Nothing will sink your HOA board faster than secrecy. While there are times when confidentially is necessary, most often HOA board business is public information and required to be easily accessible to homeowners. Boards should always focus on clear communication with open door policies to eliminate suspicion and resentment.

Here is a list of the most common reasons boards withhold information and some handy tricks for maintaining transparency:

Difficult or disruptive homeowners

Every board can relate to this, because every community has residents who like to stir the pot. These owners can be argumentative, emotionally disruptive, and sometimes even verbally abusive. It’s not surprising some boards choose to meet in secret to avoid the conflict these people create.

Fear

Fear may be the most common reason for secrecy we hear from HOA boards. When difficult or overwhelming problems arise and a board doesn’t know how to deal with them, they sometimes avoid involving homeowners. Don’t do that. Don’t let fear of failure or fear of homeowner panic stop you from practicing open communication and transparency. Hiding the problem will only guarantee that when owners find out (and they will), the situation will escalate and your board’s competency and ethics will be called into question.

Know-it-all syndrome

We don’t see this one as often as the first two, but it is equally dangerous. Your HOA board doesn’t need to have all the answers and acting like you do will get your board in hot water. There are proper checks and balances written into your HOA’s governing documents, and even though your board may think they have the answer, issues still need to be addressed by the community and in accordance with your governing documents.

Money problems

When the coffers are full, it is easy to talk openly about money. But as soon as something happens like homeowners failing to pay dues or a natural disaster strikes, money can become a problem. If or when it does, deal with it head on and openly. If you hide it, the problem will fester and become much worse.

Keeping the good and bad news out the in the open will foster an environment of trust and ultimately prevent problems from becoming truly explosive. No matter how bad it may seem, we at Spectrum will ensure the issue is properly and efficiently dealt with! For more information on our HOA property management services, contact us today!