FAQs

How should an association start a preventive maintenance program?

First, an association must inventory the mechanical components, equipment, and common elements that will be included in the program. This means locating each piece of equipment, inspecting it, and cataloging it. A very basic and simple approach is to fill out index cards for each component. Your inventory should include such basic items as the:

- Name of the component
- Manufacturer
- Date of installation or age of the component
- Last service
- Service intervals required (if known)
- Rated useful life (if known)
- Cost

This information should be entered into a computer or filed for future retrieval. Next, evaluate each item, from roof tans to sump pumps. Determine their maintenance needs and the intervals of required service. This would include oiling fans changing belts, greasing bearings, inspecting boiler tubes, and checking operating temperatures and pressures. After that, develop a master schedule. The schedule should be based on daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly. annual, and seasonal requirements. This ensures that the preventive maintenance work is performed when required for each particular component. It also helps in budgeting personnel costs, operating expenses, and capital repair requirements. Once the preventive maintenance work is completed, enter the date into the computer or onto each of the cards along with labor and part costs, if applicable. This system is very basic, but it works if followed consistently. For large communities and more complex systems, numerous computer-based programs are available for streamlining the scheduling and reporting process. Regardless of the system, inventorying the components is always a staple of the process.
(Source: An Ounce of Prevention by James M. Cachine, PCAM, Common Ground Magazine)

I live in a planned unit development (PUD). Do I have to belong to the association and pay the monthly assessment?

Yes, all persons owning a unit/lot within a community association automatically become members of the association and are required to pay the monthly assessments. Non-payment could result in a lien against their home.

Our Association doesn't currently have a preventive maintenance program. What are the benefits of starting one?

The dollars invested in a good preventive maintenance program are paid back many times over, not only in the maximized life of the component, but also in reduced downtime from equipment malfunctions. The cost of lubricating a motor before it seizes or changing a fan belt before it snaps is minimal compared to interrupted service--usually at odd hours--requiring overtime and a desperate search for replacement parts. Preventive maintenance is proactive. Without it, one poorly maintained component that fails can trigger a chain reaction, creating much larger problems. Although preventive maintenance programs usually cover motors, fans, boilers, HVAC, and other mechanical systems, it can apply to an association's common elements as well. Wooden patio enclosures, for example, need to be painted or stained every few years to retain their appearance and extend the life of the wood. Pool furniture can be preserved simply by cleaning it regularly. This is preventive maintenance, too. The dollars invested in preventive maintenance result in long-term savings and ensure that the components last for their full-rated service life. Here's an example. I managed a high-rise building with a rooftop cooling tower that, according to the inspecting engineer, had "one more season" at best. The tower was near the end of its useful, 20-year life, and its efficiency levels had fallen precipitously. The association was not in a position to fund the substantial replacement costs on such short notice. So they embarked on a remediation plan for this piece of equipment--in other words, a retroactive preventive maintenance program. The project involved mostly in-house labor. The building engineer was assisted by some outside contractors to restore sheet metal and "fill material" at a fraction of the cost of a new tower. As a result of the maintenance, that "one more season" lasted more than two years.
(Source: An Ounce of Prevention by James M. Cachine, PCAM, Common Ground Magazine)

What are the advantages of living under community association governance?

There are many advantages to living in this kind of development. The community usually features attractive combinations of well-designed homes and landscaped open spaces. The houses may even cost less than traditional housing due to more efficient use of land. Parks, pools and other amenities, often too expensive for you to own alone, can be yours through shared ownership. So now you have a chance to own and enjoy the pool, tennis court, or other recreational facilities that may have been unafforable previously. What's more, you won't have direct responsibility for maintenance, so you won't have to clean out the pool, fix the tennis nets, and you may not even have to mow your lawn. But that doesn't mean you'll never have to think about it. The community association operates and maintains these shared facilities. Of course, you'll pay your share of the expenses, and, as an association member, you'll have a voice in the association's decisions and how they affect you and your community.

What does my monthly assessment pay for?

The monthly assessment covers the operation, maintenance and repairs for which the association is obligated in accordance with the Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs). Items such as insurance, taxes, water, landscaping, pest control, security services, janitorial, etc. are just a few items covered by the monthly assessments. The funds also cover the funding of the reserves, which are for future repair or replacement of major assessments, such as street repair, pool/spa resurfacing, fencing, clubhouse renovation. The reserves vary for each community association.

What types of insurance does an association need to have?

The following examples show some of the types of insurance available. Insurance requirements vary according to your property type, location and legal documents. Property Damage (fire) General Liability (common area injuries) Directors & Officers Errors & omissions (questionable business judgments by your Board) Workers Compensation (protects against financial liability caused by injury to employees, board members or volunteers) Fidelity Bond (protects against theft of association funds) Earthquake Insurance (optional).

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