T
WO SUBJECTS THAT STRIKE INSTANT ANGER INTO THE HEARTS OF HOMEOWNERS: SPECIAL ASSESSMENT AND DUES INCREASE. Both have the potential to be uncomfortable conversations that force boards to make, what can be perceived as, an uncomfortable decision. But how do you start the conversation? How do you lead a productive discussion with a resolution as opposed to a dispute? At the root of any resolution that managers propose to boards of directors is the one key commonality that needs to be perused first: communication. Thorough communication and being transparent, while having the best interest of the association at the center, is how you effectively accomplish what is needed for your association.
SPECIAL ASSESSMENT AND DUES INCREASE,
OH MY!
It all starts with that little word: communication. But I am going to step it up a notch—you need effective communication. We live in the 21st century where information is as readily available as you can type and hit send. Anyone can seek out information and find the answer to the question they are asking. This is where you and your board need to take a step back and put together a plan on how the special assessment is going to be effectively communicated to the Membership. If you have the technology available to you, begin with an email campaign. Have a few emails drafted that communicate in a positive tone what the project is, why it is needed, and how the homeowners can take action and help. Post flyers around the Association that give key points for what the project is and contact email for them to reach out and ask questions. If it is an option in your budget, send out the flyer in a mailer. Giving the project a why helps guide the conversation from “We have to do this” to “As a neighbor, we need your help to better our community”. Let the Membership know that they will receive a ballot in their mail in the next week or so. Communicate to them the importance of their participation and that they need to actively look for the ballot in their mail. You effectively communicated. You started an email campaign and received a few complaints regarding all the wasted paper from the flyers that you posted around the Association. You kept the item on the General Session agenda for discussion at every meeting. What next? Along with the aforementioned methods it is time for good old-fashioned face-to-face communication.
■■■By Leslie Barton, CMCA®
SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS Where do you begin getting a special assessment passed? It is likely that homeowners are already aware that extra work is needed or that an unforeseen project has come up and now funds are needed to correct it. You as the community’s manager get to set the narrative for the journey that you will take with the Board to 1) make quorum for the meeting and 2) receive a majority yes vote. Chances are the issue has been a continuing item on the agenda and the Board has discussed what is needed to be done at great length. They are invested and eager to start the project, but no one has shown up to a board meeting and no one has called or emailed the manager for information. And even worse, since you rarely make quorum for the Annual Meeting, how are you going to make quorum for a Special Assessment vote?
10
www.cai-glac.org | March/April 2020
It is time to work with the contractor of the project, your accounting team, and the Board to organize a Town Hall. The Town Hall has a strategy all of its own and needs to be held at a time that is convenient for homeowners to attend. You are not going to get the desired turnout to create allies for your cause if you are not setting yourself up to be successful. Take into account the time of year. Are there holidays you need to be aware of? Is there an event going on that is going to pull homeowners away from being able to attend? Picking a time that works for the majority of homeowners is going to give you the best results. Send calendar invites to homeowners. Ask them to RSVP and follow up the week before the meeting, again three days before the meeting, and the night before the meeting, reminding them of the commitment they made to participate. Ask them to invite their neighbors to go with them. Hold the Town Hall meeting a week or two after the ballots are sent out. Bring blank ballots with you and, at the end of the Town Hall, ask if they turned in their ballot. If not, let them know you can give them one and they can fill it out there. This helps set you up for making quorum. CAI-Greater Los Angeles Chapter
