Open Library for Volunteer Board Members
Practical governance guidance, templates, legislative updates, and educational resources for community association leaders.
Featured Resources
The Volunteer Treasurer's First 90 Days | CIC-SC
A practical 30/60/90-day onboarding sequence for a newly elected treasurer — documents to gather, accounts to inventory, signing authorities to establish, statutory references to bookmark, and the manager Q&A script that gets the financial picture into focus before the next board meeting.
The Board's Fiduciary Duty Over the Annual Budget | CIC-SC
Care, loyalty, and obedience — the three fiduciary duties translated into specific budget-season behaviors. Anchored in Tex. Prop. Code §§ 209.0051 and 82.108, Fla. Stat. §§ 718.111, 718.112(2)(f), and 720.303, plus the business judgment rule.
Reserve Funding Adequacy Standards (CICSC FIN-001 — Standard Update) | CIC-SC
The CICSC standard for reserve funding adequacy in community associations. Establishes the 70% percent-funded benchmark, distinguishes the component method from cash-flow funding, and lays out indicators of compliance and non-compliance — with statutory cross-references to Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(f)(2) (SIRS), § 720.303(6), and Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 82.
Absorption-Rate Budgeting Explained for Volunteer Boards | CIC-SC
Why first-year budgets in master-planned communities look strange — and how absorption-rate budgeting works during the developer-controlled period. Anchored in Fla. Stat. §§ 718.116(9) and 718.301(4), Fla. Stat. § 720.307–.308, and Tex. Prop. Code Chapter 82, with what receiving boards should demand at turnover.
All Resources
(111)The Volunteer Treasurer's First 90 Days | CIC-SC
A practical 30/60/90-day onboarding sequence for a newly elected treasurer — documents to gather, accounts to inventory, signing authorities to establish, statutory references to bookmark, and the manager Q&A script that gets the financial picture into focus before the next board meeting.
The Board's Fiduciary Duty Over the Annual Budget | CIC-SC
Care, loyalty, and obedience — the three fiduciary duties translated into specific budget-season behaviors. Anchored in Tex. Prop. Code §§ 209.0051 and 82.108, Fla. Stat. §§ 718.111, 718.112(2)(f), and 720.303, plus the business judgment rule.
Reserve Funding Adequacy Standards (CICSC FIN-001 — Standard Update) | CIC-SC
The CICSC standard for reserve funding adequacy in community associations. Establishes the 70% percent-funded benchmark, distinguishes the component method from cash-flow funding, and lays out indicators of compliance and non-compliance — with statutory cross-references to Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(f)(2) (SIRS), § 720.303(6), and Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 82.
Absorption-Rate Budgeting Explained for Volunteer Boards | CIC-SC
Why first-year budgets in master-planned communities look strange — and how absorption-rate budgeting works during the developer-controlled period. Anchored in Fla. Stat. §§ 718.116(9) and 718.301(4), Fla. Stat. § 720.307–.308, and Tex. Prop. Code Chapter 82, with what receiving boards should demand at turnover.
Florida 2026 Community Association Legal Landscape: 2025 Reforms in Full Effect & 2026 Session Results | CIC-SC
A mid-2026 compliance briefing for Florida HOA and condominium boards: which 2024 and 2025 reforms are now fully effective, what the 2026 Regular Session enacted (and what it did not), the key deadlines that have passed and the ones still ahead, and what the practical compliance picture looks like for boards through the rest of 2026.
Annual Operations Calendar — 18-Category × 12-Month Excel Template for HOA & Condo Boards
Master rhythm document for community associations. 18 universal categories (meetings, budget, election, vendor rebids, insurance, statutory filings, preventive maintenance, and more) across 12 months. Includes a blank Excel template, educational guide, and two fully populated state samples — Texas HOA (Cypress Ridge) and Florida Condo (Tarpon Bay). State Compliance tabs included. Free download.
