The HOA Board must carry out many duties, but one of the most important ones is enforcing the Association’s rules and regulations. After all, these rules are not arbitrary. They exist for a reason—namely, to prevent chaos and to ensure that the Association runs effectively. More specifically, the rules exist to ensure that the community is a good place to live, that property values are preserved, and that everyone is treated fairly.
As a member of the HOA Board, you should always strive to enforce the rules, as written, with consistency and fairness. The only time this isn’t true is if you’re compelled to violate the rules in order to follow the laws of your city or state. (And that’s not an issue you’re likely to run into often.)
Why the Rules of the HOA Matter
There are several specific reasons why proper HOA rule enforcement matters—among them:
Personal Duty
First and foremost, you agree to abide by all the rules of the HOA when you buy into the community—so whether you happen to be serving on the HOA Board or not, proper rule enforcement is really something to which you are duty-bound.
Fairness
It’s also vital that you treat all community members with fairness; the rules simply don’t work when they’re applied to some but not to others.
Financial Obligation
As a member of the HOA Board, you have significant fiduciary responsibilities—and part of that means fairly enforcing all policies related to the collection of assessments, etc.
Community Trust and Unity
If you don’t enforce the rules fairly, you’re not only going to lose the trust of the neighbors you are serving, but you may also lead to tumult or dissention within the Association.
Legal Duty
Proper enforcement of the rules, as they are written, is arguably the single best way to keep your HOA free and clear of any litigation.
These are just a few of the reasons why it matters to take all the rules seriously—especially if you’re in a position of power within the HOA.
Get Help Enforcing the Rules
None of this means that it’s easy to enforce rules with total consistency—but thankfully, there is help available, in the form of a Community Manager. To learn more, we invite you to contact us at Kuester Management Group right away!
