Talk to the complainant and the party in question separately; and remember to be neutral, setting aside your personal feelings or opinions. In other words, be as objective as possible. Your goal is to get to the bottom of the issue/s and not to blame one or the other.

3. Mediate

Schedule a meeting between the complainant and the other party, and make sure that only the concerned entities will be involved in the meeting. No family members, relatives or witnesses are necessary at this time. The point of mediation is to help both parties to resolve the dispute as amicably as possible, without involving others.

4. Discuss the issue with the HOA’s Board of Directors

If the mediation didn’t work, it’s best to take up the issue with the Board. In some disputes, the Board’s intervention or action is needed to prevent the issue/s from escalating or affecting the entire community. With this step, you may need to go over your HOA’s rules and regulations to see if any were violated. You can also check the stipulation on how disputes are resolved. The point of this is to act within the legal bounds of the HOA’s jurisdiction.

5. Take legal steps

If one or both parties start harassing each other, or harassing the HOA’s Board members and staff, don’t hesitate to seek the help of your HOA’s attorney. A restraining order from the court may be necessary to maintain peace within the community and prevent acts of violence.

In all these steps, a property manager or HOA management team can ensure that everything is taken cared of according to the stipulations of the HOA rules and regulations, as well as the state’s related laws.

To learn more about So Cal Property Enterprises HOA and property management services, please feel free to call 951-270-3700 at your convenience.

A Look at California’s First Smart Community

Are you out looking for a new home for your, shall way say, tech-savvy family? If so, California’s first smart community may interest you. Westpark Maintenance District in Irvine has the distinction of becoming California’s first smart community, using a new smart technology called COMMON SENSE™ that has been specifically developed for HOA use. San Marino Park in Irvine is the first smart community park in the state.

California’s First Smart Community

From smart homes to smart cities now come smart communities. In California alone there are more than 52,000 HOAs, and they may be the first to adopt the smart technology to create the first smart state in the country. Without getting ahead of where it can lead to, smart technology essentially opens more doors for improving homeowners’ living experiences in their communities, while improving service efficiencies among HOAs. For instance, smart technology can help community managers with the maintenance and support of common areas such as parks and swimming pools. With sensors and the system securely connected to the internet, many functions such as community lighting, irrigation, surveillance, and the like can now be monitored, automated, and controlled remotely. Aside from efficiency, the use of smart technology may also lead to greater improvements in terms of sustainability. It can result to better homes, better communities, and overall better environments for families.

For homeowners, they are also afforded convenience by the smart technology. In Westpark Maintenance District for example, residents can easily look up on their mobile phones the status of their community swimming pool, whether it’s currently occupied for swim team practice or not. They can also check the temperature of the swimming pool or report an issue to management. All this information is available on a dashboard which is updated in real-time. The San Marino Park swimming pool’s water quality is also tested every 15 minutes. The information is sent securely through the cloud and the smart system adjusts accordingly, helping it meet critical California Title 22 code regulations. The law requires commercial pools to be tested and for that information to be logged daily.

What’s Next for California’s First Smart Community?

Westpark Maintenance District is the pilot community for the smart technology and given its success, there’s no reason why other communities in California will not follow suit. As homeowners become more discerning about the modern amenities made available to them by the community and HOA, smart technology will play a bigger role in making life-enhancing living innovations a reality.

But Maple Park is not part of Walker Lakeshores, and so the couple took the matter to court.

It was a long battle that has cost the Pearns thousands of dollars in legal fees. In 2017, the case went to the Court of Appeals. Judge Joseph Kameem ruled that the Pearns owed WLLA only $30 for the accumulated 3-year maintenance fee ($10 per year for maintenance). The WLLA appealed the decision but later withdrew, which means that Judge Kameem’s ruling stands.

HOA ignores court ruling present time

The couple, however, received another billing from the WLLA, this time, amounting to $325 for assessment and $50 for membership. This was clearly going against court ruling.

Amelia Pearn has been documenting her legal battle in a personal blog. There, she notes that irregularities have been discovered from the WLLA. Withdrawals from the HOA funds amounting to more than $200,000 were discovered. It was found that part of the withdrawals were to pay for personal expenses like cable and electricity bills—expenses completely unrelated to HOA business.

But the Pearns weren’t the only ones the WLLA billed. Several other Maple Park homeowners received a similar bill from the Walker Lakeshores HOA. Some of them pay, some don’t; and, to the surprise of Maple Park residents, others got sued!