Florida's Online Records Portal Rules: What HB 1021 and HB 1203 Mean for Your Board | CIC-SC
A plain-language walk-through of Florida's 2024 records-transparency reforms — HB 1021 for condominium associations (25-unit threshold, effective January 1, 2026) and HB 1203 for HOAs (100-parcel threshold, effective January 1, 2025) — together with the 90-day director-education window.
The Assessment Delinquency Process in Texas: A Governance Framework for Boards and Managers
Assessment delinquency is a covenant compliance matter, not a separate emergency. A board-level walkthrough of the Texas statutory floor — Chapter 209 for HOAs and Chapter 82 for condominiums — paired with the due-process discipline, layered communication, and operational cadence that resolve most past-due accounts before escalation.
New Board Member Onboarding Toolkit
Everything a newly elected board member needs in the first 90 days — roles and authority, fiduciary duties, governing document hierarchy, financial oversight basics, and meeting procedure.
HOA Board Meetings: Texas Governance Guide
All six Texas association meeting types — regular board, special board, emergency, annual member, special member, and committee — with Chapter 209 notice requirements, quorum rules, and member rights.
Understanding HOA Meetings in Texas
Plain-language guide to every meeting type a Texas community association holds — annual, board, special, executive, member, budget — with Chapter 209 notice requirements and the procedural mistakes that cause the most damage.
Reserve Funding Methods: Fully Funded, Threshold, and Percent Funded Explained
The three reserve funding methods used in reserve studies — baseline (threshold) funding, percent funded, and full funding — how boards choose between them, and what the CICSC 70% benchmark means in practice.
Candidate Eligibility for HOA Board Service — Texas
Who may and may not run for a Texas HOA board — the statutory eligibility framework, declaration-based disqualifiers, assessment delinquency rules, and the procedural steps for challenging a candidate's eligibility.
Texas HOA Open Meeting Requirements — § 209.0051
A complete statutory guide to Chapter 209 open-meeting requirements: which meetings must be open, 144-hour regular notice, 72-hour special meeting notice, agenda posting, homeowner speaking rights, and executive session.
HOA Records Retention Policy: A Florida-Specific Guide
Florida § 718.111(12) and § 720.303(5) establish detailed records-access frameworks with the 10-working-day response rule, $50-per-day damages for non-compliance, and HB 913 (2025) online-records requirements. Covers both condominium and HOA frameworks.
Architectural Review Committee (ARC): How to Establish and Run One
A practical guide to standing up and running a community-association ARC — from charter and composition to standards, application processes, decision documentation, and the most common procedural mistakes. Covers OTARD, solar protections, FHA modifications, and deemed-approval deadlines.
Understanding HOA Meetings: Types, Notice Requirements, and Why They Matter
A plain-language guide to every meeting type a community association holds — annual, board, special, executive, member, budget — with side-by-side Texas and Florida notice requirements.
HOA Assessment Authority in Texas: Who Can Raise Dues and By How Much?
A board-level guide to where assessment authority comes from in Texas, what the board can and cannot do without a member vote, and how to follow Chapter 209 procedural requirements.
Operating Fund vs. Reserve Fund: The Critical Distinction Every HOA Board Must Understand
The most important financial separation in community association governance — what each fund is for, why they must be kept separate, and the consequences of commingling.
Understanding ROI in HOA Operations: Spending Money the Smart Way
A board-level framework for strategic spending — covering preventive maintenance, reserve funding, security, technology, and lifestyle programming.
HOA Hearing Rights in Texas: What Boards Must Provide Before Imposing a Fine
A complete board-level guide to the hearing rights a Texas owner is entitled to before a fine or suspension is imposed — with detailed procedures under §§ 209.006 and 209.007.
Compliance Before Conflict: A Modern Approach to HOA Enforcement
A practical, education-first enforcement philosophy for community associations that want to protect property values without damaging community culture.
Short-Term Rental Regulations (Airbnb/VRBO) in Texas HOA Communities
A board-level guide to short-term rental enforcement in Texas: the source-of-authority analysis (declaration vs. rule), the Tarr v. Timberwood Park framework, and how to draft enforceable restrictions.
Candidate Eligibility: Who Can Run for the HOA Board?
