In this week's tip, we explain why it's important to distribute

a welcome kit to new owners in your homeowners association and

suggest items to include in the kit.

"It's important for a number of reasons to have a welcome

committee to educate new owners about the association and the

community," says Matthew A. Drewes, a partner at Thomsen &

Nybeck PA in Edina, Minn., who represents associations.

"We find a lot that people who move into community associations

don't appreciate a lot of aspects of community association

living. They don't realize there are likely to be rules and

regulations regarding certain things, especially exterior

maintenance or alterations to their property. They also may not

realize it if there are restrictions on rentals or rules on how

units can be rented and even that there can be pet and other

restrictions."

Shouldn't new homeowners have received a copy of the

association's governing documents before their purchase? Sure,

but... "Even though the law in Minnesota—and I'm betting many

other states—requires that buyers receive a current set of

governing documents," explains Drewes, "many in fact may have

received an incomplete or outdated set, or they haven't read them.

Those who have read them don't always fully realize the effects

of the things they've read."

Though not too many of the associations he represents provide

welcome kits, Dennis J. Eisinger, a partner at Eisinger, Brown,

Lewis & Frankel PA in Hollywood, Fla., who currently represents

more than 500 condo and HOA associations, also believes they're

a smart move. "I think it's a terrific idea. For several reasons it can only

be beneficial to the community. Possibly the forefront is for

getting volunteers. Also, the more you can educate people up

front who haven't lived in a community association before—many

of whom come in and think they can do whatever they want and

don't understand the concept of CC&Rs—that's important.

Finally, it promotes a neighborly feeling."

Here are things to consider including in your new-owner

welcome kit:

1. Governing documents.

Provide a complete set of your CC&Rs and rules and regulations.

"If they're posted online, provide a reference to where owners

can find them online," says Eisinger. "Also include any rules

that haven't been recorded and might not have been provided with

the disclosure package."

2. Forms.

Include the forms owners need to comply with your association's

registration requirements. "For example, under most bylaws,

there's a requirement that people register to vote, to register

their pet or their car, and to provide license information,"

says Drewes. "They can do all those things, and you can make it

easier for them to do that."

Those are just two of the nine resources to include in your

new-owner welcome kit. To learn more about What Should Be in

Your New-Owner Welcome Kit and get tips on how to present the

kit, see our new article. Go to article »

Best regards,

Matt Humphrey

President