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admin, Author at Sussex Square Condo Council Forum The Greatest Little Neighborhood In Millersville! Tue, 23 Jul 2024 19:35:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://i0.wp.com/ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/cropped-houseWindowIconBlue.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 admin, Author at Sussex Square Condo Council Forum 32 32 231364354 Special Meeting New Management Agent https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/meeting-minutes/special-meeting-new-management/ Mon, 22 Jul 2024 21:34:51 +0000 https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/?post_type=meeting-minutes&p=679 Meeting called to order: 7:10 PM SPECIAL meeting validated as per bylaws, proper notice, quorum of BOD met, BOD members qualified. Review - At the May 23, 2024 regular meeting it was announced and approved to find a new management company. The Board is requesting your presence at this special meeting to review the current proposals and provide feedback before the final proposal is voted on by the Board. Owner comments & questions - there were none. The replacement process / transition requires a few additional motions to allow smooth […]

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Meeting called to order: 7:10 PM

  1. SPECIAL meeting validated as per bylaws, proper notice, quorum of BOD met, BOD members qualified.
  2. Review – At the May 23, 2024 regular meeting it was announced and approved to find a new management company. The Board is requesting your presence at this special meeting to review the current proposals and provide feedback before the final proposal is voted on by the Board.
  3. Owner comments & questions – there were none.
  4. The replacement process / transition requires a few additional motions to allow smooth transition without calling additional special meetings.
  5. Motions and discussions:
    1. Motion to send ACM termination letter with termination date of 30 June 2024, no later than 31 July 2024 as per draft letter. (See signed letter below.) Approved 3 in favor, 0 opposed.
    2. Motion and discussion to eliminate Tidewater ($33k / year) and Quest ($31k / year) management proposals.  Main point of discussion was the cost of these 2 proposals which closely matched what we were paying for ACM. Approved, 3 in favor, 0 opposed.
    3. Motion to hire American Dream Reality & Management ($10.8k / year) company as per their submitted proposal for term beginning 1 July 2024 and ending 30 June 2025 with automatic renewal in place. Approved, 3 in favor, 0 opposed.
    4. Motion to transfer reserve funds ($50,000) to capital account for transition process and include in the termination demands to ACM. Approved, 3 in favor, 0 opposed.
    5. Motion to write check of up to $50,000 written out to Sussex Square Condominium Council, Inc from capital account to be deposited into new account as recommended by the new management company as quickly as possible after termination letter has been sent and to hand deliver said check to the new bank with the representative from the new management company to deposit into the new bank account to allow for the start and continuation of operations without interruption from ACM. Approved, 3 in favor, 0 opposed. (In the end this was a $25,000 initial deposit check that was hand delivered to Truist Bank for deposit into the account, as per Christi’s recommendation.)
    6. Motion to waive all late fees for the next 6 months until all accounts are properly transferred and the unit owner has sufficient time to re-establish payment method. Approved, 3 in favor, 0 opposed.
    7. Motion to terminate collections agreement with Michael S. Neal and Associates and to pause all collections processes until collections can be re-established through the collections group recommended by the new management agent. Approved, 3 in favor, 0 opposed.
    8. Motion to terminate insurance agent relationship with Harvey Shankman and Schoenfeld Insurance Associates. The Issue has to do with our insurance increasing from approximately $39,000 in 2022, to 53,362 in 2023, and now to $62,000 for 2023 – 2024. Approved, 3 in favor, 0 opposed.
    9. Motion to begin new insurance agent relationship with BJ Mattheiss Insurance. Approved, 3 in favor, 0 opposed.
    10. Motion to put an attorney on notice either Schild or Skipper to be back up if ACM interferes with a timely transfer. Approved, 3 in favor, 0 opposed.
    11. Motion to take legal action with the new attorney and or through the proper AACO court. if necessary, if ACM obstructs smooth and timely transition, cost not to exceed $1500 without further BOD approval. Approved, 3 in favor, 0 opposed.
    12. Motion to adjourn

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Complaint from 8339 Regarding The New BOD’s Procedures https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/bylaw-tips/complaint-from-8339-regarding-the-new-bods-procedures/ https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/bylaw-tips/complaint-from-8339-regarding-the-new-bods-procedures/#respond Fri, 19 Apr 2024 18:05:01 +0000 https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/?p=667

The following is an email thread from 8339 who submitted her comments in an email to Mr Mangen. The problem with her analysis of the statutes and regulations that she is questioning is that she is using the wrong references. Our governing documents include our Declaration, Articles of Incorporation and our Bylaws. Each of these is titled specifically with Sussex Square Condominium Council, Inc on them indicating they are specific to our community. 8339 does not reference these documents in all the questions below but instead ventures outside those documents […]

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The following is an email thread from 8339 who submitted her comments in an email to Mr Mangen.

The problem with her analysis of the statutes and regulations that she is questioning is that she is using the wrong references. Our governing documents include our Declaration, Articles of Incorporation and our Bylaws. Each of these is titled specifically with Sussex Square Condominium Council, Inc on them indicating they are specific to our community.

