Fundamental to all HOA operations is the need of Boards and Property Managers to show they are doing “the right thing” with community funds and resources…and that they consistently behave in ways that are legal and mutually agreed upon by Owners.
Unfortunately, HOAs have difficulty making this happen in easily understood ways. HOAs, by and large, do not have Purchasing Policies that set forth the details of this very important work. As a result, purchasing occurs in inconsistent ways. This situation is further exacerbated by Board and/or Property Manger turnover. This state of affairs is, to say the least, very risky business.
Community Planners feels that creating policies and consistency in how purchasing occurs is the biggest on-going challenge to a community’s future viability and credibility. This is not work that should be left to Property Mangers and consultants for their unique interpretation.
Rather, it is up to the HOA to institute Purchasing Policies in which they define how purchasing by the community occurs. These policies are followed by the community regardless of the purchase…the entity making a purchase …or, whether it is today or five years from now.
To that end, Community Planners is currently creating a Purchasing Policy Workbook for HOA’s.