Serving as a board member of a condominium association comes with a full plate of responsibilities and challenges. Managing an associations is like running a town, small business and a social club all in one.

When Serving as a board member of a condominium association it is in your best interest to become knowledgeable of federal, state and local laws and regulations that must be abided by during the official day to day the operations your association. Failure to comply with these laws can make your your condominium association subject to substantial legal fees, fines and penalties.

A large association with a sizable budget, employees, contractors amenities, and many members is fertile ground for un-intended trespasses of the multitude of laws passed every year by the government. Mentoring form competent and experienced trained association specialist, legal council and structured training from industry recognizes sources is an absolute must.

Legalities aside to be an effective board member your going to have to learn quite a bit about the back of the house operations of your condominium from both an operations and maintenance perspective. As well as the pollical nuances of the players in your community : the good , the bad and the ugly.

What follow is suggested activities you should engage in and a list of subject matter that you should increase your knowledge of to on the road to becoming an effective and competent board member.

Dive In

Do as many as you can of the following suggestions:

• Spend time getting to know your neighbors and board members and find out the current issues at hand and learn how past problems were solved by the board. Additionally, find out what are the top 5 re-occurring problems that have to be managed in your community and figure out ways to be good at addressing those problems

• If your community has as designated manager as them to give you their insight into the issues and challenges to operating your association

• Attend all official meeting and read all official communications (New letters, minutes, e:mails, etc.) from your board or management company

• Volunteer for committees, special events, or just the start of up of a committee to solve a current issue

• Use all of your amenities and get a feel for how they are utilized by the community

• Walk the property and view all its nooks are crannies. Act as if your own the place because you actually do.

Governing Documentation

Read these documents and learn to interpret and implement them as necessary. Also find out how strictly they have been enforced (hopefully without bias) :

• The Master Deed

• Covenants, conditions, and restrictions

• The Bylaws

• Rules, Regulations, penalties, and fines

Federal and State Rules and Regulations

Time permitting learn as much as possible about the following Federal, state and local government laws and regulations. Especially with regards to protect classes (i.e.; race, sex, disabled, religious affiliation, familial status, children, and pets,) Failure to comply with legal l statures can result in significant fines and penalties to you and your association

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

• Fair Housing Act (FHA)

• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

• State and local Fire, Pool, and electrical safety codes

Financial Controls

Get to know your associations finances and insurance coverage

• Gain of knowledge of all the revenues of your associations monthly fees, working capital fees, rental income, special use fees, fines and penalties

• Review your budget, Insurance polices, and reserve studies

• Review your bank statements and checking accounts

• Review a few years of your past audits and all accounting controls to ensure the safety of your funds

• Ensure that all of your important community records are be retained and stored properly

Operations and Maintenance

Develop a working knowledge of what goes into running your associations:

• Gain a understanding or reserve studies,Non-waveable requireents, Milestone inspections,and madatory structural inspections

• Read over the duties and job description of the direct employees of your association and get to know them personally

• Get know all contractors direct leads who maintain your community

• Review the management, maintenance, and services contracts of your association

• Learn the best practices to be utilized when contracting for maintenance and services for your community

• Put time into understanding what legal safe guards need to be written into the contracts for service land maintenance of your association's

Meetings, Votes, and Elections

Review the nuts and bolts of interacting with the members of the board and community in the following forums:

• learn how to conduct a proper membership meeting and boarding meeting per your asssociations Master deed and by laws

• Learn what consitutes a quoram for you associastoins when voting on vavious resolutins that impact your commnuinity

• Learn what has to voted on by the membership at large and what only the board needs to vote on based on dollars about and type of changes to the Master deed, by-laws, and rules and regulations

• Get to know your election board term length, procedures and elegibility requirements

Training

Get all the training you can make time for:

• Attend online or in person formal training provide by the Community Associations Institute or other profressinally recognized organizatons that trains community managers and homeowners. Purchase their books and training materials, and utilized there free online materials

• Watch You tube Videos, search for online resources

• Read books, and subscrible to magazines provided by associaton trainng organizations

• Some professinals that servie the association communiits provide monthy or weekly free telecons on the various issures pertains to associations issures

• Network with other condominium boards and members in your area