FAQs About HOA Management

Homeowner associations can compel homeowners to pay a share of common expenses, usually per-unit or based on square footage. An assessment is an expense that generally arises from common property, which varies dramatically depending on the type of association. Some associations are, quite literally, towns, complete with private roads, services, utilities, amenities, community buildings, pools, and even schools. Many condominium associations consider the roofs and exteriors of the structures as the responsibility of the association. Other associations have no common property, but may charge for services or other matters.

A predetermined set of fees usually referred to as ‘Dues’ are collected by HOAs, Community Associations, or divisions of property management for the upkeep of said organizations or neighborhoods in general. These fees are billed at intervals, sometimes by month, quarter, or annually.

Assessments are the Homeowner’s financial obligation to the Community Association. Assessments cover the operating expenses of the common area and provide for reserve funds for replacement of common facilities in future years. Each Association is unique and due dates for assessments vary. You can view your Association’s yearly budget in your RowCal Homeowner Portal under the documents tab for more information.

There is no concrete answer to whether or not your assessment will go up. Typically, your Association Declarations provide for annual increases, in most cases, there is a set percentage that is not to be exceeded per year without the vote of the property owners. The Board of Directors may approve an increased budget, in order to cover increased costs of operating and maintaining the common area and sufficient reserve funds. Your Association’s Fiscal Year End is noted on your Budget and Budget Notices. You will receive a mailing of any updates to your Budget/Assessments prior to your upcoming Fiscal Year End so you can update your payment amount, if necessary.

Community Associations are dependent upon timely receipt of assessments due from each property owner. Late payments may result in late charges and possibly interest to your account, based on your Association’s Collections Policy. The management company reserves the right to apply charges to homeowner accounts for their efforts to resolve delinquency per the management agreement. In addition, the Association has the right to turn over delinquent accounts to their attorney for collection of assessments.

Late fees are assessed to accounts that have not paid their assessments within the time-frame noted in your Association’s Collections Policy.

RowCal’s Auto Pay Program is set to only pull your association assessment amount, as you have approved. We cannot pull additional amounts without your written approval. If you would like your full balance pulled with your next month’s association payment, please submit your request in writing to the Care Team.

A Homeowners’ Association (HOA) is a legal entity created by a real estate developer for the purpose of developing, managing and selling a community of homes. It is given the authority to enforce the covenants, conditions & restrictions (CC&Rs) and to manage the common amenities of the development. It allows a developer to end their responsibility over the community, typically by transferring ownership of the association to the homeowners after selling. Generally accepted as a voluntary association of homeowners gathered together to protect their property values and to improve the neighborhood, a large percentage of U.S neighborhoods where free standing homes exist have an HOA. Most homeowners’ associations are nonprofit organizations and are subject to state statutes that govern non-profit corporations and homeowners’ associations.

A community association is a nongovernmental association of participating members of a community, such as a neighborhood, village, condominium, cooperative, or group of homeowners or property owners in a delineated geographic area. Participation may be voluntary, require a specific residency, or require participation in an intentional community. Community associations may serve as social clubs, community promotional groups, service organizations, or quasi-governmental groups.

A Neighborhood Association (NA) is a group of residents or property owners who advocate for or organize activities within a neighborhood. An association may have elected leaders and voluntary dues. Some neighborhood associations in the United States are incorporated, may be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, and may enjoy freedom from taxation from their home state.

The term neighborhood association is sometimes incorrectly used instead of homeowners association (HOA). Some key differences include:

1. HOA membership is mandatory generally through rules tied to the ownership of property like deed restrictions. Neighborhood association membership is voluntary or informal.
2. HOAs often own and maintain common property, such as recreational facilities, parks, and roads, whereas neighborhood associations are focused on general advocacy and community events.

The rules for formation of a neighborhood association in the United States are sometimes regulated at the city or state level. Neighborhood associations are more likely to be formed in older, established neighborhoods, whereas HOAs are generally established at the time a residential neighborhood is built and sold. In some cases, neighborhood associations exist simultaneously with HOAs, and each may not encompass identical boundaries.

Association management is a distinct field of management because of the unique environment of associations. Associations are unique in that the ‘owners’ are dues-paying members. Members also govern their association through an elected board or other governing body, along with association committees, commissions, task forces, councils and other units. Typically, the board selects, retains and evaluates a chief executive officer or an executive director who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the association and paid staff. Managers within the association environment are responsible for many of the same tasks that are found in other organizational contexts. These include human resource management, financial management, meeting management, IT management, and project management. Other aspects of management are unique for association managers. These include: membership recruitment and retention; tax-exempt accounting and financial management; development of non-dues revenue and fundraising. Association managers must also be familiar with laws and regulations that pertain only to associations. To attain the knowledge needed to effectively operate in association management, its practitioners may choose to pursue the Certified Association Executive designation.

