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connect A PUBLICATION OF THE GREATER INLAND EMPIRE CHAPTER OF CAI
ISSUE TWO 2019
The Case for Preventive Maintenance
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connect A PUBLICATION OF THE GREATER INLAND EMPIRE CHAPTER OF CAI
www.cai-grie.org
OFFICERS Adam Armit................................................................................. President Landsystems/HortTech Jackie Fromdahl...................................................................President-Elect Painting Unlimited, Inc. Bob Harvey, CMCA, AMS, PCAM........................................Vice President Associa-PCM, AAMC Eric Zarr, CMCA, AMS................................................................. Secretary FirstService Residential, AAMC Lana Hamadej, PCAM..................................................................Treasurer Avalon Management Group, Inc., AAMC Robert Serdoz...................................................................... Past-President Elite Pest Management, Inc.
Table of Contents Features
Departments
4 The Case for Preventive Maintenance
9 President’s Message By Adam Armit
By J. David Rauch
10 Country Faire Photos
7 How to Successfully Carry Out 15 Editor’s Link a Pool Re-Plaster Request
By A.J. Jahanian, Esq.
By Alan Smith BOARD DIRECTORS George Gallanes, CMCA...................................... Sunnymead Ranch PCA
12 The Truth About Toxic Mold
Brian Henry.........................................................................Park West, Inc.
By Kelly G. Richardson, Esq., CCAL
Valerie Hernandez...............................................Villa Park Landscape, Inc. Pat King..............................................................Solera Oak Valley Greens Robert Riddick, CMCA......................................... Sunnymead Ranch PCA
16 Hoarding & The HOA By Heather Wiltshire, CCAM, CMCA, AMS
CHAPTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DJ Conlon, CMCA
18 Association Newsletters
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Elda Pfitzinger-Thomas EDITOR IN CHIEF A.J. Jahanian, Esq..........................................................Beaumont Tashjian PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Terri McFarland........................................Broadband Agreements by MFC Gina Roldan.......................................................... ProTec Building Services DESIGN & PRODUCTION Kristine Gaitan....................Rey Advertising & Design/The Creative Dept.
All articles and paid advertising represent the opinions of authors and advertisers and not necessarily the opinion of either Connect or the Community Associations Institute–Greater Inland Empire Chapter. Information contained within should not be construed as a recommendation for any course of action regarding financial, legal, accounting or other professional services and should not be relied upon without the consultation of your accountant or attorney. Connect is an official quarterly publication of Greater Inland Empire Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (CAI–GRIE). The CAI–GRIE Chapter encourages submission of news and articles subject to space limitation and editing. Signed letters to the editor are welcome. All articles submitted for publication become the property of the CAI–GRIE Chapter. Reproduction of articles or columns published permitted with the following acknowledgment: “Reprinted with permission from Connect Magazine, a publication of the Greater Inland Empire Chapter of the Community Associations Institute.”
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Copyright © 1998–2019 CAI-Greater Inland Empire Chapter. Advertising, articles or correspondence should be sent to: CAI-GRIE Chapter 5029 La Mart, Suite A • Riverside, CA 92507-5978 (951) 784-8613 / info@cai-grie.org
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CONNECT WITH GRIE • ISSUE TWO 2019
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BY J. DAVID RAUCH
The Case for Preventive Maintenance There is no magic formula which allows the avoidance of regularly scheduled or preventive maintenance in an HOA
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ISSUE TWO 2019 • CONNECT WITH GRIE
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ho in their right mind wants to do any type of preventive maintenance? Preventive maintenance requires more work, scheduling and planning. If you are like many board members, you’d rather just fix things when they break (corrective maintenance) than perform preventive maintenance. Some boards would prefer to just do no maintenance at all (deferred maintenance). There is no magic formula which allows the avoidance of regularly scheduled or preventive maintenance. Unfortunately, when we resort to deferred maintenance, the fixes are often very expensive, with many unexpected hidden costs, including accidents and litigation, or worse: injuries and death. If you need proof that preventive maintenance is the best solution for your community, consider the Sands V. Walnut Gardens case. This case embodies the perils of deferred maintenance and outlines the repercussions an association can face for neglecting to properly inspect and maintain their common area components on a regularly scheduled basis.
