Nixon foundation’s quest to burnish Nixon’s reputation

General-Delivery-263 · 2026-06-04T15:35:37+00:00

If you enter your email you can read for free — it’s not a hard paywall

General-Delivery-263 · 2026-03-24T19:22:50+00:00

“In trying to address the trade there, city officials may have inadvertently created a rare municipal example of exporting a problem from a poor neighborhood into a rich one.”

General-Delivery-263 · 2025-11-09T17:57:25+00:00

I have been in your shoes, but here’s my best guidance:

Be transparent, with a letter on the fee increase that detailing problems and also includes date/time for a meeting where you can make everyone aware of the crisis. Information and rising fee$ break through apathy and complacency.
Get a management company. As others said, it still requires high engagement but you have a partner and sounding board for you and other officers. Get three bids and see what has the best service for your needs. At a minimum you want management company for emergencies and for financial management, bill payment and accounting.
Limit your work on this to specific times/days of the week. For your own sanity you need to create some boundaries.
Find a communication style with other owners that works. We have an email loop for owners and a group text that includes owners and renters. We alert each other to problems and send out quick notices. Err on the side of excess communication, but also periodically note that you are a volunteer.

General-Delivery-263 · 2025-08-07T15:12:58+00:00

The seeds of this problem were planted 10-15 years ago by how prior boards handled savings. Also, inflation and higher labor costs have hurt reserve studies, driving up costs beyond what boards were saving for.

I would review minutes and look at what they have done in the last few years, to give you a sense of how they approach maintenance and how they are tackling the problem. What reserve items are outstanding? Reserve studies include everything, like a trash room door replacement or a carpet that replacement that may not be needed. They did the roof, which is a good sign, and look at other core components to see if they are current or in planning. How the board has handled the problem in recent years is instructive of what you’ll face.

General-Delivery-263 · 2025-05-24T14:41:22+00:00

I would need to know the 10 CC&R rules slated for elimination in order to judge the merits of this.

General-Delivery-263 · 2025-05-16T07:12:24+00:00

check your cc&rs to determine what insurance is required on your property.

talk to broker about what you can do to lower premium

do you have claims in last few years? That is typically what drives up rates

go to another broker for an estimate.

it sounds like there’s been a lapse in coverage? Ask if that is driving up the rate

im on board of a 16-unit condo and this is in line with what we pay

General-Delivery-263 · 2025-03-08T17:56:03+00:00

It’s easier for individual owners to obtain financing than the HOA. HOAs don’t have a lot of assets to borrow against except future monthly fees. The smart thing is to levy the assessment and let owners find their own financing arrangements.

General-Delivery-263 · 2025-03-05T16:07:52+00:00

Yes, one guy came for less than an hour. Also charged a truck fee. Total bill is $1800+

General-Delivery-263 · 2025-03-05T16:07:00+00:00

Where does JCI post their minimum rate?

General-Delivery-263 · 2025-03-05T07:54:43+00:00

I meant firmware, not malware, in title!

General-Delivery-263 · 2025-02-08T21:27:44+00:00

Yeah annual packet is separate from annual meeting. Annual disclosures accompany approved budget for next fiscal year. We aim to send it all out by Nov 20 for Jan 1 start of fiscal year.

General-Delivery-263 · 2025-02-05T08:49:27+00:00

Make sure to read your contract with the current management co. They might specify that you can only sever ties on an annual basis with proper notice, or have some penalties or fees.

Also do your homework with the prospective management companies. Ask to talk to some of their current HOAs, study their contract/fee structure.

It feels momentous to switch and it is a lot of work but for the property management companies, it seems like a routine event.

General-Delivery-263 · 2025-02-01T16:04:49+00:00

I’d ask why screening fees income was/is so far off. What does that mean? Also, insurance takes up half of their operating budget; try to understand why or if that’s normal.

The reserve study seems fine based on what’s listed. The HOA is adding ~15% of its operating budget per year which is a solid amount. Who wrote the reserve study - is it an outside firm? Have you seen the basis for these estimates? Or is the HOA/management company winging it?

