An HOA board is a group of people whose role is to run the association. The HOA board is responsible for the overall operation and management of the association. The board works hard to ensure that each homeowner in your neighborhood is enjoying a pleasant experience. To accomplish that goal, this group oversees all community policies and procedures, enforces rules for residents, sets fiscal policies and plans long-term projects.
Typically, HOA boards comprise four core members – president, vice president, board secretary, and HOA treasurer.
Each of the four core board members is responsible for different aspects of the HOA:
President
As the head of your homeowner association board, the president’s responsibilities include overseeing the functioning of the association and decision-making. You’ll have the final say when deciding on various initiatives and projects, including anything that requires an anonymous vote.
But that also means that anyone serving as the HOA president must understand bylaws and regulations at an incredible level, if only to have all the insights required to make a well-informed decision.
Finally, because the president’s function is to ensure that the association functions at a full capacity, the person must also have an in-depth understanding of all the ins and outs of the association.
Duties:
- Overseeing the association’s activities
- Decision making
- Presiding and running meetings
Vice-President
The vice president will work closely with the president and often take over that role when the president isn’t present. It might happen when the president is away, on vacation, out sick, or cannot focus on their regular duties for any other reason.
Aside from acting on the president’s behalf, the vice-president might be responsible for various projects and oversee specific areas of the HOAs operations.
For that reason, their knowledge of bylaws, regulations, and the workings of an association must match those of the president.
Duties:
- Acting on behalf of the president when the president is either away or unable to focus on their regular duties
Secretary
The HOA secretary is responsible for managing all the documentation within the association. This might include managing all the associations documents, communicating with other board members and the residents, updating records, submitting forms, and managing the legal paperwork.
The secretary would also notify the board and residents of upcoming meetings and record meeting minutes.
Duties:
- Overseeing the HOA’s documents and records.
- Notifying about board meetings and recording the minutes.
Treasurer
The HOA treasurer is responsible for handling the association’s money and financial matters. As part of this responsibility, they will create the annual budget, maintain financial records, conduct regular audits and ensure that internal controls are in place.
The treasurer might also be responsible for overseeing the HOAs insurance to ensure that the association has adequate insurance types – casualty, fidelity, worker’s compensation, and other necessary protections.
Duties:
- Overseeing the association’s financial matters
- Preparing annual budgets
- Managing financial records
- Dealing with the association’s taxes
The Responsibilities of HOA Boards
Maintaining common areas
In a typical HOA community, the responsibility to maintain and upkeep individual properties rests with residents. The HOA board might define covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) that each community member agrees to adhere to.
However, it’s the HOA’s board of directors that’s responsible for maintaining the common areas. This might include maintaining streets and pavements, contracting landscapers to mown the green areas, and so on.
Managing the financial business of the association
Although largely overseen by the treasurer, the whole board will participate in managing the HOAs financials. This might include setting up budgets, deciding how to allocate funds, collecting assessments, paying the association’s expenses, and record keeping.
Selecting and directing the HOA manager
This is, perhaps, the largest responsibility of HOA boards. You see, with some exceptions, the board takes a more strategic approach. The president and other board members make decisions and plan to maintain the community to the highest standard. But it’s the manager who focuses on the day-to-day part of the HOAs operations.
For one, it is the manager who inspects and enforces the association’s CC&Rs. In addition, they send violation notices, work with residents towards resolutions, and more.
But it is the board that selects the right person for the job and assists them in performing their duties.