8339 does not reference these documents in all the questions below but instead ventures outside those documents for answers. This is legal interpretation error. One must first look for the answers to questions of procedure / responsibility in the specific governing documents before going outside to other references.

There is much to learn about how to interpret these documents and as noted in my response I’d be happy to give a short class on it. Once the steps are understood, it becomes easy to interpret any piece of legislation, legal document, contract or even the bible as the steps are the same for all levels of governance.

At some point in the future I’ll return to this post and add the proper response to each allegation made by 8339, but for now realize that what she is alleging is not proper legal interpretation because she either doesn’t reference our governing documents or she does not properly interpret our the appropriate sections of our governing documents. If you have any further questions, please ask them in a comment so that these issues can be discussed and resolved in open forum format.

The following is my response through Mr. Mangen. Hopefully he forwarded my response, but I have no idea if he did or not. Mr. Mangen also needs to understand this process as he himself has not interpreted his own contract correctly.


Alan,

Please read the following and take note yourself. Then please respond with the following to Ms Zheng eliminating the email addresses of those on the Board who wish to remain private at this point:

~~~~~~~~

These conversations with the BOD through resident requests and emails addressing accusations of board performance or board members specifically are considered a closed meeting because it is not in open meeting format. Your issues need to be addressed in the proper open meeting format. We will in the future provide many different opportunities of open forum other than just the meetings.

Neither I nor the new board wants to dwell on the past board’s performance. The board members all operated to the best of their ability and in what they considered to be the best interest of the community.

We have nothing to gain by focusing on the past. The new board is excited and ready to move forward and that’s what we will do.

I have already shown all the pertinent paragraphs in the bylaws to the other members of the board and they had no trouble interpreting them, thereby agreeing with my statements.

It appears by your statements, however, that there is some confusion on your part in what the bylaws you included are actually stating, because your answers were right there.

I recognize that many residents are not familiar with legal definitions and the process of breaking down legal statutes or contract terms to gain the full understanding and intent of the original authors.

Rather than me spending the extreme amount of time necessary to teach you alone how to interpret bylaws, statutes, and contract terms & conditions, I think the better approach is to allow others in the community to also learn from your questions and I’d rather set up a short class to show how to best decipher the legal jargon using the same methods that judges use. Perhaps you’d like to set that up and encourage others to attend.

In the mean time here are just a few explanations that may help going forward:

  1. First you are correct that Alan / ACM’s accounting department is authorized to handle our money. This was never in question.
    • However this authorization does not come from the state statutes, it comes from the contract with ACM signed and dated 2016.
    • This is the basic principle of contract law. The statutes only give a broad governance as to what the contract may or may not include, but how ACM operates with us is governed in that contract.
    • In that signed and agreed upon ACM contract from 2016, it specifically states in multiple places that funds cannot be expended without BOD approval.
    • Contract law does not operate off of assumptions.
    • Nowhere does that contract say the CPA is authorized to expend our money, and nowhere does it state our President can approve the disbursement of funds.
    • We do not have any signed contract with any CPA that I can find on the portal.
    • If you disagree, please show me in ACM’s contract where I’m wrong as I have already proven through many emails which included other new board members, that all expenses must be approved by the Board of Directors.
  2. Looking at the role of the treasurer, about midway in the paragraph it states “…He shall disburse the funds…”. Starting with that phrase, one first looks at what the legal definition of disburse is.
    • Blacks Law Dictionary one of the dictionaries used in common law and upon which our whole legal / judicial system is based, defines disburse as “a term that means to pay out or to expend”.
    • Investopedia states it means paying out of money from a fund.
    • This is the role of any treasurer on any corporate board of directors. It is not new or different for Sussex Square.
    • Many times a Board of Directors hires a third party accounting department to send the actual checks as Alan indicated in the meeting.
    • But according to this phrase in our Bylaws, the money is not to be disbursed without the treasurer authorizing it. Nowhere does our Bylaws allow for the President to authorize disbursements.
    • Authorization in any transaction legally requires a signature. You sign your checks don’t you? And you would not be very happy if I signed your checks especially if I also happened to address those checks to myself or my friend, would you?
  3. A director on the board is expected to vote on the issues and the expenses brought before the Council.
    • This is specified in at least 2 different paragraphs of our governing documents, including the Articles of Incorporation Section V where it states “The affairs of the Corporation shall be governed by a Board of Directors…”, and again in Article IV Section 1 where it states “the affairs of the Council shall be governed by a Board of Directors…”
    • This means that each director must be able to vote in order be able to participate in “govern[ing] the affairs” of the Council or of the Corporation.
    • In the Bylaws Article III Section 9 states “no owner shall be entitled to vote if:…”. Let’s look at this part first.
    • Is a director on the Board of Directors an owner? The answer is yes, and that’s specified in the Bylaws Article IV Section 1 “The affairs of the Council shall be governed by a Board of Directors composed of 5 persons who must be owners...” So Article III Section 9 applies to every director because each director is an owner.
    • Continuing with Section 9 in Article III we started with no owner shall be entitled to vote if: (a) (we both agree on (a)). And “(b) the Council has recorded a statement of lien for unpaid assessments…” The question is what does this mean?