Details of the Case – First Class Maintenance Required
A pipe along the roof of the Walnut Gardens Association burst, causing water damage to the roof and the plaintiff’s bedroom below. Walnut Gardens, through their management company, hired someone to repair the pipe and roof, but did not repair the damage to the plaintiff’s bedroom. The plaintiff filed suit against the management company and the Walnut Gardens Association for breach of contract and negligence. Under the CC&Rs, the Walnut Gardens Association had a responsibility to maintain, in “a first-class condition,” all common area components which included the pipes along the roof. The Plaintiff argued that the association failed to provide preventive maintenance and, according to their witness, the association had not inspected or maintained the roof pipes in years. The trial court granted a nonsuit in favor of the association, but the appellate court reversed and remanded the decision. The Sands won the case and the Walnut Gardens Association had to pay for the repairs to their residence.
What Could the Association Have Done Differently?
By failing to provide preventive maintenance on the roof pipes, they were deferring the maintenance or as they say,
“kicking the can down the road.” Deferring maintenance invites unwanted liability and creates a multitude of components ultimately needing corrective maintenance or worse, replacement. Most associations fail to implement smart preventive maintenance strategies due to fear of cost and short-sighted thinking. As we all know, many boards think it is their job to “not spend money,” and to avoid assessment increases, as opposed to spending money to “maintain, protect and enhance” their community.
A Preventive Maintenance Program is the Smart Solution
A Preventive Maintenance Program is a monthly program that uses a combination of inspections, corrective and preventive maintenance to address the repair, replacement and maintenance of all the common area and building components in an association. This includes many building components that may not be accounted for in the reserve study or in the association’s maintenance matrix. Inspections are the first step of the maintenance program as they identify building components that are either broken (needing corrective maintenance), breaking down or wearing out (requiring preventive maintenance). It is “best practice” that all common area components should be inspected “at least once annually.” Corrective maintenance is fixing something after it is broken so that the broken equipment, building component or system, can be restored to its operational condition – i.e. you replace or repair those things that have broken. Corrective maintenance is the second step in the maintenance program where the association should repair or replace all components needing said maintenance. Once all corrective maintenance issues have been resolved, the program will implement an ongoing preventive maintenance plan on common area components, thus, over time, reducing the number of repairs and the associated repair/replacement costs. Preventive maintenance is performed regularly on operational equipment, systems or building components to lessen the likelihood of the components failing or breaking down prematurely. An example of preventive maintenance is roof maintenance where you annually clean all gutters and downspouts, mastic all roof penetrations and replace all broken or missing roof tiles or asphalt shingles. Another example is lubricating the hinges of all the utility room doors and gates before they impinge and damage the door or gate jamb. Continued on page 6
CONNECT WITH GRIE • ISSUE TWO 2019
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A Case for Preventive Maintenance Continued from page 5
Budgeting for a Preventive Maintenance Program
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ISSUE TWO 2019 • CONNECT WITH GRIE
First, a maintenance program is not expensive to initiate and can range from $400 to $800 per month to start. Within some association budgets there is money allocated for the maintenance of each common area component. By utilizing this money to implement a maintenance program, the association is committing to the long-term success of their community by avoiding the liability of deferred maintenance, limiting the money spent on corrective maintenance and preventing the need for special assessments – a win-win-win for the association, the members and the community manager. The board should also consider the many hidden costs of not performing inspections, corrective and preventive maintenance, such as leaks, litigation, trip and falls (caused by sidewalks raised by tree roots, for example), and other potential injuries. Being proactive is the key to preventing these types of dangers and the hassle and costs experienced by the association in the Sands v. Walnut Gardens case. While it is impossible to prevent all breakdowns from occurring, maintenance programs help curb repair and replacement costs, injuries and water leaks, by working to prolong the lifespan of each component. Moreover, once the program has been in place for a period of time, the savings will accumulate and accelerate. Managers’ jobs will also become easier because there is less bidding and less risk of emergency leaks, or other problem calls. Happy homeowners, board members AND community managers is the ultimate result.
J. David Rauch is the President of ProTec Building Services – a full-service HOA maintenance company serving communities throughout Southern California and Southern Nevada.
