What is a Homeowners/Condominium Association?
Who is the Board of Directors?
What does the Board of Directors do?
What does Community Management Group do?
What do I need to do for exterior changes (Architectural Review Committee)?
Are the Rules in place to settle homeowner disputes?
What is an Assessment, and why do I pay one?
Do we have a budget?
What's the Scoop on Doggie Poop?
Noise, pet nuisances, speeding...  How can you help me?
Do you accept online payments or credit cards? Where do I send my check?
I notice that my statements are telling me to send my payments to a new P.O. Box in Columbia, but my payments have always been mailed to a P.O. Box in Atlanta – have your offices moved?
What are the Association account collections policies? 
How do you figure what my Assessment will be?
Parking is a problem in my neighborhood. How does the HOA assist?
What can you do about all of these renters in our neighborhood?
Why can't you publish who owes money right on the door of the Food Lion?
Why can't you tell me the status of the violation I have called in for action? How will I know that it is being addressed?
When doing violations, why don’t you simply put a note on the door or notify us while you are out on property instead of sending us a nasty gram or giving us a fine?
Who gets all this fine money anyway?
When will my developer transition the HOA to property owners and what will happen?
Alligators ! There is an alligator near my house and I am afraid for my pets and family. Can you relocate it to another pond?
I live in the City and our streets flood very often. What can be done and why don't storm drains work like they should?
Are there secret messages encoded in our community Covenants which predict the future end of the world?
My pool card is missing (lost/stolen/dog ate it). How can we get a replacement?
How long does it take to have a lien released now that I am all paid up?
Why do I have to purchase insurance for my condo if the Association already carries insurance?
How can I be cited for a "violation" if there is no law against what I am doing?
Where can I get a mailbox key? Which one is mine?
Can pools turn your hair green?
Can my neighbor REALLY park a boat in the street in Charleston?
Doggone Mosquitoes!!  What can be done?
Can i keep a storage POD in my driveway?

Also see below:
 

Financial: We work with the board to draft a zero-based budget for Board adjustment and approval. We employ a very strong Assessment collections process as refined from your recorded documents and Board policy. We disburse Association funds to vendors and utilities based upon the budget and under Board directives and policies.

Covenants Enforcement: We follow your Covenants, Board policy and reasonable interpretation to handle all aspects of Covenants enforcement and serve as a first and second line of dispute resolution should an owner take issue with a notice from the Association.  Weekly site visits are made through each community and each property is compared at this time against a list of general and specific standards prepared and endorsed by your Board of Directors as drawn from your Covenants.  Each community has slightly different policies concerning what is a violation, on the timeline for correction and for penalties for violations.  each is addressed in accordance and some take time for owners to correct.

Most communities allow Community Management Group to conditionally waive an initial fine (but not late charges for those not timely paid) provided the violation has been cleared up and does not recur, or it may be reinstated and doubled.  These requests may come to us by e-mail or letter.  Most communities have a fine schedule after an initial notice is mailed of $25, $50, $100... and may eventually escalate to daily fines. In some cases, your Association may take legal action against non-compliant situations or may take other remedial action at owners expense, the cost of which may be assessed against your Association account and is collectible as Assessments.

Common Area Maintenance: Your Manager works with third-party, outside vendors for maintenance of all common areas, including ponds, pools, docks, amenity buildings, gates and other structures, plus all landscaped grounds.  We set schedules for seasonal plantings and mulch and groundcover application. These are purely ongoing maintenance considerations.  Your Manager cannot undertake enhancements to the existing amenities without specific Board approval.  The Board needs to have BUDGETED for the enhancement as there are finite funds available for the Association operations.  Special Assessments may be required for non-budgeted enhancements.

Exterior changes and your Architectural Review Board (ARC, ARB, DRB)

Your Declaration of Covenants requires that the Board uphold the restrictions contained within the documents. It is to the homeowner’s benefit to have rules in place in their Association. Rules are intended to establish and maintain a certain standard of aesthetics, which will enhance the property value.  All exterior changes or additions to the property including pools and fences, as well as placement of sheds, and satellite dishes must be approved in advance by the Architectural Review Committee.  Some communities call this the Architectural Review Board or the Design Review Board.

Some ARBs take as much as 30 days or longer to review applications.  Some meetings are scheduled in advance and some ARBs simply take some time to review applications.  Community Management Group generally can not expedite applications given over to your ARB, but we'll certainly not be a part of a delay.

For those that have a fee, your Board has determined that it is in the best interest of the community to collect this fee to cover the cost of administration or professional architect fees and to provide for unbiased, third party plan review. Minor modifications such as the installation of satellite dishes, roof replacement like-with-like, or minor landscape modifications do not generally require the payment of the ARB fee.”

Applications, fees, deposits, rules and guidelines are available on your individual Association web page.  Community Management Group is the administrator for your ARB and coordinates applications.  ONLY completed applications with all documentation, site plans, architect stamps, deposits and fees attached will be transmitted to the ARB for review.  Incomplete applications will not be accepted into processing, but you will be contacted by phone or e-mail to provide the particular missing items.

