What's in your...welcome pack?

Geesee.. How cold and callus!! Our welcome baskets are less than $5 a piece. Off to the Dollar Store or Sears hardware cheaptool display. How about a small basket lined in colored crepe paper,with a cheap small flashlight, a small candle, small pack of misc hardware (Picture hangers, small tacks, small nails, screws), small cheap tack hammer for hanging pictures, cheap small tape measure, pliers, screw driver etc. Also, a small colored quick reference guide that has emergency numbers, schools, property manager, website address, board members email addresses and phone numbers. etc, trash pickup schedule, quick reference on parking rules, yadaa yadaa. Yes, you can get this to under 5$ per basket.

Do other assoc give new owners copies of all legal docs?

I'm not familiar with the laws in S.C., but in VA, there's the VA Prop Assoc Act, which requires that the seller provide the contract purchaser with a complete, up-to-date set of docs with amendments, resolutions etc at the expense of the seller. The purchaser basically has like 10 days to review the docs and can cancel the sales contract during these 10 days for any reason. I'm a little surprised that you are receiving these amendments after the fact.

Mike,
You bring up a good point about receiving the docs BEFORE closing. To this I can not answer as I did not receive my neighborhood associations's docs until a year later after I realized I'd never received it.

We did receive the community's POA docs after closing.

Robert, the SC guru, should this docs be given to folks in SC before closing??

We give:

* a welcome letter that includes some pertinent information, including who the board is and how to contact them; the date to expect the assessment invoice, the time period it covers, and the due date; the number of sections within the development; the number of homes in the development; the names of any standing committees, the members and how to contact them; and the website address

* blank copies of Architectural Approval Request forms,

* a copy of the last annual meeting minutes, which includes the treasurer's report/graph,

* a form to fill out if they require copies of their CC&Rs and the bylaws

* a magnet that has key phone numbers on it: HOA message line, Animal Control Complaint line, Metropolitan Sewer District Hotline; electric company hotline; District Commissioner Phone Number; Police District Dispatch Number and one or two others I can't remember right now (don't have one in front of me)

We used to also do a newsletter, but volunteers to produce it have wandered off. If we ever reinstate it, the packet will include the current-year newsletters.

In terms of the HOA, I'm not sure what else you would need. We have tried over the years to institute a "Welcoming Committee," but that, too, petered out from apathy (we may get 2 to 3 new people a year anymore, so it's not like we have a slew of newbies showing up).

When we had the Welcoming Committee, they provided a packet of cookies, some flyers from local businesses, and information regarding schools and churches in the area.

Nor are we involved in the sale or closing (other than comfirming the prorated fees that are due by the seller and purchaser). It's up to the Selling agent to request the HOA docs from the HOA and our PM handles this.