How to Successfully Carry Out a Pool Re-Plaster Request By Alan Smith
U
sually, a pool plaster bid request goes something like this: “We need a bid for a re-plaster and re-tile of our pool and spa at ‘such and such’ location.” Once sent out to your preferred vendors you wait for pricing, and then a contract is awarded. Seems easy enough, but do you know what you are really getting, and that you have many valuable options for every phase of this project? If you don’t ask for “specifications,” you get whatever the vendor wants to bid, which is often the cheapest and most competitive product and process available. Let’s review some of these valuable “need to know” specifications, from beginning to end of the project.
Permitting
All commercial pools and spas located in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange and San Diego Counties require Health Department Permits prior to starting the project. The degree of detail required from each county or local municipality can differ, from generic “form” submissions to complete drawings, site plans, and hydraulic schematics. Also, many cities now require a city permit for the same project, in addition to the county permits, thus doubling the permit fees. The best way to find out if the city is requiring permits is to simply call the planning department and ask. Be prepared for questions regarding the scope of work, plumbing, equipment, etc. Knowing this prior to the bid request will help level the bidding playing field and avoid possible shut downs from “red tagging” by the city, after the jobs begins.
Electrical Safety Inspections Certification
Now is the perfect time to check the safety of your pool or spa for possible electrical issues. Stray electrical currents can occur in the water, emanating from pool lights, or pool equipment. Unbonded metal products throughout the pool or spa system, hand rails, grab rails, light rings, pool equipment, and any metal fixture within five feet of the water should be properly bonded to avoid possible electrocution. There is a 20-point checklist for an electrical safety inspection. Simply ask for an “Electrical Safety Inspection Certification.” The contractor will need to be properly licensed for this inspection.
Pool Shell Preparation Methods
How the old pool plaster surface is prepared to receive the new surface is critically important. The Nation Plasters Council recognizes several methods for pool shell preparations. The whole idea is to get a sound surface that the new plaster can adhere to. Much like prepping a surface for painting, proper preparation is often as – or more – critical than the plaster quality itself. The three most used methods are: 1) jackhammering or “stripping” the old plaster off, down to the original gunite shell; 2) sandblasting to roughen up the old plaster and then apply a bonding coat; 3) high pressure water jetting to remove and/or scarify the old surface. You will need to specify which method you are expecting, as each method has different costs, bonding success, and impact on the life expectancy of the pool shell.
For example, the stripping method is the most commonly used because it is fast, cheap, and has a successful bonding record. The down side is that every time a pool is stripped, some of the structural gunite is removed, thus weakening the pool shell. This exposes structural steel and causes micro fractures and bruising of the pool shell. Eventually the pool will need to be re-gunited or rebuilt. On the other hand, the high pressure water jetting method probably gives the best bonding platform for the new plaster to adhere to. The high water pressure carves out the old plaster surface to the original gunite and will leave such a rough profile on the old plaster, that the new surface has the best chance for long term bonding. However, this method is more costly.
Plaster Materials
Plaster surface materials have evolved over the past 10 to 15 years. Simple white plaster is still commonly used because it’s less expensive but it is the softest, most easily etched by aggressive water chemistry and chemicals. Much more durable products are now on the market. For instance, replacing the soft white marble aggregate in regular plaster with much harder and more durable white quartz aggregate can raise the life expectancy of the finish. The most soluble part of the plaster is the cement itself. Adding quartz and pozzolans together can almost double your pool surface life expectancy as well. Specifying these, or similar methods and materials, will help clarify the bidding process.
Start-Up Procedure
After the pool is plastered, the critical filling and start up process begins. Fresh plaster needs to be “pond cured” under water so the filling begins immediately after final set. The fill water needs to be immediately and properly adjusted for calcium hardness, pH and total alkalinity. If properly and timely adjustments are not made, the water can dissolve or remove important calcium Continued on page 8 CONNECT WITH GRIE • ISSUE TWO 2019
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How to Successfully Carry Out... Continued from page 7 compounds from the plaster surface, thus shortening the life expectancy. The National Plasters Council start-up recommendations are a very good resource for specifications.
Warranty
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ISSUE TWO 2019 • CONNECT WITH GRIE
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Standard warranties are three to five years in length, but you, as the specifications writer, can call out the expected warranty. Further, material manufacturers usually provide one to five year warranties. Sometimes the contractor will give extended warranties, upon request, or if it is specified by you. If you don’t ask, you only get what the contractor offers! Alan Smith is the CEO and co-owner of Alan Smith Pools.