    • In the Bylaws Article VI we find definitions regarding assessments. In Section 4 we learn about non-payment of assessments. Section 4 states “Any payment or installment … which is not paid on the date when due shall be delinquent, and shall … become a continuing lien upon the unit…”. This means the lien when it is recorded with the State will have the date it became delinquent as the recording date.
    • In addition, the Declaration Article VIII states “Until paid, all sums assessed by the Council for common expenses … shall constitute a lien on the unit assessed.” This means that every month that your assessments become due a lien is considered placed on your unit until you pay the amount due.
    • So it is in 2 places in our governing documents.
    • Plus I have emails where in prior years, Alan makes the same statement that to be on the board one must be paid up on their assessments. Interesting that this year he is silent on this requirement.
    • The State statutes allow for a 90 day grace period.
    • Many other associations in AACO and Maryland in general only allow for 30 days. Meaning, after delinquency of only 30 days, the director is removed from the Board.
    • To be on the governing body (Board of Directors) and be in arrears would also violate the Board’s fiduciary duty to the Council. The board cannot give itself the preferential privilege of not being required to pay the dues while yet enforcing the other members of the Council to pay. Each director of the Board must abide by the single most basic requirement of being a member of the community and that is paying of assessments on time.
    • To be on the Board, the director must be able to vote in order to be able to be a part of the decision making process (governing) that a Board of Directors is required to follow.
    • Any decision made by the BOD can be legally disputed. If any dispute occurs and one of the directors was not entitled to vote (i.e. did not meet the above qualifications to vote) the decision can be legally deemed invalid. Without following these Bylaws the individuals on the Board set the Council up for unnecessary legal liability. Hopefully none of the decisions from 2023 will be challenged. We have 3 years to suffer it out.

That’s enough for now, it takes far too much of my time to teach you how to interpret the bylaws, by writing it all out.

As I stated before (sometime in 2023) there is a FREE class that is offered and is sanctioned by the State of Maryland that you can take and that I have already taken. Here is the link again.

I think the rest of the doggie stations could be emptied. Also the there is usually trash around the dumpster areas that could be cleaned up. Some of the curbs are falling away and could be put in the dumpsters. And your buddy Steve can tell you how to clean the landscaping ties without a pressure washer. The graffiti could be removed from the utility boxes on the property especially at the corner of Old Mill Rd and Brandon.

Completion of any one of these tasks would be a great benefit to our community.

Are you sure you wouldn’t rather spend your time improving our community and being a part of the solution rather than constantly badgering me and the new board taking away our time from what we need to do to move forward?

Perhaps you could be neighborly and get on board with the rest of the community who do want to move forward.

How about that – move forward and improve our neighborhood.

Thank you for your interest in learning how to interpret the bylaws.

Nelda Fink
President,
Sussex Square Condominium Council, Inc

———- Forwarded message ———
From: Emilia Zheng<email redacted>
Date: Fri, Apr 12, 2024 at 5:58 AM
Subject: Complaint
To: Alan Mangen <amangen@acmhome.com>

Hi Alan, can you please forward my email complaint below to the new board? It’s simply too much to post on the portal. Thanks, M

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Nelda,

If you are actually innocent, then you should have no problem proving this to me and your new board. Failure to respond and defend yourself to my allegations proves you are guilty of them since you can’t defend yourself against them.

You made some biiiiiiiig claims at this week’s meeting, none of which are rooted in any facts or bylaws at all. Prove to your new board that you aren’t lying, because I`m going to prove that you are so that they see what they just signed up for. That way they might understand a little bit better the ABSOLUTE HELL you put me, Dawn, Rachelle, Steve, Barb and Katrina through, and so that they see what’s in store for them the second they disagree with you or try to prove you wrong.

Maybe after seeing this email, our new board members will want me to rejoin the board to keep you in check, since you clearly lied your ass off at the meeting.

I await your response, but I do not expect any of your reasoning to actually hold up. This is a great opportunity for the new board to see how you handle someone who points out your hypocrisy and lies to your face.

M

Approving Minutes – You are supposed to read and approve them at the beginning of a meeting, which you should know because you made a big deal about it at a previous meeting. You don’t even follow the rules that you harass others about.

Slandering Dawn – The only qualification you need to be on the board is to own a house in the community. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE CURRENT ON DUES, WHICH IS SOMETHING YOU REPEATEDLY HARRASSED DAWN ABOUT, CLAIMED SHE WAS ILLEGITIMATE, AND LIED ABOUT IN THE MEETING YET AGAIN LAST NIGHT.

Treasurer Role – The role of the treasurer DOES NOT STATE THAT THE TREASURER SIGNS OFF ON ANYTHING AT ALL, AND ANYTHING THEY DO IS AT THE DISCRESION OF THE BOARD OR PRESIDENT. STOP LYING TO PEOPLE.

President – It doesn’t even say in our bylaws that the president needs to sign off on any money at all. You only used that in the past to harass Dawn, and you are going to ignore it in the future because it gets in your way of doing things.

