Blogs

Florida Law On Pre-Turnover And Post-Turnover Community Association Contracts

By Hans Wahl, Esq posted 13 days ago
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Community associations are businesses.  Not only are they corporate entities, but they collect revenue (i.e., owner assessments) and incur expenses planned for through a yearly budget.  Just like any other business, community associations find themselves in unfavorable contractual relationships with other entities.  Unique to community associations, these entities often find themselves in undesireable contracts entered into by the developer prior to the owners having any say in the agreement or its terms.  This article will provide an overview of the community association members’ options and rights concerning pre-turnover contracts and post-turnover contracts. ...
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Tax exempt vs not-for- profit

By Dale Douglas Mclain posted 16 days ago
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One of the most common arguments I hear with regards to homeowners associations and taxes is "our homeowners association is set up with the state as a not-for-profit therefore we are a tax exempt organization."  While this is conceptually true, in my experience it has never been the case.  How your organization  is set up with the state rarely has an effect on how it is treated at the federal level.  The not-for-profit designation with the state filing means nothing at the federal level.  If your association was actually tax exempt you would be well aware of that fact, because the process of obtaining the tax exempt status with the IRS is time consuming and ...
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What Does Florida Law Say About A Community Association Bulk Services Agreement Such As Cable And Internet Service?

By Hans Wahl, Esq posted 01-11-2019
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Bulk services agreements are those agreements entered into between a condominium association or homeowners association and a company for providing similar services to the community’s entire membership.  These are most commonly used for providing the community with broadband services, such as phone, cable and internet service.  The benefit of bulk services agreements is that the services are provided at a significant discount from the average retail price for the members.  This blog post will provide an overview of Florida law concerning a community association bulk services agreement. Pre-Turnover Bulk Services Agreements With the Developer Many times, ...
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Collection Firm versus Law Firm? "D.C.'s Condo Lawyer" Brian Fellner Weighs In

By Jennifer Pierce posted 01-03-2019
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Here at GRID Systems Software , we love the   Community Associations Institute  "Exchange" Board for the wealth of information and contacts it brings.  This week, "D.C.'s Condo and HOA Lawyer"   Brian R. Fellner  weighed in on a salient question about how to evaluate the services provided by a professional community association debt collection firm versus a more costly law firm.  His answer intrigued us!   HOA & Condo Lawyer Brian Fellner He wrote: " This is a very difficult issue to put out "objective" analysis for a few reasons: -- No two associations are alike.  So even though the lawyer may be the best or worst, the results ...
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Your Business Profile Pages Can Help Sell "You" To Potential Customers

By Jennifer Pierce posted 11-27-2018
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Just like online dating has exploded in popularity, it’s no coincidence that websites connecting service providers and professionals for specific business needs are following the same trend.  No wonder then, that online business profiles have become a critical tool to “sell” yourself to potential customers. Here at GRIDVendor.com , our participating service providers say they like the ability to customize their individual profile pages to give them the most online “clickworthy” mileage.  It’s what helps get them noticed by the community association management companies, homeowners association and condominium managers we help them reach. ...
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GRIDVendor.com To Join Community Association Manager Giants at South Florida Cooperator Expo December 11

By Jennifer Pierce posted 11-26-2018
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GRID Systems LLC, a leading technology provider of integrated property management software, will join community association management giants  Castle Group  and  Associa , in addition to dozens of its participating GRIDVendor.com providers as an exhibitor at the upcoming  South Florida Cooperator Expo . Scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on December 11, 2018 at the Broward County Convention Center, the  Cooperator Expo  will feature a sprawling array of services and  classes  given by homeowners association and condominium experts, including a Board member certification class. “Community association managers and board members ...
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New Here

By Matt James Zakutny posted 11-18-2018
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This is my first blog post.  I'm new to CAI and still learning just what everything is about and how best to get to know people.  The company i am with specializes in Storm and Sanitary Sewer Cleaning, Televising & Repairs.   These systems often sit for years on end and can cause sinkholes on roadways, backups to homeowners.  The idea is to stop the problem before you need to excavate.  Should you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me.
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"Dot Real Estate" Top-Level Domain Goes On Sale November 26, 2018

By Jennifer Pierce posted 11-13-2018
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Real Estate and community association manager professionals will be very interested to learn that “.realestate,” the newest top level domain "not-com" is about to go on sale to the general public on November 26, 2018 following a pre-sale beginning November 16 to National Association of REALTORS® members who already have an active "dot realtors" .realtors domain. The “dot real estate” domain is free of restrictions and will be marketed and sold by more than 20 domain name registrars, with the anticipation that buyers will use the new domain to creatively market property and geographic areas, along with personal brands and specialties. It's ...
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GRID Systems Adds RockStar Residential To Growing GRIDVendor.com Community Association Manager Portfolio