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a line in The Great Gatsby that says “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow Adam Armit, in fast movies, I Landsystems/ had that familiar HortTech, is 2019 CAI-GRIE President. conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” Back in high school we were to analyze this line and try to decipher Gatsby’s meaning and symbolism. For some odd reason this quote has stuck with me through the years as I can remember my thoughts on it as well as the conclusions my fellow classmates came up with. My reading was that summer is a season of renewal and a time when everything seems to speed up a bit, almost as if our lives are a movie. My interpretation may be wrong as to Mr. Fitzgerald’s intent, but in this day of social media and hypersharing it does seem like our lives become
mini-movies in the summer and almost everyone has a sense of new beginnings. Well, as I had eluded to in my last message, we have been diligently searching to fill the big shoes our Executive Director DJ is leaving behind. After an exhaustive search, reviewing hundreds of resumes, phone interviews, in-person meetings with the Boards’ Executive Committee, we have made an offer to a gentleman named AJ. Although his official start date isn’t until mid-July, AJ came to our June Educational EXPO Experience and I hope you each had time to say hello. If not, that’s ok, you will have plenty of opportunities in the future. Welcome to CAI-GRIE AJ! I hope you had time to attend and enjoy at least some of our events that took place over the last quarter. Our annual Golf Tournament was a huge success surpassing budget and attendance goals! For those that prefer a more casual vibe, the Country Faire event featured a chili cookoff and live country band. On a more serious note, we had another Educational EXPO Experience at a new venue in Norco called Silverlakes Sports Complex. The education was great
and people loved the new venue and incredible food. Speaking of education, the Board made the decision to offer education classes at NO CHARGE to the manager and homeowner leader members for at least the balance of 2019!! Wow! Talk about membership having its privileges! Make sure to take advantage of this opportunity so they can see that it makes a difference and maybe it will continue into 2020. Besides, this is how you get your CEU hours for designation recertification! As if these events weren’t enough, the CLAC annual Legislative Day at the Capitol and the CAI National Annual Conference both occurred out of town last quarter. If you missed out on any of these events, don’t worry we have more to come. A summer baseball game at the Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium on July 26th and another Educational EXPO Experience at Silverlakes on August 15th are coming up and our don’t forget…Monte Carlo Night is back on September 28 at Pechanga Resort & Casino. Don’t forget to get in on the room block…details on the Chapter website.
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CONNECT WITH GRIE • ISSUE TWO 2019
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The Truth About Toxic Mold In 2000, a new “toxic mold” panic swept the country. Nineteen years, untold lawsuits, and billions of dollars later, major myths about mold still plague and unnecessarily panic association boards, managers and homeowners. 12 |
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ll too often, mold myths cause exaggerated repairs, unduly frightened residents and conflict. Here are thirteen of the most pervasive myths. Mold is new. Mold, one of the earliest and simplest life forms, has existed for thousands of years. Almost a hundred years ago, mold was the basis of the discovery of penicillin. Mold is ever-present, as is dust or pollen. The scientific and medical communities confirm mold’s many dangers. In 2004, the National Institute of Medicine published its comprehensive study on indoor mold exposure, called “Damp Indoor Spaces and Health.” A central finding was: “Scientific evidence links mold … in homes and buildings to asthma symptoms in some people with the chronic disorder, as well as to coughing, wheezing, and upper respiratory tract symptoms in otherwise healthy people… However, the available evidence does not support an
BY KELLY G. RICHARDSON, ESQ., CCAL
community long ago debunked the myth that this or any mold was somehow poisonous to breathe. For example, read the National Institute of Health Fact Sheet on Mold, found at www.niehs.nih.gov.