Alan is Authorized to Handle Our Money – The MD Condo Act states that the council may delegate any of their powers to a board of directors, and one of those powers is to transact business, to make contracts, and to invest our funds. The contract we have with ACM also states that same things. YOU ARE LYING AGAIN WHEN YOU SAY THAT ALAN CAN’T SPEND OUR MONEY, WE SPECIFICALLY GAVE HIM THAT RESPONSIBILITY, AND IT SAYS NOWHERE IN THE BYLAWS OR CONDO ACT THAT ANYONE NEEDS TO SIGN OFF PERIOD.

Additionally, per OUR OWN CONTRACT WITH ACM they do have the power to pay for things on our behalf.

Budget – And that budget you were talking about when you implied the board is overcharging everyone? I did the math per unit and for the entire community. The difference is at most $0.64 per unit, a maximum difference of $13.00 total per month, and the total difference to our bottom line is $0.13 per month. Dawn and Kathleen voted in the emails to let it go, but yet you had to send 6 emails arguing this one thing that ultimately doesn’t matter and no one cares about except you. I can also send the emails to the new board to they can all see your underhanded tactics for themselves. While I’m at it, I might also pass along ALL the emails you sent about 8417 (for those of you that don’t know, 8417 hoarded over 50 cats and Nelda prevented the board from getting anything done at all about it).

Signs – no signs like I have told you 3+ times by now. Maybe you should bother to read our bylaws when people point out that you’re doing things wrong instead of telling them to do it themselves. A good board president would have looked into this by now instead of sticking her fingers in her ears and ignoring me. And before you start, our regular meetings are not promotional or marking related but I`m sure you will try to twist the bylaws here. All signs need to be consented to by the entire board of directors, and you have willfully been violating this for years now.

Closed Meetings – I’ve copied and pasted my email last night below with your requested documentation. You know full well where to find this information since you’ve likely sent us dozens of emails accusing us on having closed meetings, and you supposedly took the course I did on the Open Meetings Act manual.

I hope you haven’t been having and closed meetings lately. By having yourself and Kathleen looking at 581 together, that could be construed as a closed meeting of the board of directors.

And I really, really hope I didn’t see you sitting on the couch in Harry’s house with Thanh while I was walking my dog just now. Even if it was just Thanh and Harry, that’s at least half the board and therefore was a closed meeting. That would definitely be a blatant violation of the MD Condo Act and our Bylaws, as you have claimed the previous board did. Should I inform the community that it looks like you’re shutting them out of decisions being made on their behalf? That wouldn’t put the beginning of your presidency off to a good start would it?

I should also remind you that you can’t vote on anything outside of a meeting without unanimous written board consent per our bylaws, because that would be another closed meeting allegation. Email is out because Harry doesn’t have email. I guess you could put it on paper, but then Kathleen would need to take time out of her day to physically show up and sign it. That leaves you with the option of scheduling more open meetings, which you are well within your rights to do, and I would be well within my rights to show up to those meetings.

Open Meetings Act Manual, Chapter 1 Part B –

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Don’t Paint Your Brick! https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/news/dont-paint-your-brick/ https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/news/dont-paint-your-brick/#respond Fri, 19 Apr 2024 16:52:30 +0000 https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/?p=663

There are many general reasons not to paint your brick. The main reason however is that you are not responsible for your brick, the Council (association) has that responsibility. If you paint your brick you will add to the maintenance of the exterior of your unit. These units were built for low maintenance, and painting is high maintenance since it needs done every 5 – 7 years. Watch this video for other reasons why brick should not be painted. https://www.redesigndaily.com/home-design/whole-house/exterior/painting-brick-44593066 Don’t paint your brick! In fact for the same reasons, […]

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There are many general reasons not to paint your brick. The main reason however is that you are not responsible for your brick, the Council (association) has that responsibility. If you paint your brick you will add to the maintenance of the exterior of your unit. These units were built for low maintenance, and painting is high maintenance since it needs done every 5 – 7 years.

Watch this video for other reasons why brick should not be painted.

https://www.redesigndaily.com/home-design/whole-house/exterior/painting-brick-44593066

Don’t paint your brick! In fact for the same reasons, don’t paint your vinyl siding!

Thank you!

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Common Ownership Owners Rights https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/uncategorized/common-ownership-owners-rights/ https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/uncategorized/common-ownership-owners-rights/#respond Thu, 11 Apr 2024 20:17:30 +0000 https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/?p=658 https://www.wmar2news.com/matterformallory/i-am-not-going-away-a-lawmakers-continued-push-for-hoa-regulations-and-consumer-protections

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https://www.wmar2news.com/matterformallory/i-am-not-going-away-a-lawmakers-continued-push-for-hoa-regulations-and-consumer-protections

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Where has your money been going, you ask? https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/committees/agent-management/where-has-your-money-been-going-you-ask/ https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/committees/agent-management/where-has-your-money-been-going-you-ask/#respond Thu, 04 Apr 2024 15:21:12 +0000 https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/?p=644 Just for this year alone (3 months) we have a grand total of over $25,000 unauthorized expenses. What does unauthorized mean? Every expense that ACM pays for the Association must be approved by the BOD. So when the BOD approves a contract and we pay monthly or in portions on that contract, that IS an authorized expense. Unauthorized expenses are those that the BOD has no knowledge of, and never approved. This is why our expenses are so out of control. The BOD is to control our expenses, not our […]

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Just for this year alone (3 months) we have a grand total of over $25,000 unauthorized expenses. What does unauthorized mean?