The Scoop on Doggie Poop

 Pet waste brings health concerns and owners may consult with local authorities on a solution for this.  An excellent Post and Courier article is available here.  Under certain circumstances, your Association can install pet waste stations in the common areas.  Not all Associations have waste stations for financial reasons (they are costly to install and must be constantly maintained) or because there are limited common areas away from homes.  Encourage your Board to budget Association funds to purchase and install these.  There are some enforcement options at this link. We often joke that the Association cannot legislate common sense and neighborliness. Association-enforcement options are very limited unless an owner provides photos of the owner failing to clean up after their pet...

Certain townhome communities have designated and numbered parking spaces.  Marked guest spaces may be enforced by towing upon the specific direction of a Board or authorized Committee member.  CMG does not tow without a specific instruction from an Association Board member or authorized designee.

City of North Charleston has several parking rules listed here.

Renters have rights, transferred by the owner, for the use of all Association amenities just as would the owner.

The Association has no lawful authority in the state of South Carolina to promulgate rules to restrict owners' renting out homes in general, but they may enforce Covenants for minimum rental terms.  The State and Federal governments have laws for the number of lawful occupants of a home.  That there are more renters than parking spaces is NOT an excuse for violation of parking Covenants. 

Enforcement and collections privacy

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and other legal precedents dictate that the Association may not make public lists of delinquent owners.  At times, owners suggest "humiliation therapy" but it is not legal.

Similarly, Covenants enforcement actions are a form of legal action against an owner. These matters are treated much like disclosure or posting of delinquent Assessment accounts. To do so exposes the Association and its Board to possible civil suit for libel and slander and various other privacy torts. As these matters are complex and fraught with opportunities to “get it wrong”, and in consideration that one important Board objective is to create harmony, not discord the Association and management will not disclose the specifics to persons not on the Board. An Association can publish broad information such as “this week we cited X violations for trash containers, Y vehicle violations and Z maintenance concerns” if it feels that it is in the best interest of the membership (read: property values) to do so. We presently have no community who chooses to do this, but we understand that it is legal to do so under most circumstances.

The web page at this link provides a fairly readable overview of privacy laws related to common law but what we are attempting to convey is best said here. In summary, public disclosure of private facts (often considered defamation) arises where one person reveals information which is not of public concern, and the release of which would offend a reasonable person. As Community Management Group managers and inspection staff are on the property to note violations at least weekly, we hope to give owners reasonable assurance that although violations appear and some persist, that they are each addressed and escalated in accordance with the Board’s reasonable interpretation of its authorities under the Covenants, and with reasonable opportunity to cure before they are escalated. As is human nature, some residents are quick and some slower to react, but all owners are held to the same standard.

Notably, there are certain circumstances where escalating enforcement action into the legal system or proactively entering a property to correct it at a cost is "good money after bad."  For example there are homes in foreclosure and until the ownership is lawfully conveyed by deed to the bank or a new owner (can take many months), the debts are essentially uncollectible and will be written-off to zero by law.

 

Violation Notices and Fines

The Covenants require that official notices of any importance, including violations be sent via U.S. Postal Service.  This provides a legal basis for future fines and collection efforts and delivery can be attested later if necessary.  Some have suggested that the HOA knock on a door or leave a note instead of mailing notices.  The additional time and cost would be far too high to the Association for managers to personally notify homeowners of a violation, in addition to the risk from encounters with a surprised family dog.

Community Management Group receives no portion of violation fines - our goal is as yours - to protect property values.  Fines go into the General Fund of the Association to offset budget shortfalls or provide for additional services at the discretion of your Board of Directors.

 

Developer Transition

Developer transition can be a complex process, involving many checklists and mutual information exchanges between the developer, the manager and the resident Board. Transition happens when any of certain legal thresholds occur, such as sell-out percentage (often 100%), developer discretion or time elapses.  Most Covenants and Master Deeds lay out the specifics of when.  The laws in SC are not specific on what the Developer must provide in terms of funding, but a manager will work for the best advantage of the Association's members.  Generally speaking, the only visible changes at transition are that there will be more resident involvement in the governance and processes going forward.

We hear time and again from a minority of owners that they expect to change collection, Architectural Review and enforcement policies.  Those that are in the Covenants require a supermajority of the members to change and are by design difficult to change.  Your Covenants protect the interests of all members and are laid out as the foundation of the community.  Every owner signed a document at closing affirming their agreement with the Covenants.  The Rules in the Covenants will not change without considerable effort and likely, cost.  Your manager will assist the Board in surveying member interest in certain changes and your manager can prepare a ballot initiative upon such a Board instruction.

Gators

The Department of Natural Resources no longer is involved in alligators except to issue permits to HOAs. There is no “move” or “relocate”. They simply authorize the HOA to have them destroyed. your HOA would then hire a licensed company who does that as quietly as possible…

We have an informative article on our website that we ask owners to read, as well as this FAQ.

Alligators are only a hazard to people and pets when they lost their natural fear of humans after being fed by humans – often by workmen and kids. Alligators LOVE marshmallows, food wrappers and lunch scraps... 

