elevator in one tower's lobby to the lobby in the other tower to ride up to her unit, the cat was very frantic & hard to handle. The PM saw her dilemma and helped her with the cat all of the way to her Unit. As with so many owners in HOAs, or maybe in multi-story condo HOAs, owners think the PM is there to serve them personally.

By the way, our new MC started last week and they held a couple of three hours sessions--one at each tower's lobby desk to help individual owners connect to the new website and also to set up their billing preferences. They also publicized that for their first two months, they will charge no late fee for dues

JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By SheliaH on 02/14/2024 10:58 AM
Be careful about using the names of specific communities and vendors - it's against the posting rules.

If you're unhappy with your current company, start by considering what the problems are and read the contract to see what the property manager is supposed to do. Are you asking for things that aren't in the contract - if so, either discuss the costs of that or drop it if you're unwilling or unable to pay those fees.

You may also need to take a good look at the board's relationship with the property manager. Do you have micro-managers among your group who need to be reined in? Is the board depending on the property manager to do all the thinking for them - if so, that's wrong. The manager's job is to handle the day-to-day at the board's direction, and they are not your attorney. Maybe some of you need to remember what lane everyone's supposed to be in. Or get out of the way and let the manager do the job you're paying him or her to do.

This may also go for some of the homeowners. You can't expect an immediate response to every phone call or email - some issues may require a review and decision by the board and the property manager can't overrule the board. They may need to refuse to do something that's outside of the contract or downright illegal. If there are concerns about the quality of service, be specific. Conducting a poll to see what the homeowners like and don't like about the current group can also give you an idea of what's been problematic.

Next, schedule a meeting with the property manager and his/her supervisor to discuss them. If there need to be adjustments to the contract to reflect current needs, bring the association attorney in to help with the renegotiations. Depending on the size of the company, it may be enough to ask that a new property manager be assigned to your community.

If you wish to renegotiate the terms of your contract, you should know if that will require a new contract. You can also work on a performance improvement plan if necessary - if the property manager hasn't made improvements within six months or so, then you can check the contract to see what you'll need to do to cancel it. There may be a cancellation fee if it's done before the contract officially ends along with some sort of advance notice - you don't just get on the phone and say you're out.

By the way, you don't have to tell them you're considering firing them - yet. If you talk about a performance improvement plan, that should give them a clue that something's brewing. The time allotted for the performance improvement plan should give you time to look around for another property manager if you think you may need to go that route.

Sound advice. Worth exploring "correcting" the existing issues before changing PM's.

LaskaS (Texas)
Posts: 1,025

Posted:

What are the reasons your community is considering changing management companies.?? I won't mention the name , but we are considering changing to the company you are considering leaving.

TristaJ (Texas)
Posts: 96

Posted:

I can give you the name of one not to use. my e-mail is tristacsr at iCloud dot com.

I'd also like to know why you're dropping Associa, as that was going to be our next company.

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