Every expense that ACM pays for the Association must be approved by the BOD. So when the BOD approves a contract and we pay monthly or in portions on that contract, that IS an authorized expense.

Unauthorized expenses are those that the BOD has no knowledge of, and never approved. This is why our expenses are so out of control. The BOD is to control our expenses, not our contractor.

Is one person from the board enough to authorize the expenses? No! Absolutely NOT! That’s not how a board of directors is supposed to operate. The bylaws clearly state it is the Board of Directors responsibility to spend your money, not the President, not the Treasurer, and certainly not the hired contractor.

We take in a total of approximately $380,000 per year in assessments. That’s 15% of our expenses for which we are responsible and for which we as a BOD cannot account.

That’s sad. Would you be happy if that was your checking account?

Does this mean these items won’t be paid in the future? No. It means we will implement the proper process to have the BOD approve the expenses.

Any questions can be posted below by approved members of the Council.

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Agent Management Requirements https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/committees/agent-management/agent-management-requirements/ https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/committees/agent-management/agent-management-requirements/#respond Fri, 29 Mar 2024 21:58:34 +0000 https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/?p=637 Requirements Article IV Section 4 – must be in good standing of the Real Estate Board of Greater Baltimore for at least three years Finance / Accounting Software Must allow all forms of payment including cash and checks as well as online. automatic payment into capital account automatic transfer into reserve accounts (set up by the banks) just in time vendor payment must provide complete expense tracking – must provide multiple views of owner request, management communications logs, management – contractor communication, and resolution to invoice, and expense. Click on […]

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Requirements

Article IV Section 4 – must be in good standing of the Real Estate Board of Greater Baltimore for at least three years

Finance / Accounting

Software

  • Must allow all forms of payment including cash and checks as well as online.
  • automatic payment into capital account
  • automatic transfer into reserve accounts (set up by the banks)
  • just in time vendor payment
  • must provide complete expense tracking – must provide multiple views of owner request, management communications logs, management – contractor communication, and resolution to invoice, and expense. Click on expense and should see the whole history thread. Click on any node in the thread and should see the whole thread.
  • Same with other expenses. Must have complete connection of expense back to origin (owner request or meeting item voted on)
  • Accounts linked so that payments are automatically tracked and categorized (like good budgeting software)
  • the right software could allow the unit owner to select service needed and trouble ticket / work order generated automatically.
  • In all cases human input will be necessary for:

    • accounts reconciliation
    • transaction categorization initial and possible continued
    • send some sort of check, even electronic check needs user input. Seems like monthly recurring payments and recurring transfers could be automated by banking system.
    • send USPS notices (3rd party service is provided in some software, can print locally and have someone stuff envelops or contract it out. Office Depot will do this.)
    • creating the budget each year
    • initial entry of work order ticket (not sure about this. The right software could allow the unit owner to select service needed and ticket generated automatically.)
    • approval / progressing of work order / trouble ticket
    • entering violations (the most important violations are on resale)
    • establish work flows and possibly fill in other disconnects

Bookkeeper/accountant

  • assessment cash payments
  • Collections
  • treasurer assist
  • tax and 1099 assist
  • bank accounts automation assist transfers between accounts
  • bank account monitoring

Reporting (Must provide sample of reports)

Must provide financial reports in csv or excel

  1. with data details
  2. expense / invoice / description must all be linked
  3. summed to accounts for current time period
  4. with true excel formatted dates
  5. proper excel recognized data type

Violations reports must be provided monthly, and include all discussions and communications with unit owner. any notices sent via certified mail must provide sent receipt and matching receive receipt for each correspondence sent. The report will be grouped by unit and be a temporal continuous thread of all communications with unit owner.

Assessment Delinquency Reports

  1. Must be private and remove personal data. Only unit number.

Contract management

If acting as master contractor

  1. must provide bids from local vendors
  2. must not use a preferred vendor list
  3. must not engage in contract bid rigging
  4. must provide 3 bids for any services which will or may cost over $2000
  5. insurance reviewing and claims submission (work with agent)

Grant Submission – must assist in obtaining grant moneys where possible.