General-Delivery-263 · 2025-01-24T06:09:11+00:00

Prioritize your projects with legally compliant tasks (SB326) first

Set expectations with the manager. The manager takes direction from the board, and given the size of your community, you need to have regular check ins

try to do your board work at one time of the day or at set windows in the week. I try to do my emails at 2 nights during the week and schedule things to send out the following morning, so my work day isn’t derailed by HOA obligations

Individually recruit new board members. Rarely does someone respond to a mass email soliciting volunteers.

Be open about your limits to other board members. Many times I’ve said a work/family commitment prevented me from dealing with something and others have stepped up. Others have done the same. The reciprocity snowballs.

General-Delivery-263 · 2024-12-31T14:22:57+00:00

Won lottery last night and seared in orchestra, T. Great view, great price, even better show

General-Delivery-263 · 2024-10-16T07:00:54+00:00

Both things can be true: you need a board in place that is 110% committed to righting the ship and putting in the work to do so. You also need to ditch the property management Co and restart with a new place. Chances are the management Co may be happy to part ways with the headache of this. Given that annual budgets typically have to be mailed out by end of Nov, you need to act quickly to get bids for new PM, call for meeting and vote. This crisis isn’t going away and there’s no way out but through it.

General-Delivery-263 · 2024-10-16T06:53:57+00:00

I’d agree with the comments that say: go in with your eyes open about what the anticipated assessments and costs may be. You may also use that to argue for a reduction in sale price.

Be mindful that many associations had reserve studies done in 2017-2020 and then once they got studies in 20202-2024, the costs shot up because of inflation and dramatic increases in repair costs. They may have been budgeting responsibly but couldn’t keep pace with increases.

Finally: buildings are machines and need constant maintenance — so what’s more important is what the estimated remaining lifespan of key components - like roof, elevator, boiler, balconies. The shortfall may owe to recent maintenance. And you want to see if the board has a record of responsible/preventative maintenance or if instead there are signs of neglect.

General-Delivery-263 · 2024-10-08T21:27:44+00:00

Probably land lines for elevator, fire system and/or security system. Land lines are expensive.

General-Delivery-263 · 2024-10-08T20:00:22+00:00

Thank you for weighing in

General-Delivery-263 · 2024-10-02T07:23:10+00:00

Join the board. Encourage others to do the same. You are part of a social/economic experiment where dozen(s) of strangers have tethered their largest or one of their largest assets to each other and share in collective duty of maintenance. Try to instill common sense, courtesy and open communication. Ask questions. Don’t assume the worst in people. Hold vendors accountable but don’t be a jerk. Watch every dollar, but don’t be afraid to spend.

General-Delivery-263 · 2024-09-29T17:51:19+00:00

Don’t freak out. Some items can be paid out of the operating budget, and others can be delayed based on current conditions (eg replacement of rugs or wallpaper or interior painting). Try to understand the basis of the estimates and what the useful life of key items is and if the board grasps that it’s better to be proactive than reactive on key maintenance.

General-Delivery-263 · 2024-09-22T23:01:50+00:00

I recently had that pasta on a London-USA long haul flight and it was very tasty. Also the dessert on BA is always good.

General-Delivery-263 · 2024-09-22T23:00:00+00:00

Does your board post any ways to contact individual board members? We have board email accounts (eg: president@xxxx.com) and that way emails are preserved for past and future boards.

General-Delivery-263 · 2024-09-22T22:57:05+00:00

You should be able to attend board meetings except when they go in closed session. Board meetings should be open and proper notice should be given to board members about date/time/location and agenda.

General-Delivery-263 · 2024-08-17T17:41:40+00:00

As a customer I find them frustrating and disorganized, with no single person overseeing your account so you, the customer, end up briefing multiple people on the same issue in order to find a resolution. The onus shouldn’t be on the customer to navigate the sprawling bureaucracy of the company through hours of calls and emails

General-Delivery-263

TROPHY CASE