articles by barry A. Ross

What Should the Board of Directors do at the Time of Developer Transition?


  • Review the Books and Records Provided by the Developer. It is not enough for the Board of Directors to request all the records from the developer. In addition, the Board must review the records and take appropriate action based on the records. The Board should retain competent personnel to review the records, such as accountants, property managers and attorneys. One item the Board must determine is the financial condition of the community association. This will require a careful review of income, expenses and reserves. The bank accounts should be examined to determine whether they correspond with the financial records.
  • Review Pending or Threatened Litigation. This requires an assessment by association counsel as to pending or threatened litigation against the association, as well as pending or potential claims that the association may have against others. A determination should be made as to which litigation should be settled and which should be prosecuted or defended.
  • Review Compliance with Corporate Laws. The corporate records should be examined in order to determine whether the association has been acting in conformity with corporate laws. This includes corporate meetings, government agency filings, minutes and notices to property owners and others. Good legal counsel can assist the association in complying with such laws and curing past oversights.
  • Determine Adequacy of Common Area Amenities. The common area amenities should be examined to determine if they are in compliance with the governing documents and the developer's marketing statements. For example, the clubhouse should be inspected to determine if it is the size (square footage) described in the recorded architectural plans and whether it contains the amenities described in the plans (i.e., kitchen facilities). The inspection should include ALL common area amenities.
  • Inspect the Common Area for Construction Defects. One of the most litigious and common aspects of community association life is that of construction defect disputes. One of the common issues in construction defect disputes is the statute of limitations. The developer may assert that the statute of limitations has expired while the Board of Directors may assert that the statute of limitations has not yet expired. Also, the developer may be more inclined to make repairs shortly after developer transition rather than several years later. The Board should promptly inspect the ENTIRE project thoroughly to determine if there are any construction defects. This inspection should be done by a qualified person such as an experienced general contractor or architect familiar with community association construction. Ideally, such inspection should be conducted by both the developer and the association.
  • Designate a Suitable Location for Association Records and Association Business. The Board should promptly designate a location for association records and association business. The location should be a place where the association records can be maintained with both security and access. The records should not be kept in a place where they will be misplaced or stolen. At the same time, At the same time, the records should be reasonably available to members of the association who wish to examine the records. The meeting place for Board meetings should be easily accessible and have enough room for members to attend.
  • Retain a Professional Team Early. The professional team should include at least the property manager and the attorney. Each person should be retained early in the developer transition process.

As to the selection of the property manager, the issues to be determined include whether the Board wants an in-house property manager such as a permanent employee or an outside property manager such as a company that represents other community associations. Sometimes, for economic reasons, a Board chooses to select one of its individual unit owners to serve as the property manager. This is usually a mistake because usually the individual unit owner does not have the expertise to serve as the property manager. Further, the individual unit owner will sometimes have a conflict of interest as to various issues that arise. In selecting a property manager, the Board should consider references from other associations (who employ or have employed the property manager), the level of commitment of the property manager (functions, hours, staffing, etc.) and the expense.

In the selection of association counsel, the Board should consider many of the same factors as described in connection with the property manager. The Board should retain an association counsel with experience in the area of community associations in general and developer transition in particular. The Board should not select the same person or firm retained by the developer. Aside from the obvious conflicts of interest, there is an advantage to retaining a professional staff that will take "a fresh look" at the problems and opportunities of the community association, including the past history.

Conclusion

This article is not intended as a definitive treatment of all the problems that may arise in the process of developer transition. It is an attempt to highlight some of the major issues that are likely to be placed in your path. This article should assist you in connection with the developer transition process.