A board-level guide to who can — and cannot — run for a community-association board: governing-document requirements, statutory eligibility rules in Texas and Florida, and disqualification grounds.
Deed Restrictions vs. HOA Rules: Understanding the Difference
A foundational guide to the difference between recorded deed restrictions (declaration / CC&Rs) and board-adopted rules — how each is created, amended, and enforced.
Fair Housing Act: What HOA Boards Must Know
A board-level guide to the Fair Housing Act for community associations — protected classes, reasonable accommodation and modification requests, assistance animals, and disparate-impact risks.
CDD vs. MUD: Understanding the Governmental Entities Behind Modern Communities
A board-level explanation of Florida CDDs (Chapter 190) and Texas MUDs (Water Code Chapter 54) — side-by-side comparison and HOA coordination guidance.
Texas Candidate Solicitation Requirements Under § 209.00593
A complete walkthrough of the Texas candidate-solicitation statute for HOAs of more than 100 lots: notice timing, candidate request deadlines, ballot composition, and procedural defects that have invalidated elections.
Texas Business Organizations Code Chapter 22: What HOA Boards Must Know
A board-level guide to the nonprofit corporation framework governing nearly every Texas community association — director fiduciary duties, indemnification, immunity, and corporate housekeeping.
Texas Annual Member Meeting Compliance: With Director Election (Chapter 209)
A Texas-specific compliance guide for the annual member meeting when a director election is on the agenda — covering Property Code Chapter 209, BOC Chapter 22, § 209.00593 candidate solicitation, notice timing, quorum, voting, and post-meeting filings.
Texas Annual Member Meeting Compliance: Without Director Election (Chapter 209)
A Texas-specific compliance guide for the annual member meeting when no director election occurs — reports-only meetings, mid-cycle annual meetings, declarant-controlled transition meetings, and member meetings for amendments, special assessments, and rule ratification.
Texas Condominium Meetings Under Chapter 82 (TUCA): A Compliance Guide
A Texas-specific compliance guide for condominium association meetings under the Texas Uniform Condominium Act (Chapter 82) — including § 82.108 annual meeting framework, the 20% statutory quorum floor, special meetings, executive session, owner access, and the BOC Chapter 22 overlay.
Texas Pre-1994 Condominium Meetings Under Chapter 81: A Compliance Guide
A Texas-specific compliance guide for condominium associations created before January 1, 1994 — the Property Code Chapter 81 framework, the central role of the declaration and bylaws, the limited statutory overlay, and the BOC Chapter 22 corporate framework.
Florida Chapter 718: Condominium Act Overview for Board Members
A board-level orientation to Florida Statutes Chapter 718 — governance structure, meeting and notice rules, director education requirements, financial provisions, records access, and post-Surfside reforms.
Florida Condo Milestone Inspection Requirements: Compliance Guide
A complete board-level guide to Florida's mandatory milestone inspection program under § 553.899 — coverage thresholds, Phase 1 and Phase 2 inspections, the 25- and 30-year deadlines, and HB 913 (2025) changes.
Florida SIRS: Structural Integrity Reserve Study Compliance Timeline
A complete compliance walkthrough of Florida's SIRS framework under § 718.112(2)(g) — the eight covered components, the December 31, 2025 deadline, HB 913 (2025) updates.
Florida Condominium Board Election Process Under § 718.112(2)(d)
A complete walkthrough of the Florida condominium board election process: 40/35/14-day timeline, written ballot requirement (no proxies), candidate information sheets, second notice, and HB 913 (2025) refinements.
Florida Director Conflict of Interest: §§ 718.3027 and 720.3033 Explained
A board-level walkthrough of Florida's parallel director conflict-of-interest statutes — the 14-day advance disclosure for HOAs, the agenda-and-attachment rule for condominiums, and the two-thirds approval requirement.
Self-Managed or Professionally Managed? Evaluating the Real Costs and Risks
A comprehensive look at the operational, regulatory, and financial trade-offs between self-managing a community association and engaging professional management.