A property management entity contracted by a Board of Directors or community to provide a variety of services including but not limited to collecting assessments, sub-contractor endeavors, financial advisement and statement/reports preparation and analysis, general maintenance and problem resolution, and advisement on legal and other property related matters. Some of these companies manage hundreds of properties simultaneously, while others focus on individual properties.

If your community is not self managed, the Association Management’s contact information can be located on the website, and most Association Management companies have contact information listed on their company websites or in the phone book. Generally, a management company can be contacted online or by telephone by community or Board members, or individuals whose communities are seeking a management company for representation.

A Managing Agent is a person or entity hired specifically to assist the board of directors in enforcing the documents and managing the assets, funds, and interests of the association.

An individual appointed to act or vote on behalf of another person by representing them at a meeting of the association. The title can also refer to the written piece of paper granting that power.

A Quorum is defined as the minimum number of owners required to hold an official meeting of the association. The number of owners required can vary greatly according to the corresponding association’s governing documents.

The act of initiating a Recuse involves the temporary removal of an association member or board member, or the act of disallowing his or her participation in a particular vote or proceeding.

In relation to an HOA, Community or other formal organization, a director is an officer charged with the conduct and management of its affairs. The directors collectively are referred to as a board of directors, and are generally elected or appointed. Sometimes the board will appoint one of its members to be the chair, making this person the President of the Board of Directors or Chairman.

If your community has a Board of Directors, contact information, meeting times, minutes, and other information can be obtained through checking the Board information area of your website.

Board meetings are open to all residents of an association. Notice of the time and place of any regular Board meetings will be sent via email and noted on the website calendar. If you have an issue or suggestion you would like to present, please submit your request in writing to your Community Manager via the Care Team, at least 5 days before the meeting so it can be added to the agenda under Public Homeowner Open Forum.

If you would like to become more involved in your Community and want to volunteer on a Committee, you can reach out to your Community Manager via the Care Team for more information. If you would like to serve on the Board of Directors, you will need to submit your nomination request and bio to your Community Manager before your Annual Meeting is held. The Annual Meeting will hold an election of officer roles on the Board of Directors that are up for new terms that year.

All violations must be submitted to RowCal Management in writing. You can submit the violation via email to CareTeam@RowCal.com. Please note that you will be required to disclose your name and address, but your personal information will not be released to the Homeowner who you are reporting the violation on.

All violation responses must be submitted to RowCal Management in writing for review by the Community Manager and Board of Directors. You can respond to violation notices in the Web Portal under the Account Info tab, then by choosing Violations, and submitting a response to the chosen open violation.

The declaration, bylaws, operating rules, articles of incorporation or any other documents which govern the normal operating procedures of an association.

The term CC&R refers to ‘Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions.’ A real covenant is a legal obligation imposed in a deed by the seller of a home and/or property upon the buyer of the real estate to do or not to do something. Such restrictions frequently ‘run with the land’ and are enforceable on future buyers of the property. Examples might be to maintain a property in a reasonable state of repair, to preserve a sight-line for a neighboring property, not to run a business from a residence, or not to build on certain parts of the property. Many covenants are very simple and are meant only to protect a neighborhood from homeowners destroying trees or historic things or otherwise directly harming property values. Some can be more specific and strict, outlining everything a homeowner can do to the exterior of their home, including the number of non-familial tenants one may have, acceptable colors to re-paint the home, exactly when holiday decorations are allowed up, automobile placement or repair on property, satellite placement, etc.

A set of rules or guidelines regarding the operation of a non-profit corporation such as a Board. Bylaws generally set forth definitions of offices and committees involved with the Board of Directors. They can include voting rights, meetings, notices, and other areas involved with the successful operation of the Association.

The Declaration is sometimes referred to as the ‘master deed,’ ‘documents,’ or ‘declaration of covenants, conditions, and restrictions’ [CC&Rs]. It describes an owner’s responsibilities to the association which can include payment of dues and assessments as well as the association’s various duties to the owners. It is commonly viewed as somewhat of a ‘constitution’ of the association. The person or group of persons who either signs the original declaration governing the development and association or acquires the original developer’s rights is referred to as the ‘Declarant.’

Many Community Associations have established Rules and Regulations that have been adopted by the Board of Directors. The Rules and Regulations are established to provide direction to the property owners in regard to parking, pets, pool use, etc. Community Associations may also have specific guidelines set up for Architectural Improvements. Architectural Improvements include, but are not limited to: patio covers, decks, landscaping, and exterior color changes. These rules are set up to maintain the aesthetic value and integrity of your Community and to protect the market value of your investment. Violations of these rules may result in action by the Board of Directors, which can include fines assessed to the property owners. In addition, exterior improvements or changes that are completed without prior approval by the Board of Directors or Architectural Committee may require the property owner to remove or correct the alteration and/or be fined for the violations.

