Charging fines sounds strict and stressful, but it is important in managing a condo association. Find out why in this article.
The Need for Fines
Nobody wants to be a bad neighbor. Nobody likes parking tickets, speeding tickets, or tickets in general. Getting tickets in a condo association usually means doing something wrong and now having to pay for it.
Unfortunately, in our society, if there are no violation fines or anybody holding in line, people will do what they want. And when we give people an inch, sometimes they take a foot.
How a Management Company Helps
As a condo association management company, we have to walk a fine line between keeping people happy while understanding that there are rules and regulations.
Just like in society and speed limits that people have to follow. If a lot of things are followed, no violations need to occur.
Instead of just jumping straight to fines, here is what we do:
1. Send a warning
To warn people, we will have a conversation with them. We specify a period of time for them to correct that issue.
Then we ask them, through our management software, to provide proof in pictures that that issue is solved. In addition, we will speak with them and make sure that they understand what is going on, usually in the morning, and it is more than enough to stop any violation that might be occurring.
2. Charge fines
If the issue remains unresolved and keeps escalating for a second or third time, we might charge a fine.
The fine for the third offense also might be a little bit higher than the second.
3. Get the attorneys involved
If it’s a recurring issue, we will let the attorneys deal with it. Attorney fees will be reflected in the condo association owners’ ledger that they will be paying for.
Every single time attorneys pick up the phone, they charge fines. Those legal fees keep going up, and nobody wants those types of legal expenses or headaches to deal with.
We hope that every single owner within the building wants to be a good neighbor. Maybe the first time they make a violation was just a mistake, and that’s fine. But if someone does it over and over, we know it’s just malicious at that point, and we want to stop that.
As your management company, we will ensure that nobody breaks the rules because you can’t just let people do whatever they want in your condo association.
It is important for them to understand that there are rules and regulations they have to follow.
The Boston HOA Guarantee
If you or anyone else you know is looking for a proactive property manager that will still balance keeping owners happy, but balancing it with making sure that rules and regulations are followed, please think of Boston HOA Management.
