One of the best ways to get involved in your home’s community is to join the Homeowner’s Association. These boards are made up entirely of homeowners in the community, and the positions are normally set by election or by volunteering.
Every community has their problems, but the best way to solve them is to be a part of the solution. Here is Ryan Homes at Brunswick Crossing’s handy guide to the benefits, responsibilities and election processes of HOA board membership:
Benefits: Taking a seat on your community’s HOA board has many benefits, including making a positive, impactful difference in your community.
- You help set fair rules and regulations that homeowners have to abide by, so you gain a better understanding of the community’s policies and financials.
- If you’re elected, you also have a voice when it comes to changing any unfair codes, such as parking, playgrounds or pool time.
- You can protect your home and stabilize the neighborhood’s property values by maintaining a high-quality living environment.
- The policies put in place are with the intention of betterment and harmony within the community, so you’ll help instill a sense of pride throughout the neighborhood.
- You can schedule fun, free neighborhood events for your community to attend, and you can meet newer neighbors at the weekly or monthly meetings. Who said HOA boards were boring?
- Taking an elected seat on an HOA board is a powerful resume builder because it takes leadership, and the volunteer hours add up.
Responsibilities: The responsibilities of a higher-up HOA board member depends on the position they volunteered for or were elected to.
President: The president will preside over all meetings and regulate the membership by writing contracts and other documents in the name of the organization. They are also responsible for day-to-day board function, such as being a spokesperson for the community. Every decision made by the president of the HOA board should be in the best interest of the entire neighborhood. If the neighborhood or board feels as though the president is not fulfilling their duties, they can be impeached.
Vice President: The vice president is responsible for performing all of the above-mentioned duties in the president’s absence or leave. Typically the vice president will also preside over a subsequent committee within the HOA board and is responsible for the recruitment of members.
Secretary: The secretary is responsible for scheduling the HOA board meeting and keeping an agenda at those meetings. They are an overall document keeper for the organization, filing vote ballots, neighborhood notices and other important papers. Because the secretary has all of the records available at their disposal, they are also responsible for who gains access to them.
Treasurer: The treasurer is solely responsible for maintaining and keeping the financial records of the HOA board. They should draft, propose and review the annual budget and report for the community.
How to Join: Each HOA community board has different protocols to join, either by election or volunteering. For more information on how to join, contact your HOA associate. If you live in Brunswick Crossing and would like to join the HOA board, feel free contact us for more information.
