The HOA Board Quarterly Fall 2013 Issue

The HOA Board ISSUE 07 THE QUARTERLY Quarterly NEWSLETTER FOR Fall 2013 HOA BOARD MEMBERS Ask mAry ~ A mediAtOr ten tips fOr successfuL mediAtiOn Lenders requesting BuiLding OrdinAnce And LAW cOverAge Be refLected On certificAtes Of insurAnce Let’s get WAter tight! WhAt is A hOmeOWner’s AssOciAtiOn And WhAt is my rOLe As An Officer Of the BOArd Of directOrs? OvercOming ApAthy

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Contents The HOA Board Fall 2013 | Issue #7 Quarterly Features 4 ~ What is a Homeowner’s Association and what is my role as an ofcer of the Board of Directors? 8 ~ Let’s Get Water Tight! 10 ~ Overcoming Apathy 12 ~ Vendor Directory 13 ~ Lenders Requesting Building Ordinance and Law Coverage be refected on Certifcates of Insurance 14 ~ Ask Mary - A Mediator Ten Tips for successful mediation Publisher Te HOA Board Quarterly 3288 Adams Avenue, Suite 16644 San Diego, CA 92176 619-933-0194 Editor Steve Daniel Advertiser Index [email protected] Adams Kessler ..............................................6 Bald Eagle Security Services .....................15 Resident Experts Barrera and Company .................................7 Michael Berg ~ Berg Insurance Brian Berg Insurance Services ....................2 Brian Blackwell ~ West Coast Management Firm Hillcrest Tax Service .....................................9 Mary Delmage ~ Ask a Mediator LaBhan’s Landscaping ..................................7 Steven Economou ~ Rainscape Environmental Management Mark’s Pool Care ...........................................9 James McCormick ~ Peters & Freedman Peters & Freedman ....................................11 Rainscape Environmental Management ......9 Advertising West Coast Management Firm ..................16 [email protected] 619-933-0194 Fall 2013 | Issue #7 | Te HOA Board Quarterly | 3

What is a Homeowner’s Association and what is my role as an officer of the Board of Directors? by Brian Blackwell, CCAM omeowners’ associations, or HOAs, are formal Hlegal entities created to maintain common areas. Most condominium and townhome developments and many newer single-family subdivisions have HOAs, which are usually created when the development is built. Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&R’s) are issued to each homeowner, and HOAs are established to ensure that they are adhered to in STATISTICAL REVIEW: order to maintain the quality and value of the properties involved. The Foundation for Community Association • Membership is mandatory for all property Research retained Zogby International to conduct owners within the development. a nationwide survey of community associations. • Members are usually charged monthly The 2012 poll found that California was number assessments to cover the costs related to the two behind Florida as the state with the greatest community expenses (see a typical budget number of associations. Zogby found that: following this article). • 70% of those polled rate their community • Homeowners associations have the authority association experience as positive and 22% to enact and enforce maintenance and design were neutral. [That means that only 8% were standards in addition to those established by negative--unfortunately, these are the ones City ordinances. who legislators seem to listen to and who • Homeowners’ associations are corporations generate the most litigation.] with formal bylaws - there is usually a governing • 88% stated that their board strives to serve the board which hires a property management best interests of their community. company to handle maintenance and • 81% say they get a “good” or “great” return on enforcement issues. their assessments. • Many homeowners’ associations publish Legal solutions through knowledge, insight and a newsletter to keep owners’ “in the loop” experience.” We are friendly lawyers; when your and abreast of community issues, news and association needs counsel, email us at info@ projects. Transparency! adamskessler.com • An estimated 50 million Americans live in association-governed communities. Some Brian Blackwell, CCAM, CEO / Senior Manager 1.25 million people serve on community association boards, with another 300,000-plus West Coast Management Firm, Inc. serving as committee members. 619.704.7393 Direct • About 6,000 to 8,000 new community [email protected] associations are formed every year. This www.westcoastmanagement.com includes condominiums, cooperatives and planned communities. It is estimated that more than four in five housing starts during the past 5-8 years have been built as part of an association-governed community. • The estimated real estate value of the homes in all community associations is about $2 trillion, approximately 15 percent of the value of all U.S. residential real estate. • Estimated annual operating revenue for U.S. community associations is $30 to $35 billion. Contributor, Judy Heeding, About.com 4 | Te HOA Board Quarterly | Issue #7 | Fall 2013