An HOA Ordinance is an individual or set of laws adopted by local government at the county and city level.

A monetary claim levied against a property for unpaid mortgage, taxes, contractor work, or other charges. A lien is attached to the property, not the owner, but legally must be recorded in the property records of the county of residence. If a Lien is in place, the property owner has very limited ability to do anything involving the property until the Lien is satisfied or removed.

An estoppel letter is used in a transfer or conveyance of real property prior to the Closing transaction. The document is sent to a bank (or other lender), to an HOA (or Condo Association), to a city/municipality, or a tenant requesting payoff of a mortgage, assessments or taxes due, or rental amounts due on a lease, to incorporate these amounts into the Settlement Statement for the buyer and seller of the real estate. Assessments and payments due must be incorporated into the amounts due at Closing and paid at the time of the Closing. Some amounts may be pro-rated, but all must be included in the Settlement Statement. The estoppel letter is the document that facilitates this process.

An interest or a right in real property which grants the ability to a landowner to use the land of another for a special purpose or endeavor. An association may for example have an easement for slope maintenance or other repair purposes. A public utility may also have an easement for maintenance or repair work to be executed at a future date.

Similar in essence to a lien, the Notice of Noncompliance is a document sometimes authorized under the CC&Rs and may be recorded in the county property records. Its essential purpose is to notify prospective buyers that the property is in violation of the documents.

Your annual association Master Insurance Policy Certificate can be found under the Documents tab of your Homeowner Portal. Townhome and Condominium associations generally also require owners to have an HO-6 policy, and that notice will be in the Insurance Folder as well, if applicable.

Yes. The Architectural Control Committee (ACC) is an important part of regulating community standards on home exteriors to maintain unity and premium resale opportunities. Exterior changes require Board review and approval in most cases. You can review your Association’s Declaration or Rules & Regulations for more information. You can easily download the ACC/ARC/DRC application from the Documents Tab here on the website and submit your request (with your application and sub-documents attached) via the ACC Request tab. This will notify your Community Manager and Board of Directors right away and is the most efficient way to submit your application.

When your association is managed by RowCal, you can easily submit and review the status of your ACC request via the homeowner portal! You can download the form from the documents tab and attach it with your request, including all other necessary information such as color choices, mapped placements, material list, contractor hired, timeline, etc.

Homeowners within Associations managed by RowCal can easily submit a Work Order Request via the web portal by choosing the Work Orders tab on the Menu. Our Community Managers assign maintenance items in our system that are noted as “Association Responsibility” or “Homeowner Responsibility” based on an attorney-drafted Maintenance Matrix that aligns with your Governing Documents, and you will know upon submission of your request if your subject of repair is an HOA responsible item. If your association does not have an attorney drafted Maintenance Matrix, your work order will be reviewed by your manager and Board of Directors for approval. If you have questions regarding your submitted work order, you can add comments and questions to the work order request in the web portal which will be directly sent to your Community Manager and viewable by your Board of Directors.

An HOA common area is any area of improved real property intended for shared use by the members of an association.

You certainly can! On your My Profile page, simply select “Add Additional Property” and follow the steps.

Make sure we have your email on file and that you are registered for the web portal! You are welcome to reach out to your Community Manager for details on how is best to share the message of your community event. Availability for sharing this information will be unique to each Association and Association requirements/restrictions. Please email Care Team for more information.

A resale disclosure package is a packet of important information that is provided to a buyer of a home that is within a community management association. The package will include a full set of the association’s governing documents, recent financials and budgetary information, insurance information, as well as the resale disclosure certificate. The goal of a resale package is to be sure that home-buyers are aware of their obligations within the community they are moving into, as well as the overall financial health of the community. Please visit www.condocerts.com to order your resale documents or click the Resale Docs button at the top right of this page.

According to state law, it is a legal requirement of the selling party to provide this package with all required information. Failure to provide all required information can result in a sale falling through, or major future issues for the buyer should they not have been notified of community restrictions. Resale Disclosure Packages are updated, reviewed, and prepared each time an order is placed for that individual unit. It is not a simple document that just takes “pushing a button” but a custom, time sensitive document. Due to the time it takes to prepare a package, as well as the liability that is assumed by the party preparing this package, you will often see a charge for this service. Typically, the seller of the home is responsible for the cost of the Resale Disclosure Package as it is an expense for the individual unit.