association between … mold and the wide range of other health complaints that have been ascribed.” That sounds like mold presents the same danger as dust or pollen – to people with severe asthma. The announcement containing this finding is easily located by a web search, but it did not receive much press play – stories of frightened people living in tents are more interesting. One must determine the kind of mold present. Mold consultants and plaintiff attorneys often describe some molds as worse than others. The most famous mold is stachybotrys chartarum, a mold producing infinitesimal quantities of a substance similar to botulism poison. However, the amount is so small they call it ‘mycotoxin’. It sounds frightening, but the scientific
California is protected by the Toxic Mold Protection Act of 2001. The “Toxic Mold Protection Act of 2001,” found at Health and Safety Code 26100, instructed the Department of Public Health to develop Permissible Exposure Limits of the various mold strains. However, in 2005, and again in 2008, the DPH reported that the task could not be completed with the scientific information available. Consequently, there is presently no official standard as to how many mold spores of any given variety are “unhealthy.” Given there being no standard, what is the importance of a count of spores of a given variety of mold? Without a standard, the results of the test are meaningless… except for the frightening effect this disembodied data has upon residents. Always start with a mold test. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends against mold testing. There is no standard as to how many mold spores are “unhealthy,” and indoor air sampling tests are extremely susceptible to inaccurate results. A recent shower, window opening or carpet cleaning are some of the many factors which can completely change test outcomes. Mold tests primarily frighten the occupants and purport to create a “need” for the expense of a mold consultant performing a second test after the area is cleaned. Since the health authorities have not confirmed any particular strain is more dangerous, and since there is
no official standard as to how many airborne spores are unhealthy, there is rarely a good reason to spend the money on mold tests. You cannot clean up mold on your own. Many mold consultants treat mold as if it were asbestos or even poison (the label “toxic” helps reinforce the misleading and frightful impression). Asbestos is truly dangerous. Unlike mold, if it is inhaled into the lungs, the body cannot absorb it or break it down, and lung cancer is a possible result. But mold consultants typically develop repair protocols which are virtually identical to asbestos protocols. Several trade organizations have created mold credentials and their own cleanup protocols. On the other hand, what is the EPA’s cleanup recommendation? The EPA says that cleaning up a moldy area of up to 9 square feet requires a simple cloth, dampened with a diluted bleach solution. The EPA and California Department of Public Health always recommend mold consultants. They do not. In fact, minor mold situations, they say, can be handled by the resident or with janitorial staff. Mold consultants are licensed. Mold inspectors or consultants are not licensed by the government, but instead hold credentials and memberships in trade organizations. These are not “official,” except within the trade organization’s own membership. Mold cannot be caused by the resident. Mold accumulation can often be caused, or worsened by, a lack of proper ventilation. Mold can accumulate in stuffy bathrooms or any area where the environment is humid, Continued on page 14 CONNECT WITH GRIE • ISSUE TWO 2019
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The Truth About Toxic Mold Continued from page 13 warm, and poorly ventilated. Before the mold scare started in 2000, with the new term “toxic mold,” people encountering black mold in shower or bath enclosures would simply wipe it off with a cleaning solution. Insurance never covers mold. Partially true: Property insurance policies do not normally cover mold, fungus or dry rot. If a water damage incident occurs, and the damage is not discovered and ventilated soon, mold can result (and dry rot). The property insurance carrier will normally refuse to cover the cost of mold remediation, but will still typically cover the rest of the repairs. However, if the property owner is sued because of water damage including mold, the liability part of the policy ordinarily will defend the claim. Let the emergency contractor do everything. Because of the panic associated with mold, the normal
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reaction is to call emergency services contractors. Such contractors are much more expensive, because of their readiness to respond almost immediately at any hour. Stopping water leakage and drying the space might require an emergency contractor. However, sometimes a plumber might be enough. Emergency contractors sometimes destroy walls and cabinets before the association can obtain a second opinion as to its necessity. Allow demolition only of what is immediately necessary, and then seek bids for the non-emergency work.
Mold damage situations must cost at least $10,000 per occurrence. The cost of repairing water damage skyrockets due to unnecessary mold tests, unnecessary consultants, delay in responding to the leakage (the most common cause of mold buildup), excessive demolition, searching for mold, and using emergency contractors for everything, and foregoing competitive bids for repairs. Be more deliberate, avoid panic, and save money. For more information on mold, visit www.epa.gov, www.cdc.gov/mold or www.cdph.ca.gov.
Keep demolishing walls until you find no mold. Panicked residents often ask a landlord or HOA to open walls to look for mold. However, this is almost always a waste of money. If it is inside the wall, it is probably not bothering or affecting anyone – so opening up the wall may waste money (and possibly release more mold into the air).