As one recent example, we had a report from a concerned owner who reported an aggressive animal to us seen through binoculars sunning on the pond bank. Clearly this animal was not up in her yard at the time nor exhibiting aggressive behavior. some ponds in some communities are owned by the City or under management of an adjacent golf course. We have been told time and again that alligators are valued by the golf course as it scares geese off the course and the green.

The licensed “trapper” that the Association uses will approach the animal to determine from much experience whether it exhibits signs of having been fed or otherwise accustomed to humans and represents an unusual danger. There are perhaps thousands in the area and they do move around, primarily over ground, though there is a frequent (and incorrect) assumption that they move through storm culverts. On the contrary, they do not often enter them because they cannot turn around nor move well backwards.

We have seen that shortly after removal, another animal will move into a vacant pond. They were here for millions of years before people and most locals have a certain sentiment for them… When owners call with similar encounters or concerns we ask that they carefully consider whether this animal was really stalking a pet (or whatever the concern) and represents an unusual threat for being acclimated to humans as a source of food, or was just “walking around” or sunning before they call for its head. If you feel that a particular animal is a threat worthy of destruction, please let us know and we’ll elevate the request for removal to the golf course management/ownership or Association Board and we will move quickly.

 

Storm Drainage

Storm drainage is very complicated and depends upon a number of factors, especially considering how very flat our area is. The City you live in likely has a storm drainage department who keeps these situations minimized. Contact your manager and we can help you identify which drains are city-maintained and direct you to the right department.

 

Secret encoded messages?

Sadly no, there are no encoded messages in the Covenants to predict the future... but your online documents are text-searchable for the information you need today.

 

Lost and stolen pool cards?

Come by our office to purchase another key card or send a check in the amount of $50 made payable to your HOA to the Folly Road address. Once your check is received a new pool card will be mailed to you. Please be sure to indicate the property address the key card replacement is for and a mailing address if different from the property address. Please keep in mind that in order to obtain your new pool key, your account must be at a zero balance.

 

Lien release timing

Typically the interoffice preparation of filing liens and lien releases can take up to approximately 2 weeks or less between CMG, the attorney and the County. Once the paperwork is with the county, it can take up to a month for completion depending upon which county the lien is filed.

Owners are responsible for obtaining insurance covering their personal property and furnishings within their unit, plus personal liability.  Owners are also VERY STRONGLY ADVISED to ensure that their coverage properly dovetails with the Association's so that there are no gaps or double-coverage.  In many Associations the Association's insurance will replace builder-grade floor coverings, cabinets and countertops - details are in the Governing Documents and available through the Association's insurance agent.  Loss Assessment coverage is another hot topic. Loss assessment is a unique feature of condominium insurance. Under the condo association's bylaws, each owner will be assessed a proportionate share to cover major property and liability losses. For example if the building and commonly shared areas are destroyed by an insured disaster such as a windstorm and the losses are not fully covered by the master policy, your association may assess a certain amount to all unit owners to cover the loss. Your condominium unit owners policy's loss assessment coverage would help pay for your share of these assessments. The standard coverage for loss assessment is $1,000, but higher limits may be available.

 

HOA Enforcement versus City and State Law

HOA rules and Covenants are often more stringent than City, State and County laws and ordinances. They were created to make living in the community more livable for the residents and to protect, preserve and enhance property values. On the occasions where the HOA rule is less stringent than City, State or County laws, such as with noise, pet nuisances and "domestic issues" the HOA will generally recommend you contact the Police Department in your area.

Copper iron and manganese from algaecide additives and city and well water sources in the water (now in the hair) will oxidize and ”precipitate” temporarily staining  very blonde hair green under certain combinations of pH, alkalinity and dissolved minerals.

Pool vendors are discouraged from using metal-based algaecide in the pool but there may certainly be residual from when the pool was set up for the first few years. Copper can be present in local source water too and metals and minerals concentrate over time through evaporation.

If this happens at your community pool, tell your manager so we can work with the pool vendor on reducing metals.

To work on the effects it can have in hair, sources recommend a clarifying shampoo for chlorine/buildup. Examples were Paul Mitchell Shampoo One, Joico KPAK Clarifying Shampoo and Redken Chemistry Shampoo. ION makes a swimmer's shampoo and conditioner sold at Sallys Beauty Supply which another swimmer recommended.

One online article adds, “Removal of the green from ones' hair is a whole 'nuther cup of tea. Depending on how well the color has set into the hair, such as in & out of the pool all day with stressed hair (which chlorine in the pool does cause), is the worst-case scenario, and is very difficult to totally remove in one treatment. But often the use of something acidic, like tomato juice, catsup, or lemon juice, will reduce the metals to their soluble state, and they then can be rinsed out. Be sure to use a conditioner afterwards, or you might end up with something a lot worse than just a green tint.” ...so be careful.

Best prevention for the very susceptible is a more comprehensive plan: Keep hair conditioned and in good health, wet with shower water before going in, not let pool water dry on the hair and to rinse in the shower and towel dry, then do not follow swimming with a typical high pH shampoo like most kids’ shampoos are…

Other municipalities have very similar Codes
City of North Charleston has several parking rules listed here.