Communications

Must be able to send notices USPS

Repairs/after hours calls

  • call center daytime and after hours
  • vendors to call – list plumbers, snow plow, landscapers (tree and branch removal)
  • calls logged and integrated into reports

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Management Software https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/committees/agent-management/management-software/ https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/committees/agent-management/management-software/#respond Fri, 29 Mar 2024 21:54:32 +0000 https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/?p=633 Management Software https://www.capterra.com/hoa-software/ DoorLoop – not HOA ready yet. Will not be able to view this properly. But starts at $239/mth for rentals. I like their UI approach however with customizable widgets on home page. AppFolio Property Manager – $104/mth, but has $280/mth minimum. Too expensive. Buildium – $224/mth essentials only Easy HOA – $59/mth – too simplistic. Not much is integrated. No link between owner request and action taken by management, no link between invoice and owner request. ManageCasa – $139/mth starting price. Too high! Demo done Got demo […]

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Management Software

https://www.capterra.com/hoa-software/

  • DoorLoop – not HOA ready yet. Will not be able to view this properly. But starts at $239/mth for rentals. I like their UI approach however with customizable widgets on home page.
  • AppFolio Property Manager – $104/mth, but has $280/mth minimum. Too expensive.
  • Buildium – $224/mth essentials only
  • Easy HOA – $59/mth – too simplistic. Not much is integrated. No link between owner request and action taken by management, no link between invoice and owner request.
  • ManageCasa – $139/mth starting price. Too high! Demo done

    • Got demo (See details here zotero://select/library/collections/:collectionKey
    • Can scope by building & unit within building
    • custom fields can be created, but are not reportable or sortable, reports are canned and not customized. Therefore custom fields are only for UI displays, possibly for export (not sure).
    • Worddoc templates for notices, and letters, fully customizable (hoping custom fields can be used in this, not sure the database script will retrieve the custom field for templates)
    • USPS delivery service 3rd party designated by CASA not one of our choosing, cost $1.70 per 1 or 2 page letter.
    • someone has to enter tickets and update
    • someone has to enter violations and update
    • initial message from unit owner for request can be “attached” to a resulting work order
    • task management not within work order process ?? not sure what this means??
    • unlimited bank accounts
    • transaction categories can be “learned” but until then must be entered by user
    • bank account reconciliation is partially automated, but someone still needs to assist
    • expenses are automatically tracked by work order
    • ChecksDoc (3rd party check writing system) to print checks or send echecks. (Seems bank software can automate this, like my bank has in the past. Guess it needs an amount to be entered.)
    • notifications sent by email (mailchimp – their choice not ours), sms with open/received tracking and reporting. (Did not ask about automatic followup workflows. Need to check.)
  • Enumerate – https://goenumerate.com/pricing/
  • Frontsteps – a baltimore HOA uses this, Claims to connect owner directly to vendor for repairs – might be good to eliminate YAP. No pricing on website. https://frontsteps.com/products/community-management/
  • Pilera – https://www.pilera.com/ (First Real Estate Mgmt in Baltimore uses this.
  • cinc systems software https://cincsystems.com/pricing/ – doesn’t seem to provide the level of tranckn

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Contacts In Maryland https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/committees/agent-management/contacts-in-maryland/ https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/committees/agent-management/contacts-in-maryland/#respond Fri, 29 Mar 2024 21:52:01 +0000 https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/?p=631 Zotero Report Item Type Note Date Added 11/1/2023, 3:07:40 PM Modified 11/1/2023, 4:18:47 PM American Dream Realty Bel Air (443) 640-0090 Might be good for hybrid self management HOAs Managing an HOA can be time consuming and confusing. That’s why we’re here to take care of it! From our administrative expertise to helping you navigate the community rules and regulations, our goal is to make everything easier and more convenient for you. Uses appfolio https://www.americandreamnet.com/ kathy@ brodiemgmt.com Item Type Note Date Added 10/27/2023, 10:35:15 PM Modified 10/27/2023, 11:08:18 PM DH […]

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Zotero Report
  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 3:07:40 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 4:18:47 PM

    American Dream Realty Bel Air (443) 640-0090

    Might be good for hybrid self management

    HOAs

    Managing an HOA can be time consuming and confusing. That’s why we’re here to take care of it!

    From our administrative expertise to helping you navigate the community rules and regulations, our goal is to make everything easier and more convenient for you.

    Uses appfolio

    https://www.americandreamnet.com/

    kathy@

    brodiemgmt.com

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 10/27/2023, 10:35:15 PM
    Modified 10/27/2023, 11:08:18 PM

    DH Bader Mgmt Columbia 301-953-1955

    10480 Little Patuxent Parkway
    10th Floor, Suite 1000
    Columbia, MD 21044
    301-953-1955
    info@dhbader.com

    https://www.dhbader.com/services/

    • Fund Management:
      Discuss how to prepare a budget and manage the Association’s funds.
    • Covenant Administration and Enforcement:
      Discuss how to administer and enforce the Declaration, Covenants, and By-Laws.
    • Bid proposal evaluation and negotiation:
      Discuss how to solicit, evaluate, and negotiate bid proposals.
    • Grounds Management:
      Discuss how to choose a grounds management company, and how to evaluate and negotiate bid proposals.
    • Architectural guidelines:
      Discuss how to write and enforce architectural control guidelines.
    • Legal issues:
      Discuss recent legislation concerning condominium and homeowner associations.
    • Communications:
      Discuss ways of “getting the word out” to owners and residents.

