Common Questions About an HOA Board

Many homeowners who move into HOA communities for the first time have a lot of questions about the board. Some may not understand the purpose of the board or what their responsibilities are. Others might be interested in participating as board members but need more understanding of what that involves.

These are some of the most common questions that boards we work with have heard.

What Exactly Does an HOA Board Do?

The HOA board’s job is outlined in the governing documents. Homeowners can always look to these to find out more.

However, most boards have the responsibility to enforce the rules outlined in those documents. They also take care of common areas, help mediate disputes between neighbors, make new rules and regulations, and build community among homeowners.

Some boards focus more on certain aspects of these responsibilities, but most boards handle all of them in some capacity.

What is the Time Commitment for Being on an HOA Board?

The time commitment necessary for a board member varies between boards. Some boards outsource a lot of their work to companies like AMI. Members of these boards often only attend meetings, perform background research on issues that come up, and plan and attend events.

On other boards, the board members perform all of the tasks. They will need to prepare budgets, investigate which contractors they want to use, enforce rules and payments, etc. This can take a lot of time! Many of these boards have one or two full-time staff to support the functioning of the board!

Why Would a Homeowner Choose to Be On the Board?

Homeowners have different reasons for choosing to be on the board. Some of them care quite a bit about their communities and want to make them even better places to live. Others feel like it is their civic duty to participate in things like their board and so they want to fulfill that obligation.

Still other homeowners chose board membership because they want to make changes to their communities. They may have problems with some past decisions that the current board has made or they may have innovative ideas that they want to implement to improve life for the entire community.

Some homeowners might choose board membership simply because no one else wants it. A few communities have trouble filling all of their vacant board seats. They may try to recruit people who end up coming on board only because no one else will do it. This can be a bad thing but it can also bring people into board membership who wouldn’t have found it otherwise. These people can end up being some of the best board members a community has ever had.

If your community needs some help running their board or the board needs to be restructured in any way, contact us at AMI today. We’ll help you improve life in your community for everyone who lives there! Call now and meet with one of our HOA experts soon!