A while back, I surveyed a number of people who serve on the

board of an HOA about the challenges they face.

One question asked people to list—in their own words—the

number-one problem they face as HOA leaders. All of the usual

suspects showed up in the responses: legal issues, enforcing rule

violations, financial issues like collections and special

assessments.

But one stood out. It summarized a theme in many other responses.

It said simply, "A guy named Dave."

That brings us to this week's tip: If you've got a Dave giving

you trouble, get proactive.

It doesn't matter if Dave is an explosive owner or a little

Napoleon on your board. Don't just proceed as normal and then

react when Dave gives you trouble. Think of your relationship

as a negotiation. A smart negotiator doesn't enter a deal

without knowing what she wants to get out of it, anticipating

how her counterpart is going to react, plotting out which issues

are important to the other party and which aren't. Think about

Dave's likely responses to the issues you face. How can you

defuse him ahead of time?

If your personal Dave is an unwieldy owner, check out our just-posted article to get 5 tips for handling him. Go to article »

If your Dave is a board member, it might be time to think

about taking action to remove him. This new article will help

you navigate those waters. Go to article »

Best regards,

Matt Humphrey

President

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