When Facebook Becomes the Front Gate: The Impact of Social Media on HOA Communities
A strategic playbook for boards dealing with unmoderated community Facebook groups, Nextdoor threads, and resident chats that can damage property values and community culture.
RFP Toolkit — Tier 1–2: Routine Vendor Services (Landscape, Pool, Pest, Janitorial)
Complete RFP package for routine recurring vendor contracts. Includes the CIC-SC RFP template, educational guide on the procurement process, and state-specific sample RFPs for Texas (landscape/grounds) and Florida (pool & spa). Free download.
RFP Toolkit — Tier 3–4: Capital Projects & Professional Services (Roofing, Management, Engineering)
Complete RFP package for high-value capital projects and long-term professional service contracts. Includes the CIC-SC Tier 3–4 RFP template, procurement guide, and samples for Texas (roof replacement) and Florida (community management). Free download.
Comparative Proposal Evaluation Worksheet
A weighted-scoring worksheet for evaluating vendor proposals side-by-side across price, experience, scope completeness, references, and value-added criteria. Includes the CIC-SC worksheet, scoring guide, and completed samples for Texas (landscape) and Florida (pool service). Free download.
Vendor Services Agreement — Tier 1–2: Statement of Work & Contract Template
A board-ready vendor services agreement template for routine recurring contracts (landscape, pool, pest control, janitorial). Includes the CIC-SC agreement template, a board guide to vendor contracting, and signed samples for Texas (landscape) and Florida (pool service). Free download.
Annual Meeting & Election Ballot Toolkit
Everything needed to run a compliant annual meeting ballot: the CIC-SC ballot template, an educational guide to ballot drafting, and state-specific sample ballots for a Texas director election and a Florida special assessment vote. Free download.
Board Member Code of Ethics Template
A board-ready code of ethics template covering conflicts of interest, confidentiality, respectful conduct, financial integrity, and fiduciary standards — with an educational guide and a completed sample. Free download. Aligned with CICSC ETH-001.
Texas Community Association Meeting Compliance: A Complete Reference for HOAs and Condominiums
Comprehensive operational reference for Texas HOA / POA and condominium meeting compliance — board meetings, annual meetings, elections, notice timing, executive session, quorum, and the statutory framework under Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 209, Ch. 82, and TBOC Ch. 22. Includes 8 free notice, agenda, and minutes templates.
Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance: What It Covers and What It Doesn't
A board-level guide to D&O insurance — what claims it pays, what it excludes, the difference between Side A/B/C coverage, and how to read your policy before next year's renewal.
Understanding HOA Assessment Authority: Who Can Raise Dues and By How Much?
A board-level guide to where assessment authority comes from, what the board can and cannot do without a member vote, and how Texas and Florida rules differ — including the 115% Florida condominium threshold.
Texas Condominium Meetings Under Chapter 82 (TUCA): A Compliance Guide for Post-1994 Condominium Associations | CIC-SC
A Texas-specific compliance guide for condominium association meetings under the Texas Uniform Condominium Act (Chapter 82) — including § 82.108 annual meeting framework, the 20% statutory quorum floor, special meetings, executive session, owner access, and the BOC Chapter 22 corporate overlay.
HOA Hearing Rights: What Boards Must Provide Before Imposing a Fine | CIC-SC
A complete board-level guide to the hearing rights an owner is entitled to before a fine or suspension is imposed — with detailed Texas (§ 209.007) and Florida (§ 720.305) procedures, common procedural traps, and a clean checklist.
Short-Term Rental Regulations (Airbnb/VRBO) in HOA Communities | CIC-SC
A board-level guide to short-term rental enforcement in community associations: the source-of-authority analysis (declaration vs. rule), the Texas Supreme Court’s Tarr v. Timberwood Park framework, Florida’s state preemption considerations, and how to draft restrictions that actually hold up.
Emergency Board Meetings in Florida: When They Are Allowed and How to Call One | CIC-SC
A Florida-specific guide to emergency board meetings under Fla. Stat. §§ 718.112(2)(c) and 720.303(2), and the broader declared-emergency powers in §§ 718.1265 and 720.316 — what counts as a true emergency, the majority-plus-one rule for condos, the ratification requirement, and what HOAs and condos can and cannot do during a Governor-declared emergency.
