Knowing how to collect on enforcement violations is crucial. But even more important is understanding the importance behind enforcing your HOA’s policies. Knowing this, or better yet – knowing how to communicate this to a disgruntled community member who is in violation, can help keep your conversations from escalating and alleviate some of the stress that comes along with such enforcement action.

So many community members view HOAs and especially their board members, as people who have nothing better to do that drive around the community looking for HOA violations. And while it may seem that way, this is far from the truth.

The Most Important Thing An HOA Can Do Is Enforce Its Own Policies

One of the most important things an HOA can do is enforce its own policies. Without getting into the details the most important reason an HOA has a need to enforce even the smallest of violations is to simply keep the order of the community. Without such enforcement, community members would see more disorder, more chaos, and a poorly run community. And instead of complaining about a board member driving around in a car looking for violations, they might be complaining about another community member who needs to be fined because the board chose not to enforce anything.

Why Enforce HOA Rules?

As an HOA manager or a board member, community members need to understand what you are simply trying to do is keep the peace of the community and that violations, small or large, are to handle the same way.
Just imagine if a homeowner in your community just painted their house pink, when the CC&R’s clearly state that this is not an approved color. It would be easy to see that the neighbors would be calling you, asking the HOA to enforce its policies.
But what is the difference between that and a community member who has too many weeds in their yard? Community members most likely feel picked on when the severity of the issue is minimal. But this is exactly what community members need to understand. That the severity of the issue is all the same to the board. Too many weeds are handled the same way as a newly painted, and “not approved” pink house might be.
Sometimes just taking the time to explain this to your community members can help keep conversations cordial and stress-free.
Two of the most important things an HOA can do is to get educated on these issues and learn how to properly communicate your policies to your community members so that the HOA, the board, and its community members can all function and operate stress-free.

Work With An HOA Lawyer Experienced in HOA Enforcement

To avoid disputes and the stress of having to enforce a violation, it’s imperative to have your local HOA lawyer review your policies to ensure – not only that you are in compliance with your CC&Rs and Arizona HOA laws, but to also to improve upon what you already have. As an HOA Lawyer in Phoenix, Mesa & Prescott areas we are specialists in HOA Collections, HOA Enforcement, Homeowners Association Rules and Regulations. Our recommendations are based upon what we know works with our large client base. We love questions! Please reach out to us at 1-844-346-6352.