November 20, 2009

There's no shame in admitting that sometimes you're not sure of your responsibility as a board member. Being a board member is a volunteer position, and few associations offer training that provides in-depth guidance for well-intentioned but inexperienced board members. That's why you need a model code of conduct for your board members.

If you don't think that a simple list of guidelines would help your board, think again. "The general consensus is that a model code is a good idea, and we find them really helpful," says Elizabeth White, a shareholder and head of the community associations practice at the law firm of LeClairRyan in Williamsburg, Va.

"For a lot of board members," Elizabeth told us, "when they vote to approve a code of conduct, it makes them stop and think. But it also gives the rest of the board and management something to point to when a board member starts straying outside the appropriate lane. It gives them something objective to evaluate behavior against. It also prevents board members from saying, 'I didn't know that was inappropriate. I didn't know accepting a Christmas gift from my landscaper, who also happens to be the association's landscaper, wasn't proper.'"

To view the 10 points of our model code of conduct for HOA board members, go to our new article.

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President