Kelly G. Richardson, Esq., is a Fellow of the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL), former CAI President, and a Principal of Richardson Ober PC.
EDITOR’S LINK “Better safe than sorry,” or “nothing ventured, nothing gained?” With summer upon us our community associations of the Greater Inland Empire will be best served by employing a balance of both of these idioms’ themes. For example, preventative maintenance measures will help our communities combat the many challenges that the summer heat brings, keeping associations safe, and not “sorry.” On the other hand, what better way to find out your community’s potential, than “venturing” into new territories, and engaging new tools for communication and community engagement? A.J. Jahanian, Esq. is an associate attorney with Beaumont Tashjian who devotes his career to serving common interest developments. He can be reached at ajahanian@HOAattorneys.com
This issue of Connect will provide boards, community managers, and residents alike, with more insights from a range of authors, to strengthen our community associations and spur their development. A healthy balance of being proactive with preventative actions, and engaging new protocols, will help ensure that our associations are staying ahead of the curve, this summer and beyond.
As always, it is my pleasure to serve as your Editor of Connect Magazine. As part of our team, we invite you to participate by sharing ideas and contributing to future articles on the issues that matter to you most. We are in this together, and your continued participation and engagement are what make our community a thriving one.
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Hoarding & The HOA Current demographics suggest there may be as many as 1,884,580 hoarders in the state of California. It’s highly likely that there is at least one in each of your communities!
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et’s begin with a basic understanding of what hoarding really means. A person with a hoarding disorder has a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value, due to a perceived need to save them. The thought of parting with these “precious possessions” causes great mental distress. Everyone is intrinsically different, and so are the differences in the types of possessions that are hoarded. There are bibliomaniacs, food hoarders, pet hoarders, OCD hoarders, trash hoarders and recycling hoarders, just to name a few. Statistics show that individuals displaying hoarding tendencies have high IQs and span various professions. Doctors, nurses, professors, engineers and even psychologists are affected. Current demographics suggest there may be as many as 1,884,580 hoarders in the state of California. It’s highly likely that there is at least one in each of your communities!
BY HEATHER WILTSHIRE, CCAM, CMCA, AMS
In a condominium setting, hoarding situations are frequently encountered as a result of a plumbing leak, fire sprinkler inspection, termite tenting/inspection or a reported pest infestation. When you become aware of a hoarding situation, it’s important that you do not attempt to enter the unit. Special equipment and procedures are used by professionals to remain safe when inside. If a vendor encounters the situation as a result of a work order or other routine inspection, make sure to ask for photos while they are at the unit. Vendors may not go back or complete work until the unit is restored to a livable condition. If a resident or owner is refusing access for plumbing repairs, fire sprinkler inspection/repairs or termite tenting, this is a good sign of a hoarder. Check your association’s governing documents for provisions that allow the association to enter the unit. Most documents
allow entry with proper notice. Follow the procedures in your documents, and seek legal advice if there is continued refusal to allow access. To keep the common areas and other owners safe, it may be necessary for the association to incur some of costs up front, and seek reimbursement afterwards. Most governing documents have provisions to allow for a reimbursement assessment, or other methods of recovering the association’s costs. Fire hazards, unsanitary conditions and pest infestations all result from hoarding. This can affect neighbors and the common areas of your community. Seek to address these potentially dangerous situations in conjunction with the hoarding cleanup. Often times, multiple extension cords are plugged into a single outlet, or items are piled too close to the water heater which creates an immediate fire danger. Ingress and egress could be blocked, resulting in a lack of a clear path for emergency crews. Unsanitary conditions exist when the bathroom and/or kitchen aren’t accessible or are used as hoarding areas. This is another reason managers and board members should never attempt to enter into a hoarder’s residence. An appropriate biohazard clean up service should be contracted to remediate the unsanitary areas. During clean up, pests (insects, rodents, etc.) will be looking for another place to go and repopulate. Pest control vendors should be engaged and made aware of the hoarding situation, as it will likely require follow up visits to cure the problem. If there are shared attic spaces, make sure these are treated as well, so the pests have nowhere to hide and repopulate. Affected neighboring units should be treated as a part of the overall plan. In a single-family home community, there is additional difficulty in identifying a hoarding situation.
