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Matthew A. Drewes, Esq.
 Thomsen Nybeck
3600 American Boulevard West
Suite 400
Bloomington, Minnesota 55431
Tel: 952-835-7000
Fax: 952-835-9450 Matt managed the Twin Cities office of a small firm practicing in the areas of business and real estate litigation and transactions before joining the Litigation Practice group at Thomsen Nybeck, P.A. in 2003. While Matt's background allows him to assist clients with virtually all business law and real estate matters, he practices primarily in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Community Association Law, Construction Litigation, Creditors Remedies and Debtor/Creditor Law, Real Estate Litigation and Insurance Litigation, and he is the current head of the firm's Community Association Representation Group and co-head of its Construction Defect Litigation Group. You can view his full bio at the firm's website.
Matt has contributed his expert opinion and experience to the HOAleader.com articles below.
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Should This HOA Board Member Resign?
May 18, 2012
This week's tip addresses a foreclosure-related question from a www.HOAleader.com reader: "We live in a small townhouse community of 17 units. The vice president's townhouse has been in foreclosure for over a year. The association is named party to the foreclosure lawsuit. Association annual dues appear to be paid. The association has been reluctant to notify the homeowners of this foreclosure listed on county records. My question is whether the vice president is required to resign his post due to a statute or conflict of interest." . . .
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Hoarders: It's Reality at Some HOAs
May 11, 2012
In this week's tip, we explain that hoarding isn't just a can't-look-away TV issue. It's a real danger in associations because of the increased risk of fire in multi-family buildings like condos. . . .
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How to Revise Your HOA's Rules
August 2011
So what do you and your homeowners association board of directors need to know about revising rules? When do you need to consult with owners, and when can you just go forward without notice? And even if your state law or governing documents don't require you to provide notice, do you need to consider the message you're sending when you revise rule after rule--some controversial--without a chance for owners to provide feedback? Here's a smart process for HOA rule revisions. . . .
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Is Your HOA Board Overregulating Rule Violations?
August 2011
Do your HOA's board members patrol the grounds with a cautcha-breakin'-the-rules mentality? Here, our experts explain whether boards can be too punctilious, irritating good neighbors and even pushing those owners away from volunteering and participating in HOA governance. We also offer tips on knowing when to mention violations and when to give owners time to correct the violations themselves. . . .
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What's the Oddest HOA Owner Situation You've Faced?
September 2011
Being a member of your homeowner association's board of directors isn't always straightforward, serious business. Boards get thrown funny curveballs, too. Here, board owners and our HOA experts tell us the most unusual, crazy situations they've faced with owners and how they resolved them. . . .
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Undoing a Bad HOA Management Agreement: Discussion Forum Follow-Up
September 2011
A reader writes, "In 2008 our president signed us onto a contract with a management company. In 2010, a second president resigned and went into foreclosure, moving without a clue to the rest of the HOA. My boyfriend took over in November 2010, and it's been heck since. We are in Washington, and the management company hides details of bids from us, has said we are not to talk to companies hired on our behalf (maintenance, alarm, accountants) without their okay. They don't want the board to have negotiative type meetings with homeowners; they said that they have to have collection letters and violations letters come directly from their office for 'safety' reasons. . . .
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Common Dog Rules: Does Your HOA Need Them?
August 2010
Many community associations institute rules governing the size of dogs, and some even ban certain breeds. Here we discuss how some condo and homeowner associations have approached dog restrictions and offer tips for crafting your own rules governing dogs. . . .
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How to End Email Harassment
August 27, 2010
In this week's tip, we offer a reader on the HOAleader.com discussion forum suggestions for stopping harassing communications from angry homeowners--a situation that's all too common in today's economy. . . .
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Discussion Forum Follow-Up: Stopping Harassing Emails
August 2010
You want to get homeowners involved as much as possible. But what happens when you ask for involvement and then homeowners are angry that you haven't heeded their requests to the letter--and then hound you online to show their frustration? Here, we get feedback from our experts on dialing back the tension between owners and board members. . . .
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What Your HOA Must Know About Construction Defects
December 2009
If your condo, townhome, or homeowners association has uncovered repair problems that may indicate there are construction defects in your community, you need to know the basics of pursuing a claim against your developer. Here's a summary. . . .
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