At So Cal Property Enterprises, Inc., our goal is to help homeowners associations perform their duties, and this includes keeping their books open. Transparency is critical to the effectiveness, reliability, and trustworthiness of an HOA. Our team comprises a select staff of well-trained, professional and highly skilled individuals, each an expert in their respective fields. We have the expertise and experience to deliver reliable and professional services in finance and accounting, collection, board education and governance, site reviews and reconstruction, and vendor selection.

If you need help with your HOA or property management, we invite you to give us a call at 951-270-3700.

 So Cal Property News: California HOA Allows Residents to Close Garage Doors

In a quiet neighborhood in Auburn, California, residents were mandated by their homeowner’s association to keep their garage doors open from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon on weekdays. The mandate took effect on January 1. Now, said California HOA allows residents to close garage doors. Less than two weeks after the regulation took effect, the Auburn Greens HOA backed down after receiving negative feedback from its members.

Homeowners associations keep the neighborhood safe

Among the responsibilities of homeowners associations, maintaining the safety of the neighborhood remains a top priority. But this seems to be the opposite for this Auburn Greens HOA. When the HOA required its members to keep their garage doors open, the main concern of the homeowners is their safety, and understandably so. With their garage doors open practically all day, their household becomes vulnerable to thieves and unlawful entry. It’s like a welcome mat for unscrupulous characters.

What inspired the mandate?

The ruling came about when the HOA discovered that one resident allowed someone to live in their garage. While this may have been against the HOA rules, the way they tried to resolve the issue clearly wasn’t in the best interest of its members, according to the opinion of the majority.

Moreover, a penalty was attached to the ruling. Anyone found to have violated the rule will be fined a whopping $200—a fine that some members were willing to pay outright for their peace of mind.

California HOA allows residents to close garage doors

Drawing the ire of its members, the HOA backed down and reversed its ruling. It was clear to the members that their HOA didn’t think the situation and solution through. A more welcome move would have been to communicate to the members their concern about allowing someone to live in the garage and gather a consensus on the best solution to deter squatting while still maintaining the safety of its members and security of the neighborhood.

When the “California HOA allows residents to close garage doors” news broke, residents finally heaved a sigh of relief. But, from this point on, its members may keep a closer watch on their HOA’s activities and decisions to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.

At So Cal Property Enterprises, Inc., our goal is to help homeowners associations perform their duties while ensuring that their members’ concerns are properly addressed.

To discuss your HOA and property management needs, we invite you to give us a call at 951-270-3700.

 Increase the Value of Your Home: A Beginner’s Guide

One of the best and most effective ways to increase the value of your home is to make a few improvements to your interior and outdoor spaces. These home improvements don’t have to be expensive. You might be surprised at how a few tweaks here and there can increase the value of your home considerably. Here are a few tips that you can consider:

Give your home a thorough inspection

Inspect every area of your home; bedrooms, kitchen, toilet and bath, living room, and dining area for the interiors, and roof, exterior walls, patio, and yard for the outdoor space. First, make a list of all the things that need to repairs (roof sheets or shingles, gutters, sticky doors and/or windows, closet and cupboard doors, floors, etc.). Next, create another list for all the improvements you wish to make, like a fresh coat of paint on your interior walls, upgraded or modernized bathroom features, and such.

It would also be great if you can consult with a professional interior designer or a realtor, so you can get their professional opinion on how to increase the value of your home.

Enhance your home’s curb appeal

Your front yard is the first thing that people notice when they walk past your house. Suffice it to say that if this is unappealing, it’s most likely that people will assume that the interiors of your house will be the same. Add a few potted plants on the side of your driveway, and a couple more outside your main door might liven the place up a bit. Choose plants that are native to your state, and choose those that require little maintenance such as those that are “drought-tolerant” if you live in a particularly dry region.

If possible, you can also plant a tree if you don’t have any yet. And of course, always make sure that your lawn is trim and clean.

Make your home energy-efficient

First, check your appliances and fixtures to make sure that every piece or item is functioning properly. Next, replace old fixtures with energy-efficient ones. If you are going to replace your old appliances, look for the ENERGY STAR certification label. In a nutshell, appliances and electronics that are ENERGY STAR-certified use less than the standards required by the federal government—about 20 to 30% less.

Spruce up the place

Lastly, spruce up your place by installing new window treatments, rugs or carpeting. Wall hangings and decorative pieces on your surfaces will also add some visual interest.

These are but a few basics on how to increase the value of your property; they’re not necessarily big projects, but these simple tweaks could help you get started.