From the frying pan to the fire

By:Paul Jacobs - For The Californian | Saturday, March 8, 2008 9:04 PM PST ∞

Oops, I did it again. I just can't shake my vice. I went from being decommissioned as vice chair of the Temecula Public Traffic/Safety Commission to being elected vice president of our homeowner's association.

I am returning from hiatus as a member of our HOA board and voluntarily re-entering a world I liken to that of sausage factory. It is a challenge to keep association finances healthy, enforce the bylaws and fine wayward homeowners who fail to maintain their property. It's no fun being the heavy and resorting to the use of small-claims court and collection agencies when homeowners fall behind on association fees. Fortunately, a property management company takes care of our dirty work.

City meetings are a comparative dream considering that our association's monthly meetings last a minimum of four hours ---- with no stipend. Unlike the traffic/safety commission meetings, our HOA provides dinner and coffee for the board. I would gladly trade the free meal for a shorter meeting.

Pat Thurman, a reader and regular writer to the editor of The Californian, e-mailed me in June 2006 concerning the management of her HOA in Sun City.

She encouraged me to write about how outside interests can infringe on the better interests of homeowners. That actually prompted me to get back in the saddle at my own HOA, lest I be accused of not practicing what I preach.

As Thurman related in a February letter to the editor, not long after residents there regained control of their association: "This was one of the largest responses to an election that we can remember. The highest vote count went to the candidates who ran for having a manager or management company help run our association ... (Those elected) want to bring our association back to the members so we all have a say in how things are run and money is spent."

Fortunately, our HOA always has managed to have a handful of unselfish residents to mind the business for the 800-plus homeowners in our tract.

Usually, there are just enough people running for the board to fill any empty seats. Very few people attend our monthly meeting and we often conduct business before an audience of empty folding chairs.

Healthy associations have reserves of hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for upkeep of the clubhouse, pools, furniture, fences and other things that need periodic maintenance or replacement. Property management companies perform functions as directed by board members. It's really a symbiotic relationship, as the management companies know they can be replaced and must earn their keep.

I happened to attend the Feb. 26 Canyon Lake City Council meeting where two worlds collided. The city also has a property owner's association with a separate board of directors. The council met in the association's meeting room to contemplate the future annexation of property from Lake Elsinore and establishing spheres of influence in surrounding county territory.

Though I was very impressed with the conduct of the council, something seems ironic about a city named after a lake making a land-grab.

Serving on an HOA board is near the top of the list of thankless jobs. But after visiting Canyon Lake, a city that is also a gated community, I'm grateful the issues facing our HOA are much less complex.

Paul Jacobs is a regular columnist for The Californian. E-mail him at TemeculaPaul@aol.com.

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. Attempts to misrepresent your identity or impersonate any person will not be approved. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.