Senior Attorney
Community associations benefit from an informed, educated membership. With that in mind, please find five strategies for improving community association communication below:
1. Check Your Calendar. Community associations are required to distribute various documents from time to time, including annual budgets, policy disclosures, ballots and more. Association governing documents also typically require holding various events, such as annual membership meetings, regular board meetings, and the like. Trying to keep track of it all can be dizzying. Therefore, it is helpful to calendar relevant deadlines and events in an automated, digital system, to help ensure that member communications go out on time.
2. Preferences Matter. Civil Code section 4041 requires associations to solicit members’ preferred delivery method for receiving certain notices on an annual basis. Members have the option of receiving notices via a mailing address and/or a valid email address. Members can also provide the contact information of their legal representative. Associations must in turn deliver certain notices in accordance with members’ preferred delivery method. Members’ entitlement to select their preferred delivery method, in conjunction with different distribution requirements for different types of notices (i.e., general versus individual delivery) can make life complicated for managers. Again, automation can help, from software programs that either track member preferences or allow those preferences to be logged and changed easily, to spreadsheets that keep member information organized. Associations can also regularly remind owners of their entitlement to receive association notices via email, which many members may prefer for ease of access and may in turn reduce the association’s administrative burden.
3. Be Wary of Social Media. Associations might view social media as an easy, low effort means of distributing information to members. However, if a social media platform allows members to comment and post content, associations may in turn be forced to constantly monitor that platform for divisive or defamatory content. Therefore, one-sided association communication mechanisms like email blasts and newsletters that do not allow members to reply all, post, or comment may be preferable.
4. Prioritize Appropriately. Members frequently communicate with their associations about various concerns, from maintenance issues to complaints about neighbors. It is not uncommon for a minority of members in a community to communicate a lot, sending the association emails, making telephone calls, and speaking at board meetings. However, boards have a fiduciary obligation to act in the best interests of the entire community, not just a single member. As such, while boards should listen carefully to member concerns, boards must also triage and address member concerns according to the needs of the entire community. That may mean other pressing needs take priority.
5. Delivery is Everything. Members sometimes send angry, volatile communications to association representatives, and it can be extremely tempting to respond in kind. However, written communication can last forever, and non-privileged correspondence can easily become an exhibit in a subsequent lawsuit. Therefore, it may be wise to pause before replying and imagine a judge or jury as the audience of any given communication rather than the actual recipient. Associations must be the adult in the room, and a professional, measured tone is always best.