Emergency Board Meetings in Texas: When They Are Allowed and How to Call One | CIC-SC
A Texas-specific guide to emergency board meetings under Property Code § 209.0051(h) — what qualifies as a reasonably unforeseen emergency or urgent necessity, the limits of the no-notice exception, and how to document an emergency action so it survives later scrutiny.
Is Your Texas Association Compliant? The Six State Obligations Boards Cannot Afford to Miss | CIC-SC
A Texas-specific compliance audit for community associations — corporate filings, TREC management certificate (SB 1588), federal tax (Form 1120-H), Texas franchise tax, governing-document modernization, and the reserve study every budget season needs. Penalties, deadlines, and the operational fixes that get the association current.
The Volunteer Board Member: What the Role Actually Is | CIC-SC
A foundational, education-first walkthrough of what it means to be a volunteer community-association board member — the fiduciary triad, the corporate-director standard, the five core functions, the policy-not-operations principle, and the stewardship ethic at the heart of the Fundamentals of Association Management.
The Business Judgment Rule in Florida: How It Protects HOA & Condo Boards | CIC-SC
A Florida-specific board-level guide to the business judgment rule — how Florida courts apply the doctrine inside the fiduciary frameworks of §§ 718.111(1) and 720.303(1), the codified standard of conduct in § 617.0830, what defeats the protection, and the case law every Florida director should know.
The Business Judgment Rule in Florida: A Plain-Language Explainer for Board Members | CIC-SC
A plain-language member-facing companion to GOV-009. Explains what the Florida business judgment rule protects, what it does not, and a three-part self-check a Florida director can run before voting on a consequential decision.
Florida Records Requests Through the Pecchia Lens: A Plain-Language Member Explainer | CIC-SC
A plain-language member-facing companion to GOV-010 and the Records Request Response Template. Walks through Pecchia v. Wayside Estates Homeowners Association (Fla. 5th DCA 2024) and a 30-minute records-readiness self-assessment a Florida board can run before the next request lands.
Adopting the Operating Budget: Procedure and Authority | CIC-SC
The procedural backbone of annual budget adoption — board majority, open meeting, mailed-notice and 14-day requirements under Fla. Stat. § 718.112(2)(f), the 115% substitute-budget mechanism, and the Texas adoption path under Tex. Prop. Code § 209.0051.
Approving the Annual Audit, Review, or Compilation: A Board Decision | CIC-SC
What an audit, review, and compilation each are; when statute requires which engagement under Fla. Stat. §§ 718.111(13) and 720.303(7); how the board selects an engagement type; what a clean engagement looks like; and what to do when findings appear.
Special Assessment Authority and Procedure | CIC-SC
How special assessments differ from regular ones, the declaration and statutory tests, and notice/vote requirements across Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 209, Fla. Stat. § 720.303(2)(c), and Fla. Stat. §§ 718.112(2)(c) (emergency) and 718.116 — plus drafting the resolution.
Reading and Approving Financial Statements at Board Meetings | CIC-SC
The governance act of approving financials in open session — the motion that belongs on the record, what minutes should reflect, who signs, and the difference between accepting and approving.
Authorizing Expenditures: Spending Limits, Dual Signatures, and Approval Thresholds | CIC-SC
The board resolution that delegates spending authority to the manager versus retaining board approval — tiered thresholds, dual-signature requirements, check-signing policy, and emergency expenditure handling.
How to Read the Reserve Income Statement (Plain Language) | CIC-SC
Beginning balance, interest income, transfer in, transfer out, ending balance — the reserve income statement decoded for the volunteer director without a finance background.
How to Read the Budget Comparison and 12-Month Income Statement | CIC-SC
Actual vs. budget vs. annualized, the variance column, and the common 'wait, what?' moments — for boards reading the monthly P&L without a CPA at the table.
How to Read the General Ledger Without a Finance Degree | CIC-SC
What a GL entry looks like, how to trace a charge back to a vendor, and how to read reference numbers — without taking accounting in college.
