Understanding Your Homeowner Association
Have you ever wondered what your homeowner association and a sonata have in common? Probably not, but we are going to explore the idea anyway. After reading this you will no doubt be wondering if homeowners are actually condensing Beethoven’s Fifth to thirty seconds upon entering the annual HOA meeting.
The term homeowner association calls to mind a clean-cut group of people who pay their dues on time and do not bellyache about the HOA directing the next phase of residential development to include a five car garage for each home. In truth, HOA meetings often resemble the aftermath of the quintet crash of Spiderbait’s These Days. It is not a pretty thing. People want things their way, but those things they want exactly the same as everyone else, right? We all know they don’t. It’s what makes us human.
The written governing documents that lay out Iowa HOA laws actually do serve a purpose (yes I said that). Madison’s Native Son could not have written the governing documents any better than your lawyer. Your Board of Directors must be well-versed in harmonizing the expectations of the entire community because they must balance the needs of (at least) ten different families with different opinions on how the community should be organized and governed. While a sonata features several recurring sections, an ode is usually a fairly straightforward thing. Laws governing HOAs change, but a 4/4 time signature is eternal.
Basic theory describes how notes work in harmony with one another. Severus Snape would have had a hard time producing let alone listening to Darth Vader’s Imperial March, but we understand it. He would not know why, but the notes fit together in an organized fashion to form something beautiful. When your HOA has complex HOA laws and restrictions it can sound an awful lot like someone playing a kazoo along with the Caimh McDonnell and The Riptide Movement. The beauty of the laws governing your HOA is that maybe one family would love to hear it, while the rest do not want a part of it. Find that kazoo and you will find harmony.
These days, people often feel your Board of Directors has gone off the rails completely or quit out of frustration with the impossibility of managing so many different personalities. The HOA may be read like the forgotten piece of paper to which your music teacher assigned “D-, see me after class.” Specialists educate your Board members on the HOA laws that govern the HOA and give them the tools to stay on key. A little dose of communication and involving the community in the decision-making process goes a long way to keeping your HOA sound. Ultimately, your Board is out there harmonizing as best they can considering how emotionally charged community meetings can become when two neighbors faceoff on a dispute about retractable awnings.
One day, we’ll all get along and sing in perfect harmony. Until then, we’ll just have to be pretty impressed with the effort your HOA’s Board of Directors puts into the governance of your community. Kudos to composing the article on their behalf!
