Articles
Practical, plain-language governance guidance for volunteer community association board members — free to read, no login required. Start with one featured piece from each topic below, then search the full library.
One read from every topic
A starting point across 20 governance topic areas. The full collection lives in the Open Library.
Assessment Liens and Foreclosure in Florida: §§ 720.3085 and 718.116 Explained
How Florida association assessment liens and foreclosure work under § 720.3085 and § 718.116: 45-day notices, the first-mortgagee safe harbo…
Read articleBoard FundamentalsThe Eight-Tier Hierarchy of Governance Authority
The flagship overview of how authority stacks in a community association: federal law, state statute, the recorded Declaration, Articles, pl…
Read articleBudget & Assessment StrategyFlorida Special Assessment Rules for Condos and HOAs: Notice, Purpose, and Use of Funds
Florida special assessment rules for condos and HOAs: 14-day notice requirements, stated-purpose limits on spending, excess funds, and the S…
Read articleCapital Strategy & ContractingDeferred Maintenance Is a Loan. Here Is the Interest Rate.
Deferring a repair does not save money — it borrows money from the building, at a rate nobody disclosed and the board never voted on. Here i…
Read articleCommunity RelationsSelf-Managed or Professionally Managed? Evaluating the Real Costs and Risks
The most overlooked governance decision in community associations — not vendor selection, not budget setting, but whether to self-manage or …
Read articleCost Analysis & ContractingThe Fixed-Cost Trap: What You Take On When You Put Someone on Payroll
The five-year model says hire. This is the argument against it. The in-house option is 100% fixed and the contract is 100% variable, and an …
Read articleDeveloper TurnoverFlorida HOA Developer Turnover Under § 720.307: Triggers, Documents, and the Receiving Board
Florida HOA developer turnover under § 720.307: the 90 percent conveyance trigger, early board seats, the 90-day document handoff, and the t…
Read articleElections & GovernanceThe Election Clock: Notice and Candidacy Timelines Texas Boards Must Hit
A board-level walkthrough of the Texas election calendar, run backwards from election night: the 10-to-60-day notice window under § 209.0056…
Read articleEnforcement & ViolationsFlorida HOA Fines and Suspensions: The Complete § 720.305 Procedure
How Florida HOA fines work under § 720.305: the $100 per-violation cap, $1,000 aggregate limit, 14-day notice, independent fining committee,…
Read articleFinancial OversightChasing Check 2218: Tracing One Transaction Across Five Documents
A $2,800 check that hasn't cleared the bank looks like missing money until you follow it. Five documents, four minutes, and a demonstration …
Read articleFlorida LawFlorida Board Member Education Requirements: Condo and HOA Rules After HB 1021 and HB 1203
Florida board member education rules after HB 1021 and HB 1203: the four-hour curriculum, 90-day deadline, renewal cycles, and annual contin…
Read articleIndustry AnalysisCICSC and CAI: Understanding the HOA Education and Standards Landscape
How the Community Associations Institute (CAI) and the CICSC fit together — trade association vs. standards body — and where boards and mana…
Read articleInsurance & RiskDirectors & Officers (D&O) Insurance: What It Covers and What It Doesn't
A board-level guide to D&O insurance for community associations — what claims it pays, what it excludes, the difference between Side A/B/C c…
Read articleLegal FrameworkFlorida Chapter 720: Homeowners' Association Act Overview for Board Members
Plain-language guide to Florida Chapter 720, the Homeowners' Association Act: board duties, meetings, records, assessments, fines, and the 2…
Read articleManager PracticeThe Job Nobody Described to You: Five Working Tools for the Manager's Week
The professional-discipline system from Chapter 1 of The Career Association Manager — the Eisenhower Matrix, the Weekly Reset, the Daily Fro…
Read articleMeetings & ProcedureBoard Resolutions in Practice
A board resolution turns a decision into a durable, reviewable governing act. Learn the four elements of a defensible resolution — authority…
Read articleResearchCalifornia Chose to Regulate a Word
The largest market in the country considered manager licensure for three years and deliberately chose something smaller. The reason is the m…
Read articleReserves & CapitalThe Anatomy of a Reserve Plan: Components, Dates, Dollars
A reserve study is not a forecast or an opinion. It is a liability schedule — component, remaining life, replacement date, replacement cost.…
Read articleTexas LawTexas HOA Architectural Review Under § 209.00505: Committee Rules, Denials, and Appeals
How Texas Property Code § 209.00505 governs HOA architectural review: who it covers, committee eligibility, written denials, appeals, and 20…
Read articleVendor ManagementThe Five Questions to Ask Any Vendor Claim
Lasts longer. Saves more. Pays back at sixteen percent. Five questions, ninety seconds, no statistics required — and the answer a vendor giv…
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