HOA Finance Information

AndersH (Arizona)
Posts: 30

Posted:

What HOA financial information should be given to Real Estate Companies when they ask for it? Are we required by law to provide it? I am the secretary of a HOA in Arizona with 108 units. Out Managing company were not sure what information to give.

Hope someone has the information.
Anders

DennisT (Ohio)
Posts: 109

Posted:

What are they asking for?

I don't know about Arizona law but generally the association would be free to give no information if it wanted. Of course then owners wouldn't be able to sell their properties and buyers might not be able to get banks to give them loans for the property. That tends to lead to cranky people.

I'm surprised that your management company doesn't know what information to give because this is an extremely routine matter in real estate. Looking at an handout for the place we used to own I see:

1. Current year budget figures (total expected income and total expenses with expenses broken into a couple large categories)
2. Reserve information (balance on hand and whether or not we are fully funded per our reserve study). Note we would NOT release the reserve study itself, in part due to reproduction restrictions from the company that prepared it, but also because it's an internal planning document for the board to make decisions.
3. Maintenance fee information
4. A listing of all services included in the fee (water, sewer, rubbish, landscaping, snow removal, etc)
5. A statement to the effect that we are not aware of any upcoming special assessments
6. Percentage of known FHA-backed loan properties
7. Percentage of rental versus owner-occupied
8. Percentage of units in the foreclosure process
9. Management company information for them to call with additional questions

Items 6-8 were included only because our rates were significantly better than average for the area so it was felt that it was worth highlighting.

JohnO6 (Georgia)
Posts: 424

Posted:

Similary, I'm not familiar with AZ laws, but the OP asked more specifically about financial information.

As such, I would suggest:

1). Most recent full year Income & Expense statement
2). Current YTD Income & Expense statement
3). Most recent Balance Sheet

That should pretty much answer all financial questions.

RogerB (Colorado)
Posts: 5,067

Posted:

Anders, no financial information should be given to real estate companies. However, financials should be provided to owners or to the owner's real estate agent who is under contract to sell their property. In Colorado this is required by law. We provide a Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow Chart, and Budget for the current month and YTD.

Any competent MC and their managing agents should know the applicable laws in your state.

MaryA1 (Arizona)
Posts: 7,043

Posted:

Anders,

Is the financial information requested in conjunction with a sale? If so, there are state disclosure laws which must be followed. Copied below is ARS 33-1806 which applies to planned communities. If you live in a condo, ARS33-1260 applies but it has the same requirements. If the realtor is NOT requesting disclosure information, then you are not bound to give any financial information.

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33-1806. Resale of units; information required; definition

A. For planned communities with fewer than fifty units, a member shall mail or deliver to a purchaser within ten days after receipt of a written notice of a pending sale of the unit, and for planned communities with fifty or more units, the association shall mail or deliver to a purchaser within ten days after receipt of a written notice of a pending sale that contains the name and address of the purchaser, all of the following:

1. A copy of the bylaws and the rules of the association.

2. A copy of the declaration.

3. A dated statement containing:

(a) The telephone number and address of a principal contact for the association, which may be an association manager, an association management company, an officer of the association or any other person designated by the board of directors.

(b) The amount of the common regular assessment and the unpaid common regular assessment, special assessment or other assessment, fee or charge currently due and payable from the selling member.

(c) A statement as to whether a portion of the unit is covered by insurance maintained by the association.

(d) The total amount of money held by the association as reserves.

(e) If the statement is being furnished by the association, a statement as to whether the records of the association reflect any alterations or improvements to the unit that violate the declaration. The association is not obligated to provide information regarding alterations or improvements that occurred more than six years before the proposed sale. Nothing in this subdivision relieves the seller of a unit from the obligation to disclose alterations or improvements to the unit that violate the declaration, nor precludes the association from taking action against the purchaser of a unit for violations that are apparent at the time of purchase and that are not reflected in the association's records.

(f) If the statement is being furnished by the member, a statement as to whether the member has any knowledge of any alterations or improvements to the unit that violate the declaration.

(g) A statement of case names and case numbers for pending litigation with respect to the unit filed by the association against the member or filed by the member against the association. The member shall not be required to disclose information concerning such pending litigation which would violate any applicable rule of attorney-client privilege under Arizona law.

(h) A statement that provides "I hereby acknowledge that the declaration, bylaws and rules of the association constitute a contract between the association and me (the purchaser). By signing this statement, I acknowledge that I have read and understand the association's contract with me (the purchaser). I also understand that as a matter of Arizona law, if I fail to pay my association assessments, the association may foreclose on my property." The statement shall also include a signature line for the purchaser and shall be returned to the association within fourteen calendar days.

4. A copy of the current operating budget of the association.

5. A copy of the most recent annual financial report of the association. If the report is more than ten pages, the association may provide a summary of the report in lieu of the entire report.

6. A copy of the most recent reserve study of the association, if any.

B. A purchaser or seller who is damaged by the failure of the member or the association to disclose the information required by subsection A of this section may pursue all remedies at law or in equity against the member or the association, whichever failed to comply with subsection A of this section, including the recovery of reasonable attorney fees.

C. The association may charge the member a reasonable fee to compensate the association for the costs incurred in the preparation of a statement furnished by the association pursuant to this section. The association shall make available to any interested party the amount of any fee established from time to time by the association.

D. A sale in which a public report is issued pursuant to sections 32-2183 and 32-2197.02 or a sale pursuant to section 32-2181.02 is exempt from this section.

E. For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires, "member" means the seller of the unit title and excludes any real estate salesperson or real estate broker who is licensed under title 32, chapter 20 and who is acting as a salesperson or broker and also excludes a trustee of a deed of trust who is selling the property in a trustee's sale pursuant to chapter 6.1 of this title.

DonnaS (Tennessee)
Posts: 5,671

Posted:

I would think that any Bank or Lending institution would require that information as well. But a Real Estate company, other than disclosure to the buyer, would not need an all out financial accounting.