How to Read the AR Past Due Report | CIC-SC
Aging buckets (current, 30, 60, 90, 120+), when to escalate to counsel, what board action looks like, and the Tex. Prop. Code § 209.0064 45-day cure (not 30) — the report most boards under-read.
How to Read the AP Check Register | CIC-SC
What to verify in a monthly disbursement list — dual-signature checks, voided and reissued entries, and the red flags that should pause approval.
The Bank Reconciliation Walkthrough — What Boards Should Verify | CIC-SC
Bank reconciliation in plain language — what it means, how to spot stale outstanding items, and why a 3-month rolling review beats a one-time spot check.
The Volunteer Director's 30-Minute Financial Review | CIC-SC
The recurring monthly drill — cash position, AR aging, AP check register, budget variance, and reserve transfers — done in 30 minutes by a director who is not the treasurer.
Cash vs. Accrual Accounting: What Community Association Boards Need to Know | CIC-SC
When assessment income hits the books, what AR actually represents, why FASB ASC 958-205 expects accrual presentation in audited statements, and where smaller associations may run cash-basis day-to-day.
Why Fund Balance Is Not the Same as Cash in the Bank | CIC-SC
One of the most-misunderstood concepts in CIC finance. How fund change becomes fund balance, why operating fund balance is not the checking-account balance, and what a negative fund balance actually means.
Reserve Transfers: How One Transaction Touches Three Statements | CIC-SC
The operating-to-reserve transfer is the single transaction most likely to confuse a volunteer board. How it appears on the income statement, balance sheet, and cash-flow statement — and how to reconcile common misreadings.
Reading the Audit Letter and Year-End Documents | CIC-SC
What an unqualified opinion looks like, what a qualified opinion means, the management representation letter, the audit adjusting journal entries, and the governance findings in the management letter — under AICPA SAS standards.
Developer Transition Budgets: Why Year One Looks Different | CIC-SC
Budget mechanics during declarant control, reserve underfunding patterns, turnover audit obligations under Fla. Stat. §§ 718.301(4) and 720.307 and Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 82, and what the receiving board should demand at the handoff.
Resale Certificates and Owner Transfer Statements: What Boards Should Audit | CIC-SC
What statute requires under Tex. Prop. Code §§ 207.003 and 82.157 and Fla. Stat. §§ 720.30851 and 718.116(8), statutory fees, the dollar liability exposure of an inaccurate resale certificate, and the verification grid every board should adopt.
Annual Budget Calendar — 10-Phase Backwards-Planned Template
T-120 backwards-planned budget calendar covering all 10 phases from pre-budget preparation through post-adoption notice. Includes Texas and Florida statutory milestones — § 718.112(2)(f) 14-day mailed notice, § 720.303(6) reserve disclosure, § 209.0051 open meeting.
Reserve Funding Policy (Board Resolution Template)
Board resolution template establishing the association's reserve funding policy — including SIRS overlay for Florida condominiums and the 70% percent-funded benchmark under CICSC FIN-001.
Spending Authorization Policy (Board Resolution Template)
Five-tier spending-authorization framework with dual-signature requirements and procurement-threshold language — the resolution that delegates manager spending authority without giving up board oversight.
Treasurer Quarterly Financial Review Worksheet
Eleven-section quarterly review the treasurer runs alongside the manager — cash, AR aging, AP register, budget variance, reserve transfers, bank rec, and the recurring red-flag scan.
Treasurer Onboarding Packet (30/60/90-Day Checklist)
Newly elected treasurer's onboarding checklist — governance docs to read, statutory references to bookmark, financial reports to subscribe to, account signing authorities, and the manager Q&A script.
30-Minute Financial Review Checklist (Monthly)
Printable one-page monthly drill the director runs before the board meeting — cash, AR aging, AP register, budget variance, reserve transfers, in 30 minutes.
Monthly Financial Packet Cover Sheet
What a complete monthly financial packet should contain — the manager's deliverable checklist that prevents the recurring 'where's the bank rec?' question at every board meeting.
