The Top 10 Questions to Ask Your Community Association Management Company

By: James Small
Submitted: 2008-11-10 14:01:31
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1. How many homes (or units) does each community manager handle in your company?
Throughout the industry, HOA Management Companies overload their community managers by giving them too many homeowners associations to manage. The industry average is about 1,800 homes per community manager, which is about 500 homes too many. If a community manager’s portfolio is too large, some of their HOA clients could be neglected.

2. How many people support the community manager in his efforts?
An HOA management company should not only assign a community manager to an HOA, but a team of people to properly service the community association. A well put together team should include a community manager, an accounting manager, a compliance inspector, an escrow coordinator, a community specialist, a client services representative, and a director of community management.

3. Is the community inspected regularly? How often? Who answers the phones when the community manager is away inspecting the property?
The homeowner’s association should be inspected for violations at least every other week. The compliance inspector should take a picture of the violation, which is then sent out with the violation letters. Therefore, when the community is being inspected by the compliance inspector, the community manager is available to answer questions from board members and the community specialist is available to answer homeowner questions. The community manager should do a routine visit of the community association each week.

4. How long does your team take to respond to calls and e-mails?
A management company should respond to homeowners and homeowner’s association board members correspondence as quickly as possible, and typically within 24 hours. However, Board members should also have the community manager’s cell phone number for emergencies.

5. Does the community manager have a college degree and/or industry certifications?
Community managers should be college educated. They should have industry training and an industry recognized designation as well. Community managers should also attend seminars and industry functions to keep up to date on changes in legislation.

6. Does the Management Company aggressively pursue homeowners that don’t make timely assessment payments?
It is a homeowner’s responsibility to pay their HOA assessments in accordance with the homeowner’s association rules. But, when a homeowner fails to pay their assessments, it is the management company’s responsibility to collect those funds. The homeowner’s association board should work with the HOA management company to outline a collection policy which includes late letters, demand notices, and eventual liening of the home.

7. Is a community website included in our monthly management fee?
A community association website is a great way to help build the sense of community in your neighborhood. Other features should include access to board reports and the ability for homeowners to check their account information.

8. What hours can the community manager be reached?
A community manager should be available 24 hours a day. During the day he should be available via office phone, email, and cell phone and in the evenings and weekends the HOA management company should provide an emergency answering service, should an emergency situation arise.

9. Does the management company inspect lots before they are transferred (sold) from one homeowner to another?
When an escrow request is submitted by a title company, the escrow coordinator should visit the lot, take pictures of the home and note any violations. This information should be disclosed to the title company and documented in the management company’s system.

10. Is the HOA management company a professional team of experts?
The management company should be a team of experienced experts with the professionalism and commitment to quality service to properly service their homeowners association clients.

Parker Finch Management, with several offices around the country, is a leader in the community association management industry. The company provides a comprehensive suite of services to homeowners associations and developers, including the services listed above. The firm's expertise, professionalism, and commitment to quality service are second to none which allows associations that partner with Parker Finch Management to experience a better community. For more information about Parker Finch, or

Article source: Expert Articles

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