    Online portal by Vantaca (Same a RRG)

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 2:02:02 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 2:04:48 PM

    First Service Residential 1.800.998.4640 

    National / International organization with apparent local offices. Not sure the offices are really local or virtual. Many offices in many states.

    https://www.fsresidential.com/maryland/what-we-do/property-management/condominium-association

    reference from CAI website

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 2:31:36 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 3:01:11 PM

    MRA PMI Abingdon 410-515-7390

    Harford County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City and Cecil County. 

    Need to see if they are willing to expand

    MRA PMI’s offices are located in Abingdon, Maryland,   We have established working relationships with counties, and we stay well informed regarding state and local regulations affecting our clients’ properties.

    Uses Enumerate software

    Manages over 200 communities

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 5:34:44 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 5:36:28 PM

    Pelican Management Towson 410-645-1865

    Can be full service or just financial

    Uses Appfolio

    Looks promising

    https://pelicanmgt.com/service/hoa-condominium-association-management/

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 5:30:45 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 5:32:17 PM

    Pinnacle Management Glen Burnie (410) 760-4203

    Only rentals

    Good if hybrid self managed

    https://www.pinnacle-md.com/about

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 2:09:18 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 2:15:07 PM

    ProCAM of Maryland 301-879-9440

    http://www.procamofmaryland.com/about-us/

    reference from CAI

    Appears to be local. Has list of MD and DC communities.

    Looks like MD-DC/VA area

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 10/27/2023, 9:46:07 PM
    Modified 10/27/2023, 11:07:54 PM

    RRG Towson 410-654-4444

    Meets bylaws requirement And is woman owned

    Residential Realty Group

    405 E. Joppa Road, Suite 100,

    Towson, MD 21286

    Phone. 410-654-4444

    info@residential-realty.com

    https://www.rrg-sales.com/hoa-management-services

    https://www.rrg-sales.com/services-programs-overview

    we can facilitate or recommend providers for the following services:

    • Building repairs
    • Landscaping
    • Utility services
    • Accounting
    • Maintaining legal documents
    • Emergency services
    • Janitorial
    • Audits
    • Solicitation of bids
    • Inspections (when applicable)
    • Snow removal
    • Extermination

    National Association of Realtors

    Online portal by Vantaca (Same a DH Bader)Realtors

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 6:02:01 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 6:08:01 PM

    Tidewater Owings Mills 443-548-0191 (111) (855) 548-1123

    https://www.tidewaterproperty.com/condo-association-management/

    Offers full service and partial service

    Uses SenEarthCo Software

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 6:10:29 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 6:32:30 PM

    VN Management, Elkridge 410-505-8086

    Looks small and unestablished. Uses North Arundel Contracting and Weir!! Hmmm.

    Uses cinc systems software https://cincsystems.com/pricing/

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 2:22:59 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 2:24:25 PM

    Wallace H. Campbell & Company 410-435-4600

    Looks like general property manager, not HOA Agent/manager. Good for hybrid/self management

    https://whcampbell.com/services/

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 10/27/2023, 9:33:45 PM
    Modified 10/27/2023, 9:44:43 PM

    Rachuba Eldersburg (410) 781-3400

    946-A Marimich Court
    Eldersburg, MD 21784

    (410) 781-3400

    https://rachuba.com/hoa.htm

    Full-Service Solutions for HOAs & Condominium Associations
    • Board support
    • Homeowner communications
    • Preventative maintenance plans
    • Amenity management
    • Collections & enforcement
    • Bookkeeping & reporting
    • Vendor relations
    • Customized solutions

    Responsive Service Excellence & Improved Resident Satisfaction – Our commitment to service excellence creates communities that attract and retain residents. We understand that satisfied residents improve quality of life and property values within the community.

    Improved Insights & Communication – Our cutting-edge messaging center allows ease of communication between management and residents through a variety of approaches (email, phone, text, or mail)

    Actionable Insights – Through our management software, we’re able to provide regular reporting and valuable insights into your community’s operations and finances. Your board will be updated regularly about performed services and the current financial outlook. 

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 5:10:30 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 5:14:10 PM

    First Real Estate Management Ellicott City (410) 730-9531

    Looks small but that may be advantageous

    Uses Pilera – https://www.pilera.com/

    https://www.fremllc.com/page/mainoffice

    jspahn@5304dorsey.com

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 4:32:18 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 4:37:45 PM

    Brodie Management Cockeysville/Annapolis 410-825-6060, 410-571-1400

    HOA / COA full service management

    Helpful in reducing capital costs

    https://brodiemgmt.com/success-stories/

    “The property manager made numerous subsequent calls to me during these early morning hours to inform me that the fire protection company had been called, who to expect, ETA and then to check on the progress they were making. Such responsiveness is unexpected these days…. 

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 4:42:22 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 4:44:24 PM

    Clarity Management, Montgomery 240-428-6750

    Looks small and not well established

    Maybe MoCo specific. (Need a better website!)

