Associa Minnesota Transforms Community’s Board of Directors & Communication Efforts

This community located in Minneapolis, MN is a condominium association consisting of eight buildings and 144 units. The community features a pool and courtyard with water fountain.

Challenge:

The community faced challenges that included its board of directors and its previous community management company. The board was not fulfilling its fiduciary duty and some members were not acting in the best interest of the community. The board didn’t follow the association’s governing documents—regular maintenance was overlooked, the budget was under-funded, and owners were unhappy. Further, the association’s previous management company lacked in professionalism and defrauded the community of necessary funds.

Resolution:

When Associa Minnesota stepped in as the community’s newest management company in 2015, things changed. First, the team helped the board obtain legal counsel to assist with the money fraud from the previous management company. Then, Associa Minnesota facilitated a board training program that covered board member roles and responsibilities. The team also worked with the board to hire a full-time facilities manager to help with the day-to-day maintenance needs. They also helped develop a plan for the items that required immediate attention—and stuck to it. To put the plan into action, an increase in homeowner assessments was necessary.

Associa Minnesota hosted a town hall meeting for all owners to come, ask questions, and express their concerns. From homeowner feedback, Associa Minnesota identified that a lack of communication was a major pain point. To remedy that, a quarterly newsletter was established and homeowners were regularly notified of upcoming projects. Today, owners are aware of everything that’s happening within their association. The community is running well, the budget is on track per the reserve study, routine maintenance is happening, and there’s an overall feeling of contentment.

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