Audit Engagement Letter Review Checklist
What to verify before the board signs the CPA's engagement letter — scope, fee, deliverables, deadlines, independence representation, and prior-year carry-forward issues.
Developer Turnover Financial Audit Checklist
What records and accounts the receiving board should demand at developer turnover — statutory deadlines under Fla. Stat. §§ 718.301(4) and 720.307 and Tex. Prop. Code Chapter 82, and the common gaps.
Resale Certificate Audit Worksheet
Verification grid for resale certificates and owner transfer statements — assessment balance, special-assessment status, violation status, transfer fee, statutory disclosures, signatures.
Director Financial Glossary (65+ Plain-Language Terms)
Sixty-five plain-language definitions across ten financial categories — accrual, allowance for doubtful accounts, audit/review/compilation, balance sheet, cash basis, deferred revenue, fund balance, percent funded, and more.
The Five Stages of a Community Association: A Board Member's Guide to the Lifecycle Framework
A board-facing companion to CIC-SC Working Paper No. 2026-01. The five-stage lifecycle framework — Declarant, Transition, Stabilization, Adaptive Change, Maturity & Reiteration — translated into board-actionable language, with diagnostic questions and the central thesis of stage misdiagnosis.
How to Read a Bid: Vetting Vendors Beyond Price
A board-facing guide to evaluating vendor proposals on more than the bottom-line number — normalizing bids to a common scope, reading assumptions and exclusions, weighing qualifications and references, understanding the contract terms, and documenting the decision so the board can defend it.
Writing a Board Budget Narrative Owners Will Actually Read
A board-facing guide to the budget narrative — the short written explanation that turns a spreadsheet into a story owners can follow. How boards structure it, what to lead with, how to explain an increase, and how to write it without crossing into professional advice.
Reading Your SIRS: What a Structural Integrity Reserve Study Actually Tells Your Board
A board-facing guide to reading a Florida Structural Integrity Reserve Study — what § 718.112(2)(g) requires it to cover, how the visual inspection and the reserve recommendation fit together, what the numbers mean, and the questions boards typically bring to their reserve professional.
The Eight-Tier Hierarchy of Governance Authority
The flagship overview of how authority stacks in a community association: federal law, state statute, the recorded Declaration, Articles, plat, bylaws, rules, and resolutions. Walk all eight tiers, the higher-always-wins rule, and the diagnostic question that keeps boards inside their authority — with TX Ch. 209 and FL Ch. 718/720 parallels and the FCC OTARD worked example.
Where the Board's Authority Actually Comes From
Board authority is a chain you can trace link by link — statute, declaration, resolution. A field guide to the five sources of authority, explicit vs. implicit power, ultra vires, the general/specific statute split (TBOC Ch. 22 + Prop. Code 209/82; FL Ch. 720/718), and the five-question worksheet that screens any contested action.
Who Decides What: Board, Members, Manager, and Committees
A clean map of decision authority in a community association: the board governs, the manager operates as its agent, the members own the place and amend the documents, and committees recommend but cannot act. Covers TX § 209.0051 open-meeting limits and FL § 720.303 / § 718.112 parallels.
The Declaration Is the Constitution the Board Cannot Override
The recorded Declaration runs with the land and binds every buyer at closing. A board cannot amend it by board vote — only the members can, at a 67%/75% threshold, recorded with the county. Covers TX/FL amendment law and the short-term-rental test.
The Limits of Board Rule-Making: Rules, Resolutions, and the Declaration
Rule-making is the board's most-used and most-litigated power. This article walks the ten enforceability criteria, the seven-step rule-adoption sequence, the four elements of a defensible resolution, and the hard limit: a rule that conflicts with or expands the Declaration is no rule at all. TX § 209.0051 / § 202.004 and FL § 720.305 / § 718.303 parallels.
Ten Things Your Board Can No Longer Do
A practical inventory of ten board powers that statute, case law, and the governing-document hierarchy have foreclosed — from amending the Declaration by board vote to fining without a hearing — with the right move for each, under TX Ch. 209/82 and FL Ch. 720/718.
