2023 is nearly upon us and at PDS, we know that HOA Board members and residents can work together to develop productive resolutions. So, we’ve put together some ideas on how to build effective New Year’s Resolutions for you HOA! It’s true that New Year’s resolutions have a certain stigma to them of never sticking and being forgotten by mid-February. However, developing a few New Year’s resolutions that foster positive relationships between HOA Boards and residents are simple to achieve and can provide long-lasting impacts with little effort. We want you and your HOA to be ready for the best ye ..read more

Every homeowners association has governing documents including the HOA bylaws and documents outlining rules and restrictions. These documents, however, are not etched in stone and there may come a time when they will need to be amended because they are outdated, the needs of the community have changed, or the association has discerned that a new restriction would be beneficial. Is It Possible to Change HOA Bylaws and CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions)? The bylaws of an HOA determine how the association functions and operates. The bylaws stipulate how many HOA Board members the ..read more

Top Ten HOA Homeowner Rights Homeowners Associations are legal entities. Consequently, an HOA, its Board members, and homeowners all have certain legal rights — all of which should be clearly outlined in your community’s governing documents.  So that HOA Boards and residents within the community can understand what rights are afforded to homeowners, PDS has put together a list of the top 10 rights that homeowners have within their HOA. Property Owners Have Specific Rights Under the Law Anyone who purchases property is afforded a plethora of legal rights. These include: The Right of Pos ..read more

Halloween is an anticipated and fun holiday for those who choose to celebrate it, but, unfortunately, it can also be deadly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on Halloween more than twice the number of children die in pedestrian-car accidents between 4:00 and 10:00pm than on any other day of the year. At PDS we know that Halloween can be a lot of fun for you and your family, but we also know that when candy is the reward, children often run off ahead of their caretakers, undeterred by warnings, barking dogs, older kids, or, sadly, on coming cars. So we have put t ..read more

Community Awareness Can Mean Safety for You and Your Neighbors! None of us wants to be perceived as a “nosey neighbor.” But, do you know the daily habits of others in your HOA? How much would you notice if people in your Arizona neighborhood weren’t following their normal routines?  The fact is, there is a difference between a nosey busybody and a conscientious neighbor! Being aware of the routines that your neighbors regularly follow, means that you can readily notice when something isn’t right. Such awareness can be essential to keeping everyone in your homeowners association safe. Awar ..read more

The sheer number of documents, rules, and regulations that govern HOAs can be downright overwhelming and confusing for HOA Board members and community homeowners alike! In order to avoid misunderstandings at to which rules or standards apply when, it is important to understand which governing documents take priority for your HOA. HOA Documents: The Chain of Command There are a lot of rules and regulations that apply to your HOA. But they all come from different documents that were written at different times by different groups of people. As a result, community homeowners and Board members alik ..read more

There are over 70 million people in nearly 350,000 communities in the United States who are members of HOAs and remarkably, their daily lives may be impacted by their HOA Boards far more than by their local, county, state, or even federal governments! Because HOAs and their Boards can exert such an influence over community members’ lives, it is important to understand what they are legally required to do and what they are prohibited from doing. And that requires understanding what HOAs even are in the first place. What Exactly Is an HOA? If you buy a home, condo, or townhouse, you may find tha ..read more

Strong, healthy communities require participation and cooperation from HOA Board members, homeowners, volunteers, and HOA managers. But it seems that most people are busier than ever and being available for HOA meetings or events doesn’t always make it to the top of their to-do list! If you’re looking for ways to increase community involvement and engagement, we’ve put together some ideas to help! Publicize, Publicize, Publicize! Make sure that you utilize all available forms of communication to let your community know about meetings, events, and volunteer opportunities. Use your community’s H ..read more

Are there extra fees associated with selling my home in the HOA? As you probably know, every Homeowner Association is different and each has their own governing documents detailing what fees are collected at the closing of a home sale and who is responsible for paying them. That having been said, there are several fees that will most likely need to be paid to the association by either you or the buyer at escrow. Because so many details can vary from community to community, it is important that your HOA be completely transparent about the fees that are assessed at any time, as has been discuss ..read more