By Jennifer Pierce posted 11-13-2018
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  GRID Systems, LLC , a leading technology provider of integrated property management software, announced that Rockstar Residential of Texas has joined its GRID Vendor network. Florida-based GRID Vendor.com , which provides the property management market’s only comprehensive vendor compliance and proposal management platform, counts industry giants Castle Group and Spectrum Association Management among its clients. “In addition to the many features of GRID Vendor , community association managers are welcoming the risk mitigation aspect of our vendor verification and compliance ability,” GRID Systems Founder and President ...
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Office Manager/ Front Desk help

By Christopher Bryant Chilton posted 11-09-2018
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Our mission at ICON is to consistently anticipate and exceed our customers' expectations by providing outstanding facilities and superior service at each and every one of our clubs. We strive for constant improvement and will conduct ourselves according to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. Job Title: Office Manager/ Front Desk help Reports To: Master Community Association Manager Position Summary: Our busy, client-focused office needs a reliable, well-organized Office Manager to handle day-to-day operations with a focus on efficiency and time management. The Office Manager will be responsible for developing intra-office communication ...
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Micromanagement is not productive - Break Away

By Dagmara Rodriguez posted 07-18-2018
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Pretty sure that we have all encountered that one boss, board president, district or regional manager that must be in charge and telling you what to do, when to do it, and how to do it at all times. They are the MICRO-MANAGERS! According to Merriam-Webster (online dictionary):  Definition of micromanage: transitive verb: to manage especially with excessive control or attention to details Now, think back for a second or two...how did or (do) you feel having someone breathing down your neck at all times? Questioning every word and/or sentence structure? Giving their opinion for every decision you made! Indirectly (although very directly in my mind) doubting ...
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Recycle Often Recycle Right

By Debbie Descans posted 06-07-2018
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​This morning drivers meeting we reviewed what belongs in the household recycle cart.  The number one problem is plastic bags. Please don't put recycle items in a plastic bag. During the recycle process bags are the first item to be removed, to many bags shuts down the sort line and bags have to be manually found and removed. Communities need to be re-educated, what goes in the recycle cart needs to be 100% recyclable. Here is the link to Waste Management's website regarding recycling: https://recycleoftenrecycleright.com/ Debbie Descans HOA Account Manager Curbside Service San Diego, CA.
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Cedar vs Vinyl, Is the cost difference worth it?

By Kane Carmody posted 04-05-2018
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Cedar vs Vinyl; is the cost worth it?  What factors are really important when deciding for  your HOA. Purchasing for my home, I always came back to three key factors when buying fencing, outdoor structures, or mailboxes: cost, maintenance, and durability. The most common options you will find are Cedar and Vinyl so I wanted to go through my thought process. Cost Cost for most homeowners or associations can be the largest or main factor in deciding between a wooden or vinyl fencing and posts. Cedar is the less expensive option and includes many of the same benefits vinyl offers. Vinyl is more expensive, but with some of the premium brands, ...
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Roof Consultant FAQ

By Henry Staggs posted 01-12-2018
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Question :  My roof is not leaking, what do I need a Consultant for? Answer : As your roof is one of the most important components of your building’s envelope, ignoring preventative maintenance and periodic inspections can result in premature deterioration and failure of the asset. Just as you perform scheduled maintenance on things such as cars and HVAC systems, periodic roof inspections can reveal minor maintenance issues that, ignored over time, often lead to major issues impacting the integrity and water-tightness of the roof. With proper inspections and maintenance performed at minimal costs, we can extend the service life of your roof and prevent ...
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Common Budgeting Mistakes for the reserve Account

By Joel Tax posted 07-14-2017
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Reserve Studies: About the Percent Funded Calculation

By Joel Tax posted 07-14-2017
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Reserve Studies: The Fully Funded Balance Explained

By Joel Tax posted 07-14-2017
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Culture Trumps Strategy {VLOG}

By Chad Lingafelt posted 06-22-2017
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No matter what industry we are in, we all work with customers.   Recently, we've been discussing our Customer Service Experience and what that means for our business. Here are some videos were we discussed it
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DVR, NVR, OVR - What does it all mean?

By Chad Lingafelt posted 06-20-2017
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DVR, NVR, OVR…What does it all mean?  I just want to see my cameras! Camera Systems are coming in all shapes and sizes these days. The most popular camera systems are 8 cameras and under with the end goal to quickly see live video from ANY Device and EASILY find and locate recorded video clips to share with police. The 3 typical configurations of camera systems are as follows: DVR (Digital Video Recorder) :  Analog cameras with a simple to use interface for viewing live and recorded video.  Typically used for local, onsite recording and viewing. Although analog camera signals have vastly improved in recent years with HD cameras, low ...
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Reserve Budgeting – One Day… or Day One

By Joel Tax posted 05-09-2017
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Boards can have a very difficult time budgeting for reserve project expenses as community members often don’t see the point of saving for component project expenses many years into the future. There is a perception that the homeowners in the community at the time of the replacement project should be responsible. This view often spills over into Board decisions as they are pressured to keep dues as low as possible, an easy situation to fall into when projects costs like roofing or asphalt resurfacing can be decades into the future. I’m going to touch on some of the more common reserve budget issues we see regularly and provide some examples of scenarios that ...
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