Federal Law Sits Above Everything: Owner Rights the Board Cannot Restrict
Tier 1 of the governance hierarchy: how the Fair Housing Act, FCC OTARD rule (47 C.F.R. 1.4000), HOPA, and IRC 528 override the Declaration, plus state flag, religious-display, solar, and EV-charging protections in Texas and Florida.
Due Process Before You Fine: The Hearing the Board Cannot Skip
Why a board may no longer fine, suspend, or foreclose without written notice, a chance to cure, and a hearing. Walks the six-step due-process sequence under TX §§ 209.006/209.007, the 45-day cure of § 209.0064, and FL § 720.305 / § 718.303.
Selective Enforcement: The One Thing That Voids a Valid Rule
A perfectly drafted, properly adopted rule still loses in court if the board enforces it selectively. How waiver, estoppel, and the Levandusky 'singling-out' test work — plus the trailing-12-month history fix and a clean go-forward reset under TX § 202.004 and FL § 720.305.
The Open-Meeting Rule and the Walking Quorum: Decisions the Board Cannot Make by Text
A board acts only as a body, in a noticed open meeting, on matters that were noticed. This article explains the open-meeting rule, the walking-quorum trap, the executive-session exceptions, and why a group text can void a decision under TX § 209.0051 and FL § 720.303 / § 718.112.
The Shield and Its Cracks: How Directors Lose Their Protection
How the business judgment rule protects HOA directors through Levandusky and Lamden, the five protective layers from TBOC § 22.235 immunity to D&O Side A/B/C coverage, and the five process failures that crack the shield.
Amending the Governing Documents: The Power That Belongs to the Members
Document by document, who can amend what and how: the Declaration (member supermajority of 67% or 75% plus county recording), the Articles, the Plat, the Bylaws, and Rules — with TX §202/§209 and FL §720.306/§718.110 thresholds and the short-term-rental example.
The Governing Documents of a Community Association: A Complete Guide
A hierarchy-ordered tour of every governing document — Declaration, Articles, Plat, Bylaws, Rules, and Resolutions — with a real-world scenario for each and the diagnostic that resolves conflicts under TX Ch. 209/82 and FL Ch. 720/718.
The Declaration (CC&Rs) in Practice
How the recorded Declaration governs real board decisions — short-term rentals (Tarr v. Timberwood Park), assessment and lien foreclosure (Inwood North v. Harris County), architectural disputes, and the forgotten amendment — with the provision, the board action, and the failure mode for each.
The Articles of Incorporation in Practice
The most-ignored governing document — and the one that can collapse the whole wall. How a stale registered agent ripens into a default judgment, how a missed franchise/PIR filing makes directors personally liable, and the 10-minute annual corporate-status check under TBOC Ch. 22 and FL Ch. 617.
The Recorded Plat and Map in Practice
The recorded plat is the document everyone ignores until a fence, easement, or boundary fight makes it the only thing that matters. A scenario-driven guide to what the plat shows, who to call, and the board's move — with TX and FL recording and replat parallels.
The Bylaws in Practice
How the bylaws actually run a board: filling a mid-term vacancy, finding a quorum, what a president can do alone (nothing), and amending the bylaws. With TX § 209.0051 / TBOC and FL § 720.303 / § 718.112 parallels.
Rules and Regulations in Practice
Scenario-driven walkthrough of how boards adopt and enforce rules: confirming Declaration authority, the 7-step adoption sequence, the ten enforceability criteria as a live checklist, ultra vires overreach, and why selective enforcement and missing publication void an otherwise valid rule. TX § 202.004 / § 209.0051 / § 209.006 and FL § 720.305 / § 718.303.
Board Resolutions in Practice
A board resolution turns a decision into a durable, reviewable governing act. Learn the four elements of a defensible resolution — authority, findings, action, effective date — with worked examples for collection policy, a $48,000 paving award, fines, and spending authority, plus TX § 209.0051 and FL § 720.303 / § 718.112 recorded-vote rules.
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