    https://www.managedwithclarity.com/about

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 5:38:34 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 5:42:11 PM

    ProCom (Not servicing COAs)

    Uses Cinc web axis Software

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 4:47:03 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 4:47:27 PM

    Sari McCleod, Pasadena Agent only 410-255-4255

  • Item Type Note
    Date Added 11/1/2023, 5:57:02 PM
    Modified 11/1/2023, 6:00:13 PM

    WPM LLC, Owings Mills 443-796-7400

    Full service

    https://www.wpmllc.com/contact

    uses Vantaca software

    Looks expensive, but should try and see

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Annual Meeting Minutes 3-19-2024 https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/board-happening/meeting-minutes-3-19-2024/ https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/board-happening/meeting-minutes-3-19-2024/#respond Fri, 29 Mar 2024 03:57:40 +0000 https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/?p=568 DRAFT – Minutes Annual Open Meeting 19 March, 2024 2 Board members present: 29 Council Members present: (see list) Meeting brought to order by: Acting President, Ms Fink, at 7:10 PM. Current President and Secretary have both resigned leaving these HOA Board positions open and ready to be filled. We thank the previous President and Secretary for their service to the Sussex Square community. The meeting commenced at 7:10 p.m. There were 29 members of the community present. A quorum was not reached thereby nullifying any chance to vote for […]

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DRAFT – Minutes Annual Open Meeting 19 March, 2024

2 Board members present:

  1. Acting President – Ms. Fink
  2. Acting Secretary – Mrs. Bernhardt 

29 Council Members present: (see list)

Meeting brought to order by: Acting President, Ms Fink, at 7:10 PM.

Current President and Secretary have both resigned leaving these HOA Board positions open and ready to be filled. We thank the previous President and Secretary for their service to the Sussex Square community.

The meeting commenced at 7:10 p.m. There were 29 members of the community present. A quorum was not reached thereby nullifying any chance to vote for new Board members. Another meeting will be held on April 9, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. to elect a new Board. The 3 candidates still remain – Harry Payne, Thanh Nguyen, and Kathleen Bernhardt. Acting President, Nelda Fink, urged all community owners present to run for the Board. One more director needs to be nominated.

Acting Sussex Square Board President, Nelda Fink, addressed all present to “air” their grievances/wishes for the community to determine what the Board’s priority of repairs were needed. They are as follows:

1. Railroad tie boxes in the front of homes are rotting

2. Benches are rotting

3. Overgrown landscaping

4. Painting needed for outside eaves

5. Doggie disposal stations neglected

6. Security lights burning 24/7 causing unnecessary electric bills

7. Parking lot needs repaving and new paint

8. Overall rundown look of the neighborhood

9. Community members felt their HOA fees were increasing yet their community was not being aesthetically maintained.

Acting President, Nelda Fink, and a few members toured the basement of 581 Belmawr Place. The basement is so filled with mold and sewage, the smell is a breathing health hazard for the occupants living above. This needs to be addressed immediately.

Unfortunately, the Sussex Square budget does not allow for all the repairs needed in our community. We will have to choose the repairs most prescient and spend as our budget allows. This involves finding 7-8 contractors, hoping at least three (3) show up, walking the community with them to show them our needs, gathering their estimates, and presenting them to the Board for approval (vote).

Community members at tonight’s meeting were asked to participate by volunteering to be on a Committee to enlist contractors and follow through with the necessary steps to have repairs completed.

No one volunteered.

Recorded by Kathleen Bernhardt , Sussex Square Acting Secretary

Approved: _______Date_________ by vote:

* * * * * * * * * * *

Our contractor Alan (ACM) has interfered with our progress and refuses to post these minutes on the portal. We apologize for the delay in information dissemination.

* * * * * * * * * * *

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8339 Wins Top Medal!!! https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/council-happening/8339-wins-top-medal/ https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/council-happening/8339-wins-top-medal/#respond Fri, 29 Mar 2024 02:22:17 +0000 https://ssca.neighborhood.qtlink.net/?p=552 8339 wins the medal for posting the most resident requests ever in one day! Wooo Hooo!! With over 21 resident requests submitted we can only surmise that 8339 has a great deal to say!! Hoping 8339 can come to a meeting and voice those concerns in a public forum, since most of the concerns were already addressed in the Annual Meeting on March 19 2024. Let’s give a loud applause to 8339 for their win today!! Certainly submitting 21 resident requests was very productive in some effort at improving this […]

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8339 wins the medal for posting the most resident requests ever in one day! Wooo Hooo!!

With over 21 resident requests submitted we can only surmise that 8339 has a great deal to say!!

Hoping 8339 can come to a meeting and voice those concerns in a public forum, since most of the concerns were already addressed in the Annual Meeting on March 19 2024.

Let’s give a loud applause to 8339 for their win today!! Certainly submitting 21 resident requests was very productive in some effort at improving this community. Can you tell which effort it was? Neither can we!

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