Presentation Dinner

Now that winter is underway, it is time to think about preventive maintenance.  We can help.  LandArc is holding a presentation on Tuesday, February 26 at 6:30 pm. Among the topics that will be discussed are: routine preventive maintenance, handling delinquencies, and saving money. This event will take place at the Station 885 at 885 Starkweather, Plymouth, MI, 48170. Dinner will be included. 

Call (888) 646-9888 or email rcomins@landarc.com to register.

A drawing and giveaway will be held at the conclusion of the evening.

HOA Conspiracy Busted

In an unfolding fraud scheme involving Las Vegas Valley homeowner associations, a former construction manager has pleaded guilty to fraud.  Dax Louderman is one of  28 defendants in this case who were involved with this HOA conspiracy.  More than $8 million dollars was funneled through secret bank accounts to contracts with various HOA communities.  These contracts ranged from construction to landscaping to community management contracts.   The conspirators are also accused of using election rigging and various other tactics to get people into HOA boards who then awarded them with contracts.   There were a total of eleven HOA communities that were targeted in this conspiracy.

To read more about this topic, click on the following link:

http://www.lvrj.com/news/construction-manager-pleads-guilty-to-conspiracy-in-hoa-probe-183527641.html

Cold Concerns

It’s cold outside in Southeast Michigan.  While driving into work this morning, the thermostat in my car read 4 degrees and that is without wind chill.  When it’s this cold outside (and you can usually tell by the squeaking sound snow makes beneath your feet) there are certain precautions that need to be taken to protect your home and protect yourself.  Limit exposure to these frigid temperatures to prevent frostbite and always make sure you wear proper winter gear: hat, gloves, scarf, etc.

Also, make sure that you check up on the regulations in your HOA community to see what snow removal procedures are in place.  While vendors are hired to take care of many snow removal activities, their contracts can limit what situations they are supposed to handle, so it is always better to be aware of such things before a sudden snowfall catches you unawares.  As always, cold temperatures create the risk of pipes freezing/bursting which creates problems for everyone involved.  Precautions are often as simple as leaving the cupboard below each sink open so warmer air inside of your house can reach water pipes.  Implementing routine preventive maintenance activities makes things easier for you and it also makes our job at LandArc easier too.

A New Way to Connect

Sometimes, the best way to learn about a community is to talk to the people living there.  Del Webb is now offering that option on their website.  Prospective home buyers can now see reviews living in Del Webb communities to get a first hand explanation of what it is like to live in that community.  Through the power of the internet, shoppers have access to a vast wealth of knowledge which they can view before making a purchase decision.   Del Webb’s new feature on their website makes this easier than ever.

For more information, click on the following link:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/100384156

Homeowner Sues Neighbors, Association

When neighbors of Suzanne Taylor decided to clean up her cluttered patio area in a Buffalo HOA, Taylor filed a lawsuit against her neighbors and the Waterfront Village Association.  The case lasted for more than three years, until a federal appeals court ruled against Taylor and awarded attorney fees to Waterfront Village.  Taylor claimed the Association denied her disability accommodations for depression (which she had no formal diagnosis).  She also claimed, in the lawsuit, that neighbors trespassed on her land and stole her property.  She lost the lawsuit on both accounts.   The parties involved are currently in the settlement process.

http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121216/CITYANDREGION/121219338

HOA Self Management?

As we begin 2013, many can only hope that his year will bring better economical conditions than previous years.  In the recent recession, many businesses have survived only by drastically cutting costs.  However, where homeowner associations are concerned, self management is not the answer.

In an article titled “The Myth of HOA Self Management,” the author states that the myth of HOA self management was started in the 1960s by developers which stood to profit from the decreased costs of self management.  As many HOA boards went forward with self management, they found the path of self management full of pitfalls and dead ends.

An unhappy truth of HOA Management is the need to collect delinquent payments.  This requires a high amount of diplomacy and very thick skin.  How many board members want to walk next door, knock on their neighbor’s door, and tell their neighbor that they are behind on their association payments?  What kind of community environment does that create?  Is it worth the money that might be saved?

The article went on to say that “…the two most emotional reasons that even the smallest HOAs should be professionally managed: Money and Rules. No neighbor should have to collect money from or enforce rules on another neighbor since the actions are predictably confrontational.”

LandArc has more than 25 years of experience in the property management industry.  This experience simply cannot be matched by volunteer boards of HOA communities.  Within the last year, LandArc has proven our excellence in crisis management when one of our communities was damaged in a tornado last year.  Our response to that situation gained us the business of a neighboring HOA community.  What board member would be able to handle managing the cleanup and reconstruction of not only their own home but their neighbor’s homes as well?

Self management is not the answer to reduced costs and will lead to more headaches.  To read more about the myth of HOA self management, click on the following link:

http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20020123_selfmanage.htm

Delinquency Tips

Delinquencies.   This one single word causes every homeowner association board member to shudder.  And for good reason.  In the current economical environment, money is tight for everyone, but when homeowners fall behind on their payments, the entire community suffers.  Even those who stay on top of their payments are forced to make sacrifices to fill deficit gaps caused by delinquencies. 

According to the source listed below, the best way to keep an HOA community running smoothly is to have clear, decisive delinquency policies.  By applying a concrete, uniform policy situations caused by delinquencies are kept fair for everyone.  It also helps to have an experienced property manager to help collect delinquencies.  LandArc has long experience in taking appropriate measures to handle homeowner delinquencies. Collection agencies have proven very effective partners in this process, and attorneys are also needed in select cases. 

For more information about this topic, click on the following link: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20120919_hoadelinquencies.htm