Q: Why did CAI develop the guidelines?
A: We developed the guidelines to define basic
expectations for board members and other homeowner
volunteer leaders who govern community associations. Our
mission is to help foster vibrant, competent, harmonious
common-interest communities, and that objective begins with
the individual homeowners who are elected by their
neighbors to lead their communities.
Q: What topics do the guidelines address?
A: We identify the most important and potentially
contentious components of governance: assessments,
communication, conflicts of interest, elections, financial
transparency, foreclosure, governance and the law,
grievances and appeals, annual membership meetings, access
to association records, reserve funding and rules. These
topics cover the vast majority of issues that face
community associations.
Q: What do you expect the guidelines to
accomplish?
A: We hope they will inform boards, prompt constructive
community dialog and lead to more responsible and
responsive governance. The guidelines are just one of the
many ways we try to help associations become better—even
preferred—places to call home. We work toward this ideal by
identifying and meeting the needs of the homeowner
volunteers who govern associations and the professionals
who support them, and by being a trusted forum for the
exchange of knowledge, information and best practices.
Q: Does CAI acknowledge that some boards
need guidelines?
A: Although most community associations function without
major controversy, problems can and do arise in some
communities. Nationally, almost 60 million Americans
live in close to 300,000 homeowner and condominium
associations, cooperatives and other planned communities.
It's not realistic to expect every community association to
operate smoothly all the time, without disputes,
disagreements and some dissention. Utopia doesn't exist in
any segment of society. But we believe the guidelines can
help some associations move closer to this ideal.
Q: Does this initiative indicate that most
community association residents are
unhappy?
A: No. While some associations do experience problems,
independent national research conducted in late 2007 by
Zogby International shows that community association
residents are overwhelmingly pleased with their
communities, expressing strong satisfaction with the board
members who govern their associations and the community
managers who provide professional support. In fact, more
than seven in 10 community association residents told Zogby
they are satisfied with their community association
experience, with only 9 percent expressing some level of
dissatisfaction. Almost 20 percent expressed neither point
of view.
Q: Does other national research affirm these
findings?
A: We are not aware of any recent national research along
these lines, although the 2007 Zogby findings are
strikingly consistent with a similar survey conducted by Zogby in 2005.
Q: Do you think community association board
members do a good job?
A: Absolutely. More than 1.7 million Americans serve on
community association boards. The overwhelming majority of
them do their best to build community, protect property
values and meet the established expectations of residents.
In the vast majority of communities, they are
succeeding.
Q: How do you know that board members do a
good job?
A: The Zogby research shows that close to nine out of
every 10 community association residents believe their
board members strive to serve the best interests of the
community. The same research shows that 89 percent of
residents are on friendly terms with their board members.
These statistics belie any suggestion that most board
members aren't doing a good job.
Q: Do these guidelines apply to all
common-interest communities?
A: The guidelines were written as benchmarks to which
virtually any community association board can and should
aspire. In that sense, they are applicable in almost any
community. But just as people are diverse so are
communities. One size does not fit all. Communities have
unique circumstances and challenges. They are subject to
the mandates of differing state and local laws and
regulations, as well as bound by their own governing
documents. Ultimately, homeowners must decide what works
best in their own communities.
Q: Why didn't you add more specificity to
each topic?
A: Our goal was to develop very basic guidelines that
would apply to virtually any community. Greater detail
would inevitably complicate adherence by conflicting with
provisions in governing documents and state laws. Instead
of trying to tell associations how to govern their
communities, we are providing basic benchmarks. Our
ultimate objective is to help associations create and
sustain an atmosphere of trust, mutual respect and shared
expectations. When this occurs, associations experience
increased harmony, reduced conflict and greater
contentment.
Q: Don't you think community boards should
strive to go beyond minimum expectations?
A: Absolutely. Most community associations have already
moved well beyond the guidelines; in fact, many have
already adopted Rights and Responsibilities for Better
Communities, 42 practices and principles developed by CAI
in 2003.
Q: If you have Rights and Responsibilities,
why do you need the guidelines?
A: Because there are communities, especially new and
struggling community associations, which can benefit from a
clear set of basic expectations. And we know there are some
community association boards that need to be reminded that
there are reasonable expectations that should be met. We
hope these guidelines resonate in communities where minimum
thresholds aren't being achieved.
Q: How can an individual resident bring the
guidelines to the attention of an association
board?
A: Download a copy of the guidelines (PDF), as well as the
background information, and share both documents with your
board president, a member of the board or your community
manager. You can even ask to have the guidelines addressed
during the next board meeting, or at the next annual
membership meeting.
Q: What can CAI do when a board ignores the
guidelines?
A: CAI has no authority to intervene. Without having
detailed knowledge of the situation—and that would include
reviewing the association's governing documents as well as
relevant state and local statutes—we cannot judge or offer
specific solutions. What we can do is encourage all sides
to be as reasonable and flexible as possible. At a minimum,
everyone should take the time to read and understand the
association's governing documents, especially provisions
that may have a bearing on the nature and specifics of a
particular dispute.Needless to say, all rules, including
the requirement to pay assessments, should be enforced
fairly and equitably.
If enough residents are unhappy, they can elect new
members to the board during the next elections. Ultimately,
homeowners are responsible for setting the tone and
direction for their community.
Q: Where can I get more information about
community association governance?
A: We encourage homeowners and board members to visit
our website and review Rights and Responsibilities for
Better Communities.
We also have an extensive Reading Room.
Visitors to the website can also gain a wealth of
understanding by downloading our popular education primer,
An Introduction to Community Association Living (PDF).
All of these resources are free to CAI members and nonmembers
alike. In addition to the primer, CAI provides three
levels of homeowner education: The Fundamentals of
Community Volunteer Leadership, an online course;
The Essentials of Community Association
Leadership, a one-day course offered by CAI chapters
throughout the country; and Selected Topics in
Community Association Leadership, a series of seven
independent study modules.
CAI's affiliate, the Foundation for Community
Association Research, has Best Practices Reports that can be
downloaded at no cost.
Q: How do I learn more
about CAI?
A: Community association board
members, other homeowner volunteer leaders and association
residents can visit CAI's Web site
or call CAI toll free at (888) 224-4321 to learn more. When
homeowners or board members join CAI, they are
automatically enrolled in CAI's Center for Community
Association Volunteers (CCAV), which entitles them to a
bimonthly e-newsletter, access to the Members Only section
of the CAI website, our popular Board Member Tool Kit,
discounts and more.
Members Only
Questions and Answers: Community Association Governance Guidelines