An excuse has been defined as “the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie”. There are two Boardmember sentiments we hear most frequently expressed: “We can’t afford the Reserve Funding Plan” and “We’ll worry about that next year”. But no matter how many times a Boardmember may repeat these sentences, it doesn’t mean they’re true and it doesn’t mean they’re wise. After we look beneath the skin of these two reasons, it may surprise you how differently you feel about these excuses!
Volunteer Labor
Save money. Build community. Use volunteers. But consider the risks and shortcomings first.
A kindly retired neighbor crafted a small wood shelter for the children who shivered in the Colorado elements as they waiting for the school bus each morning. A grateful association board thought it would be a good idea to make sure the man was insured in case something went wrong. The insurance agent said, “Whoa.”
Say What?
How to counter negative responses to covenants enforcement.
Architectural Control and the potential for conflict due to covenants enforcement exist at every association. Even though communities have their own rules, personalities and histories, unhappy residents often complain in universal, predictable terms.
Why Contribute to Reserves?
Board members and Managers often get themselves into a situation where they need to “sell” the value of regular Reserve contributions to their homeowners. It’s often a simple matter of fighting for budget dollars… Reserve contributions don’t keep the lights on, they don’t keep the Association properly insured, and they don’t pay the Management...