If you’re moving to any type of planned residential community, whether a suburban development or urban condo,

you may become part of a homeowners association. If an HOA exists, your membership is probably mandatory once
you purchase your home. While paying dues is required, you may want to become a more active member of your
HOA. Attend your HOA board meetings and get to know how the process works. You may want to run for the board
of directors someday and even become the HOA president. How often elections are held for HOA positions depends
on bylaws.
How Homeowners Associations Work
An HOA board protects the interests of their community and its residents, ensuring the community’s continued
financial and physical viability. Some HOAs may just take responsibility for property held in common by the
residents, such as swales and storm water detention basins. That minimal but important oversight occurs more often
in suburban developments. When planned communities include common areas such as swimming pools, tennis
courts, recreation centers and the like, the HOA is in charge of their upkeep and usage. In some situations, HOAs are
responsible for snow plowing, hiring garbage and recycling contractors and other regular maintenance issues, while
in others the municipality in which the planned community is located takes care of these items as they do for other
residents.
HOA Presidential Responsibilities
The HOA board of directors consists of a president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. The HOA president
serves as the executive officer of the board of directors. As with any executive officer, the president is responsible
for running meetings, establishing the agenda and executing contracts and other legal documents pertaining to the
HOA. Daily administration of the HOA also falls within the president’s purview. The president generally serves as
the liaison to the HOA’s property manager. Specific presidential duties for each HOA are indicated in the
association’s bylaws. For example, if the bylaws give the president the authority, he is the person appointing
members to various HOA-related committees. If the building involved is a co-op, the president’s signature may be
necessary on leases and stock certificates.
Leader of the Community
Although the president of a larger HOA is not equivalent to the mayor in a town or city, she is a leader in the
community and may represent the HOA in outside meetings or events affecting the planned community. When the
media contacts the HOA about an issue, it is the president who should respond.
Experience Needed for HOA Presidency
A person with a business or management background is probably the best candidate for an HOA presidency, but
there’s another caveat. If you’re thinking about running for HOA president, make sure you have the time available
because it’s often a big commitment. Most HOA presidents start out on the board of directors so they can learn the
ropes of HOA governance before advancing to a higher position.
A homeowners' association is also known as the HOA. According to the Association Times, The HOA is the "cornerstone of a
planned residential community." The main goals of the homeowners' association are to maintain the property value of the residents,
create a sense of community and preserve the architectural integrity of the neighborhood, according to the Association Times.

Board of Directors
The board of directors will be responsible for carrying out the specific duties that the HOA has written in its by-laws. According to the
Association Times, the board of directors is in charge of the management and operation of the HOA's business matters. The board
of directors will also make policies for the HOA. Unless otherwise stated within a specific HOA's by-laws, being a member of the
board of directors is a non-paid position.

President
According to the Association Times, the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer are officers of the HOA. Officers, unlike
the board of directors, carry out the policies and administrative functions within the community, set forth by the board. The president
will serve as a spokesman during meetings with the board of directors and lead community HOA meetings. The president will have
authoritative say in daily functions of the HOA.

Vice President
The vice president will be ready to assume responsibility should the president be absent from a meeting, resign from duties or be
dismissed by a majority vote of the board of directors. The vice president must act within the best interests of the community.

Secretary
The secretary is responsible for keeping all of the official records for the association, according to Association Times. She will
usually have an assistant to keep a log of minutes at each meeting, while she keeps a log of what was discussed and what was
achieved during the meetings. The secretary is also responsible for granting assess to records to all members of the association as
well as other authorized individuals.

Treasurer
According to Association Times, the treasurer is responsible for all securities, funds, and records of finances which belong to the
homeowners' association. However, many HOA's hire an outside company to be responsible for the financial aspect of the
association, in which case the duties of the treasurer will be to ensure proper financial records are kept. Finally, the treasurer is
responsible for creating a proposal for the annual budget and preparing the annual financial report each year, according to the
Association Times.