HOA communities still have to follow their local, state, and federal laws. All of this help protect the community’s property values. It also states the rights and responsibilities of homeowners.
Governing documents shape how the community functions.įor instance, it outlines the powers and responsibilities of the Board of Directors. These documents include CC&Rs, bylaws, rules and regulations, and ARCs. Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance is also an essential insurance policy that serves to protect board members from lawsuits made by disgruntled homeowners, vendors, or other third parties.Įvery homeowners association has its own governing documents. The Business Judgment Rule protects board members from being personally liable for actions - as long as these actions were made in the best interests of the HOA.
As fiduciaries, board members have a legal duty to promote the wellbeing of the association, make sound and informed decisions, and act only within the scope of their authority. In exchange, they accept a fiduciary duty on behalf of the homeowners. HOA board members are given the authority to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. The members may have additional duties based on their position on the Board. These are volunteer homeowners who are interested in overseeing the community and its operations.īoard members receive authority to handle the day-to-day operations of the community-including managing finances, maintaining common areas, enforcing rules and regulations, collecting HOA payments, and creating annual budgets. Once an HOA has been handed to the homeowners, they elect a qualified Board of Directors. The homeowners then elect a qualified Board of Directors who are interested in overseeing the community and its operations.
#HOA MEANING FULL#
When the community starts to grow, the developer hands over full control of the association to the residents. When an individual or a family buys a home in the residential community, they automatically become a member of the homeowners association.
Similar to other non-profit organizations or corporations, there has to be a leadership team to run the HOA, which in this case is called the Board of Directors.īy HOA definition, anyone who buys into the community becomes a member. After a developer creates a community, they usually create a homeowners association that acts as a non-profit organization. Now that you know what is a HOA, you must know how one is formed. These keep the overall community looking nice and keep the home somewhat cohesive. Through maintaining communal areas and enforcing rules and regulations, property values can go up immensely over time. The main reason for creating a homeowner association is to increase property values. You now know the homeowners association definition, you must now understand its purpose.