A master association is an association which oversees and governs a group of smaller associations which typically share common areas of a large planned community (the master community). Sub associations may be classified as single-family homes, town homes, or condominiums. Each sub association has its own individual set of governing documents in addition to the master association governing documents. Since they are two separate entities with separate financials, budgets, and governing documents, two sets of documents must be ordered.

RowCal reviews your reserve study, conducts site assessments, and works with the board to identify short- and long-term project needs. We help prioritize projects based on safety, cost impact, reserve health, and community value.

Yes. RowCal’s financial and construction teams work together to guide boards on funding sources based on reserve study recommendations, governing documents, and best practices.

We obtain competitive bids, review scopes for accuracy, vet contractor qualifications, confirm insurance requirements, and present a clear comparison to the board, ensuring transparency and fair pricing.

Yes. We evaluate vendor proposals, highlight differences in scope, pricing, and timelines, and provide professional recommendations. The board always retains final decision authority.

RowCal coordinates schedules, communicates with homeowners, monitors contractor progress, conducts on-site inspections, reviews change orders, and ensures the project aligns with the approved scope and budget.

Our construction specialists track progress, verify milestones, confirm invoices align with completed work, and immediately flag issues to the board with recommended solutions.

Yes. RowCal provides regular updates including timelines, progress photos, budget status, and upcoming milestones so the board remains fully informed.

We conduct inspections throughout the project, verify contractor performance, confirm materials match the specifications, and ensure final deliverables meet industry standards before closing out the project.

RowCal ensures contractors follow required safety protocols, maintain proper insurance, and set up safe work zones, protecting homeowners, visitors, and association property.

RowCal verifies that invoiced amounts match completed work, aligns charges with the approved scope, and presents invoices to the board for approval with full supporting documentation.

Yes. We handle contracts, compliance documents, permits (as required), warranties, insurance certificates, and project close-out packages.

We provide advance notices, ongoing updates, and clear expectations about timelines, access restrictions, and parking adjustments to minimize disruption.

RowCal serves as the point of contact so contractors can focus on the work and the board isn’t fielding calls or emails from residents.

Yes. RowCal confirms all work is completed correctly, ensures debris is removed, validates warranties, and completes a final walk-through before recommending approval.

Absolutely. We maintain records of contractor warranties and provide reminders and support if warranty-related issues arise later.

We verify that all contractors hold proper licensing, insurance, and bonding, and ensure contracts include appropriate risk-transfer language to protect the association.

RowCal evaluates the issue, consults with the contractor, prepares recommendations, and communicates options to the board so decisions can be made quickly and confidently.

Yes. RowCal tracks rental occupancy, monitors compliance with leasing caps or wait-lists, and reviews lease documentation to ensure it aligns with your governing documents. We notify the board when limits are reached and assist in communicating requirements to homeowners.

We verify lease terms, tenancy dates, registration requirements, and occupancy limits. If violations occur, RowCal documents the issue, notifies the owner, and supports the board through the established enforcement process.

Absolutely. If your governing documents prohibit or limit short-term rentals (Airbnb/VRBO), RowCal monitors listings, responds to violations, and works with the board to ensure rules are applied consistently.

Yes. RowCal collects required tenant information (lease copies, contact details, parking assignments, etc.), maintains accurate occupancy records, and ensures tenants are added to the correct communication lists without granting them inappropriate access.

Tenants may submit maintenance or general inquiries through the portal when permitted, but all governance, compliance, and policy matters remain the responsibility of the property owner. RowCal ensures communication flows correctly without putting the board in the middle.

Homeowners remain responsible for rule compliance, tenant behavior, payment of assessments, and ensuring tenants understand community policies. RowCal clearly communicates expectations so owners and tenants are aligned.

We notify owners directly through the Homeowner Portal, email, and annual policy updates. If tenants require access to specific instructions (like parking guidelines), we provide those materials to the owner to share, unless board policy allows direct communication.

RowCal documents violations, tracks recurring concerns, enforces fines per policy, and recommends next steps to the board. We also help clarify and tighten rental rules when needed to prevent future issues.

Yes. If your governing documents require owners to carry specific insurance for leased units, RowCal collects and records certificates, follows up on expirations, and ensures compliance is tracked.

Yes. We maintain a centralized rental log that includes unit status, lease terms, expiration dates, and compliance with rental caps. This helps prevent disputes, confusion, or policy misinterpretation.

Absolutely. We review your governing documents, compare them to best practices, identify gaps or outdated language, and make recommendations to your board and legal counsel for potential updates.

For communities with many rental units, RowCal provides enhanced tracking, more frequent reporting, clear communication guidelines, and proactive monitoring to prevent issues that commonly arise in high-rental environments.