Caught in the Web

The Use of Websites in Condominium Associations

Admittedly, I am not the most proficient or efficient user of social media. I don't tweet, use Facebook or LinkedIn. I use a pen and paper. But I also use my computer an awful lot. (Perhaps the most descriptive phrase of all time is a laptop computer, because that is almost always where my computer is.) I do have a website, newhampshirecondolaw.com, and if I, born in the 50s, use one, so should your association.

But there are a few things to consider in creating and using a site. Think of the picture your association wants to present to the world. Is it one of complaints where there is a public comments section so a disgruntled person who happens to be an owner can unfairly and inaccurately unload on the Board, poisoning the public, or should it be one that highlights the benefits of the association, such as a pool, finely landscaped grounds, or a clubhouse? Take pictures of the nice parts and let those pictures welcome the public to your site.

Let Owners, and prospective owners know that by being part of the association they are part of the larger community that surrounds it. Have links for members to local restaurant review sites, a link to the local paper, a link to the municipal government site, a link to the local schools, a link to local arts such as museums and theaters, and a link to the local movie theater. Make it so your association is the portal to the community, so owners, current and future ones, don't have to search but one place for all of the good things in their community.

For communication purposes, and to solve problems, have drop downs or tabs for such things as a place for the association documents (Declaration, Bylaws, Rules, Site Plan and Floor Plans - you would be amazed how helpful they can be in educating owners as to where limited common areas are); Meeting Minutes, both for meetings of the Board of Directors and Association meetings.); Notices , such as for upcoming Meetings along with an agenda of each meeting.

Have a Forms section for Maintenance Requests and Automatic Deposit Forms, so owners can have their monthly condominium fee automatically deposited into the Association's account.

Have a Policies Section where you can post such items as a Snow Removal Policy, so Owners know when they may have to move cars and what to do if they have left on vacation in the winter; a Satellite Dish Policy; and the Clubhouse and/or Pool Rules.

Have a Contacts Section with the names and email addresses (never telephone numbers or addresses) of Board members; names and email addresses of Officers; names and email addresses of committee members.

Have a Community Calendar, so owners know when the community yard sale will be, when the Holiday party will be, when the Board meetings and Association meetings will be, and other events of interest in the larger community, such as when municipal fireworks will be and when a Holiday Tree lighting ceremony takes place.

Have a Resources Section. With the permission of owners, list their profession and professional contact information. You'd be surprised how much help this can be matching people who need a mechanic, contractor, lawyer, accountant, etc. with someone in their association.

And you should have a Members Only section. In this area, should be a Financials Section where Owners can find the Annual Budget, the monthly bank statements (after redacting the account number) of both the operating account and the reserve account, so owners can see where there money is going and cut off questions about lack of transparency.

There should be a Contracts Section, so Owners can see the Snow Removal Contract, the Landscaping Contract, the Management Agreement and others. Owners are entitled to view these by law, and Boards have to provide them, so make it easy for Owners to access them, taking away arguments about a lack of transparency at the Association.

Newish provisions of the Condominium Act allow for voting by ballot rather than at meetings in some circumstance, but have a requirement that says there has to be a place where owners can post comments to be shared with all. As such, in the Members Only section there should be a place for owners to post comments.

There are, of course, concerns about inappropriate comments being posted, so develop a policy on what can be posted (more on that in a future column), and have all such posts first be submitted to the Board for approval to take care of that problem.

Also, have a Board Members section for email addresses of all Owners as, under certain situations, associations can now send notices, including for annual meetings, to owners via email. This is where the names of all owners and addresses, copies of Deeds to prove ownership (invaluable for voting purposes), license plate numbers in case a car has to be towed, and HO-6 (insurance) certificates should be found here for ease of record-keeping.

The cost? Whatever it is, it's worth it. But perhaps the cheapest place is the computer teacher at the local high school. It's likely you will get free work done by cutting edge computer enthusiasts and thanks from the teacher who gets to take classroom lessons and apply them in real world situations.