There were about 10,000 HOAs in the United States in 1970. That number has ballooned to over 358,000 today. Love them or hate them, HOAs are an integral part of neighborhoods.
Many people join because they want to make a difference in their communities. The position is voluntary, but they're still responsible for ensuring everything is clean, well-financed, and functional.
Still, though, HOA management is a big job. But these volunteers don't have to tackle association management alone, they can hire community association managers to help.
But none of that probably doesn't explain what HOA management is. Keep reading, and we'll tell you what association management is about.
What Are Community Association Managers?
Community association managers, or HOA managers, oversee the day-to-day operation of a homeowner's association. They are not part of the HOA board. The board runs the association as a whole.
There are usually four core board members:
- President
- Vice president
- Board secretary
- HOA treasurer
These four people oversee the general association function and make decisions that influence the entire HOA. The HOA manager works alongside the board to help them implement policies.
Community association managers are often third-party members employed by a professional property management company. However, an HOA manager can be an association employee.
Responsibilities of an HOA Manager
One of the HOA manager's primary duties is advising the board. Their opinion is based on their ability, management experience, and the association's governing documents.
The HOA manager has no final say in decisions made. The board doesn't have to take their advice. But it's advisable given the manager's experience to at least hear them out.
An HOA manager can also help with bookkeeping, budgeting, and preparing financial reports. The association board can have the manager assist with collecting HOA dues, issuing notices, and tracking down payments.
If need be, the manager can issue penalties for late payments, such as late fees. Financial matters aside, managers handle maintenance matters, too. Here's a rundown of their maintenance duties:
- Processing maintenance requests
- Maintaining common areas
- Like playgrounds, tennis courts, and pools
- Arranging for snow removal, lawn mowing, garbage collection, etc.
- Maintaining relationships with vendors and contractors
An HOA manager may oversee large-scale projects like pool reconstruction. Community association managers enforce rules laid out by the board and manage administrative tasks.
This includes booking meetings and sending out agendas for the HOA board. One other part of a manager's job is conflict resolution. They hear out and resolve issues among community members.
Understanding HOA Management
Hopefully, we've helped you understand HOA management by explaining what community association managers do. If not, we'll summarize, HOA management oversees daily association operations.
Association managers advise the board, handle community maintenance, and collect HOA fees; among other duties. Managing an HOA probably seems like hard work.
But if you're having issues managing your association, you can always call PMI Hudson for help. PMI Hudson is a full-service property management company working in the Hudson Valley for over 20 years.
Is running your HOA becoming too much work? Contact us. We're willing to lend a helping hand.
