We’re so glad you’ve visited our website! It can be challenging to get to know each other and even harder to stay informed about the efforts to keep the Shorebird complex a pleasant and affordable place to live. Property ownership is a complex matter, especially with shifting economic and market conditions. This complexity is heightened in a large condominium like Shorebird, where owners have diverse financial concerns, goals, and varying levels of ownership experience.
When you are the sole owner of property, decisions about repair and maintenance are tough even though you know how much you can afford and pay the bills each month. But board members have more things to consider and specific obligations, imposed by our by-laws and CCRs and laws governing condominiums that impose additional requirements. Like a sole owner, they need to understand the issues impacting the property and to notice things that needs attention. But then they have the duty to disclose what actions they are taking at our board meetings and, if necessary or requested, explain why they reached that decision. The minutes from a well-run board meeting make it possible for owners to understand the issues the board is dealing with and see progress toward resolving the concerns brought to them.
Over time, this website will showcase how various HOAs ensure compliance with state laws and maintain effective communication with owners. I understand that with our busy lives, it can be challenging to keep up with board action and that the brief monthly “newsletter” can’t cover the many issues the board is working. However, my first purchase of a condominium taught me the importance of paying attention to the actions the board was taking. In that case, the board was dominated by the property developer who made sweeping decisions that affected individual owners’ ability to sell their property. The years I practiced business and employment law, the courses I taught at the college level on business management and control, and the people I knew who had been defrauded by manipulated financial information made it clear that it is necessary to pay attention to what the people managing your assets are doing. It starts with asking whether they are sharing critical information you should know. We expect that from our doctors, our car mechanics, and the people handling our investments; we are entitled, by law, to expect that from our board members too.