Since the building or dwelling is individually owned, an association will not be performing any routine inspections inside or in the rear yard (unless the rear yard is visible from the common area). Do not ignore reports from neighbors. Ask for photos if the problem isn’t visible during your common area inspections. Follow the association’s enforcement policy, document the issue adequately, and seek guidance from legal counsel when needed. Your city’s code enforcement office should also be alerted of the situation, as they have an ability to enforce any code violations and force clean up of the property. Since individuals with hoarding disorders are considered a protected class under the law, it’s important to handle the situation legally and professionally. Listen but don’t engage. The more you are able to learn about the individual, the more you will be able to accomplish. Seek legal advice for access to condominiums or for enforcement matters in single family communities. Engage the help of local agencies to assist with the situation (Code Enforcement, Adult Protective Services, Psychiatric Emergency Response Team – PERT). Lastly, and most importantly, don’t take on a hoarding situation alone. Use experts and resources to help you through!
Heather Wiltshire, CCAM, CMCA, AMS is Regional Manager for Walters Management and is the Chair of the Membership Committee for the San Diego Chapter of CAI.
CONNECT WITH GRIE • ISSUE TWO 2019
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Association Newsletters A Valuable Communication Tool
H
aving an HOA newsletter is an easy and effective way to keep your community engaged and informed. Whether you send one by email or mail, this tool can inform residents of future projects and events, while sparking interest in your community, increasing member participation and even making managing a bit easier. There are several key elements to a successful newsletter and when they are done correctly, you can achieve great results. A homeowners’ newsletter is one of the most useful tools board members and managers have as it provides a voice outside of a meeting, but only if the membership can connect to the information. Know your 18 |
ISSUE TWO 2019 • CONNECT WITH GRIE
readership. Every newsletter should contain the names and positions of your board members as this will add an air of credibility. The manager’s name and contact information, along with emergency information, should be included as well. If you ask members what they value most when working with their board of directors, often, the answer you will get is TRANSPARENCY. What better way to convey to your membership what items the board is working on than to have a section in your newsletter regarding items of discussion from your last meeting? A newsletter should be informative. People like to know what is going on in their communities even if they do not participate in the attendance
of meetings. Business items need to be to the point, and provide useful information. Board members can spread goodwill and even encourage participation and increase volunteers through the proper utilization of a newsletter. Newsletters can also serve a critical function of giving residents safety reminders, which are relevant to the season. For example, a newsletter can remind residents of important fire prevention programs for the summer, and gutter cleaning protocols in the rainy winter season. It is equally important to be direct when writing a newsletter. Direct language will give the manager and the board a stronger voice. Instead of, “Please remember there is no barbecuing on the balconies,” the association could be better served, by the author asserting, “Barbecuing is prohibited on any balcony, per Los Angeles County Fire Code.” Direct writing will hold your reader engaged longer and increase the likelihood that the message is heard, loud and clear. Remember to give the rationale behind certain rule reminders, or the purpose behind preventative maintenance. Keep in mind that ninety percent of your newsletter should provide seasonal/preventative maintenance, or other information relevant to the members of the community, while only ten percent should be pertaining to rules and potential sanctions. The reason being, newsletters should be a positive force for the community, rather than a negative one used to chastise homeowners. A newsletter which points out problems and solutions in an encouraging and concise manner, is ultimately most effective.
Contributed by an anonymous chapter member.
CONNECT WITH GRIE • ISSUE TWO 2019
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5029 La Mart, Suite A Riverside, CA 92507-5978
Oct. 18, 2019 | Newport Beach, CA
Now in its 10th year!
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A one-day event for California community managers, association board members, and other homeowners from Community Associations Institute — the leader in HOA and condo education, advocacy, and professional development.
association board members, and other homeowners from Community Associations Institute—the leader in HOA and condo education, advocacy, and professionalThis event is also offered in Northern California on Sept. development. 12–13, 2019. Attend one or This event is also offered in Northern California on Sept. 12–13, 2019. Attend one or both programs for the latest California hot topics. For event details and registration, visit www. both programs for the latest caionline.org/Events/CALaw or call CAI Member Services at (888) 224-4321 (M–F, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET). California hot topics. For event details and registration, visit www. caionline.org/Events/ CALaw or call CAI Member Services at (888) 224-4321 (M–F, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET).