Blog Post
Supporting HOAs during COVID-19
Tara Smith • May 12, 2020
HOA Management During COVID 19 Pandemic
In Southeast Louisiana, we are no stranger to emergency situations. While COVID 19 is like nothing we have experienced in recent history, our commitment to our clients is unwavering.
We will support the operations of your community through this challenging time.
At GSPM, our highest priority is the safety of our employees and the communities we serve. We are working to ensure compliance with Governor Edwards Stay at Home Order
while providing the highest level of property management services to the associations we serve.
Below are some updates to how we are working during this unprecedented time, as well as technical solutions available for your Board's consideration.
Remote Work Options
GSPM is a leader in property management technology. We have worked hard to ensure that, no matter the emergency, our operations remain up and running. Our top of the line property management software is cloud based so there is no interruption in access to association information.
We have offered all GSPM team members the ability to work remotely during this time. Our team has remote access to all facets of our operations such that business operations continue seamlessly during this time. This technology has undoubtedly helped us do our part to stop the spread of the Coronavirus.
Technology
HOA Payments - As always, homeowners are able to make payments online through their homeowner portal. Payments made by check are free. Credit card transactions carry the standard processing fee which will be added to the payment. We also accept payments through US Mail. While we love to meet our homeowners, we hope folks will appreciate the desire to limit office traffic during this time.
Vendor invoicing and communications - All vendor invoices are scanned upon receipt. Our team will be reviewing and approving invoices online for payment. There should be no interruption in standard billing. For exceptional expenses, our software allows us to request and track board member approval electronically. Vendor communications are traditionally done through e-mail and telephone calls. In the event that an in-person meeting is needed, our team is available to meet outside to discuss projects, while practicing social distancing.
Financial reporting - There will be no interruption in our monthly reporting. As noted above, our top of the line software ensures there will be no interruption in the financial management of the associations we serve.
Telephone communications - Our team has the ability to retrieve voicemails electronically. We are working hard to ensure a 24 hour turn around on all calls but appreciate your patience as we adjust to the inevitable challenges of remote work.
Governing documents - Homeowners can open and downloaded all pertinent HOA information including governing documents, Architectural Review Requests, Covenants and Restrictions and By Laws.
Community visits/drive-throughs - In accordance with Governor Edwards Stay at Home Order we ceased on site visits through May 15th. While it is generally safe for our team to complete community visits and drive-throughs in their vehicle, doing so places additional people on the streets, at gas stations, needing to eat out and increased the possibility of collisions/breakdowns etc. We choose to avoid the potential risk of placing an addition burden on our amazing healthcare and police forces during this unprecedented time in our history. As an alternative and to ensure consistent community preservation, we are accepting email notification of violations and sending notices, as appropriate. On site visits will resume, as per the Governor's Order, on Friday, May 15th.
Welcome packets - One of the ways we set ourselves apart from the competition is by delivering welcome packets to new neighbors, at no charge to the associations we serve. We will resume delivery of welcome packets beginning on May 15th. Be on the lookout for your cookies!
Architectural review requests - As always, these requests can be made electronically, through homeowner portals, by mail or email. In the event documents need to be delivered to the office, please deposit them in our mailbox at the front of the building. Please call upon arrival so a team member knows to accept the materials.
Limited office access - We've moved! As luck would have it, in the midst of this pandemic we were in process of purchasing our permanent home located at 381 Hwy 21, Suite 204, Madisonville, LA 70447. Located just off I-12 at the Target exit our office is now located in the heart of Madisonville, at the Arbor Walk Professional Complex. While we can't wait to host an open house and welcome you to our new office space, at this time, we are limiting access to our office to ensure the safety of our employees. Our team members are flexibly working between home and the office during traditional business hours. We do this to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In person appointments are available but we ask that they be scheduled in advance so proper precautions can be in place. We appreciate your patience as we limit the exposure for our team during the time they need to be in the office.
Board Members
The GSPM team is available to you during normal business hours and, as needed, for weekend and emergency situations. Please feel free to submit maintenance requests from the convenience of your portal, shoot us an email or simply give us a call. In person meetings can be scheduled to ensure everyone's safety.
Board meetings - We understand that board meetings will need to continue to ensure association business is handled in a timely manner. We strongly encourage board meetings to continue via Zoom or another online meeting platform. We have participated in many meetings this way and truly enjoy the interaction. While it takes a little getting used to, this has proven to be an effective means of continuing association business. Going forward we hope many will realize the benefit of remote meeting options as a means of obtaining quorum. (We recognize that some statutes and community governing documents require meetings to be held in person. If Boards are concerned about such legal requirements, it is suggested that the Board consult with your Association’s attorney. )
Below are some solutions that GSPM has in place for board consideration:
Teleconference meetings - GSPM will provide Boards the ability to conduct association meetings of up to 250 participants online, instead of in-person meetings, through GoToMeeting. GoToMeeting is a service that GSPM uses for computer and smart device meetings, and team has access to use this online service. A meeting using GoToMeeting can be as simple as a teleconference or as hi-tech as participants sharing their screen with the attendees. This service is offered to our communities at no charge to the community.
Appfolio - Appfolio, GSPM's software and administrative system is a secure, cloud-based application that is designed to work on laptops and mobile devices. It provides the flexibility for our employees and the boards we support to work from anywhere. Many of our Board members take advantage of the remote access capabilities of Appfolio, in addition to our standard, monthly reporting.
Online board member voting/approvals - Our technology allows us to track board member voting via remote means.
Contact us - Should homeowners have questions, we encourage them to contact Gulf South Property Management through our website, our Customer Service department at (985) 200-0660 or by email at info@gspmla.com.
Gulf South Property Management is honored to serve your community. We are committed to helping the communities we manage to function as normally as possible during trying times.
Stay safe and rest assured, Gulf South Property Management is here for your community.
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By now most of us have seen GEICO's attempt a HOA humor. In a recent ad campaign homeowners are seen raving over their new neighborhood but sarcastically state "the HOA is very involved." If you haven't seen it, click here for your laugh of the day. At the outset, let's acknowledge it for what it is - humor. It's GEICO's spin on extreme HOA board members in an effort to get homeowners to purchase insurance through their company. Here we are blogging about it, so their advertising probably worked. So why did the Community Associations Institute (CAI) issue a statement against it inviting GEICO to make another ad reflecting more of the reality of board participation? The answer is simple. The ad does not reflect the reality of the more than 2.5 million volunteers who serve the communities in which they live. According to the 2018 Homeowner Satisfaction Survey , independently conducted by Zogby Analytics for the Foundation for Community Association Research, residents in associations are overwhelmingly in support of their community association experience, manager and elected board members. HOA board members are VOLUNTEERS who offer their time and talent to help maintain and improve the associations in which they live. The actions of board members are designed to keep the association in the same or better condition then when your home was purchased. However, some homeowners do not see it that way. The internet is replete with HOA memes and members complaining about violation notices or liens for not paying their dues timely. So, do "Cynthias" really exist? Sure they do. But they are the exception, and not the norm. At the core of most HOA criticism are members who routinely violate HOA rules, forcing enforcement actions to be taken. Interestingly, when people purchase homes in restricted communities, they are agreeing to abide by the rules in place for their respective subdivisions. It is not until they are the subject of an enforcement action that the rules become problematic. One solution to this problem is for homeowners to know and understand the rules that apply to their association BEFORE they purchase in a restricted neighborhood. For example, if you have a 40' motorhome and want to keep it in your driveway, you should check with your real estate agent to ensure this won't be a problem before you start viewing homes to purchase. If your significant other can't wait to paint the front door red, check with your real estate agent to ensure painting your new front door is allowable. A good real estate agent will get to know their clients and identify these issues before suggesting homes to view. At the end of the day, the rules run with the land. As a homeowner, you are agreeing to abide by the rules in place when you purchase a home in a restricted community. Read here for our tips on what to do if you receive a violation notice from you HOA. If you are still confused about who is making the rules, or how to propose changing them, be sure you understand the difference between board membership and property management. At the end of the day we can all agree on one thing - homeowners purchase in their association because they like the way it looks. In the United States today there are more than 351,000 homeowners associations because homeowners want to know that their largest investment is protected. Be sure you understand the rules of the association before you agree to purchase a home in a restricted community. Chances are you will appreciate most, if not, all of them. If the rules do not comport with your lifestyle, it is better to know that before making an offer. We hope you enjoyed our take on GEICO's HOA humor. For more information on effective property management, call Gulf South Property Management at (985) 200-0660. Our goal is effective, affordable property management. We promise to keep the "Cynthias" in check while fairly and effectively enforcing the rules of your community.
Can your HOA regulate the display of a flag at your home? Does it matter if the flag is political?
We often hear that the “HOA Nazis” are out to get them. With nothing better to do with their time, they spend hours upon hours looking for infractions and sending out senseless violation notices. Who are these people and who do they think they are?!?
When you decide to purchase a home in a neighborhood that is subject to Covenants and Restrictions certain responsibilities follow – abiding by governing documents of the association, paying assessments timely and following the rules and regulations of the association.
It is inevitable that associations will go through board member resignations from time to time. Resignations can result from a change in jobs, scheduling conflicts, a family health emergency or a move. They can also result from frustrated or overwhelmed members. Maintaining consistency through board transitions is paramount. One way to do that is to have the right property management company in place to work though the transition phase.
Here’s a great article in Forbes Magazine entitled Why Newsletters Suck and How To Do Successful Email Marketing .
TheBoard of Directors has responsibility for managing the association’s finances and creating budgets that allow a community to preserve property values. A major part of this fiduciary responsibility is the board’s responsibility to budget for future repairs or unanticipated expenses. To accomplish this goal, an up-to-date reserve fund is critical to the financial management of a community.
