Ebooks

July: Revise your governing documents. Buildings and amenities aren't the only parts of your community that become outdated. Governing documents also need to be reviewed and revised periodically to ensure that they're clear, consistent and serving the best interests of the community. Taking the time this year to complete a thorough review will ensure every rule and bylaw contributes to the goals of your community, whether that's to simply maintain property values or create a specific type of living experience. Does the collection policy make sense? Do the Rules and Regulations fit the community's current lifestyle and are they all necessary? If the R&R's are out of date, you should revise them to be consistent with your Declaration. Ask yourself the following questions for every rule: • Is this rule necessary? • Is this rule fair? • Is this rule enforceable? If the answer to any of those questions is no, remove it or revise it until those three questions can be answered positively. Once your rules satisfy the above questions dig deeper and see if they need further tweaking or enhancement to fit the current community needs. When was the last time your Declaration or Bylaws were revised? These documents usually require a supermajority of homeowners to agree to the changes so you will want to engage an attorney to revise them. If your community is 20 years old or more and the Declaration only seems to confuse everyone, it might be a great time to have it rewritten and voted upon so everyone's understanding of their roles and obligations are clear. — Jesse Dubuque, CMCA® Director of Client Development Associa Minnesota

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