HOA Strategic

Emails can get you in a mess. Your choice of words in memos and online, too. You don't want to think about it when you're volunteering on an HOA board. You're volunteering!! Who wants to work so hard on words? But they do cause problems. And misunderstandings. And angst. Even lawsuits.

"Fuzzy, terrible writing" is "costing American businesses nearly $400 billion every year," reports the Daily Beast. "Poorly written emails and documents...can result in lawsuits," according to a Georgia newspaper, The Monticello News. These costs slip up on organizations like homeowner associations and their property management companies. We see potential problems all the time in meeting minutes, emails, newsletters and website content. With a word or two causing confusion and misunderstandings. You know how this works. Spotting red flags is what we do. Reach us at hoastrategic@gmail.com

How fun last year seeing a lovable herd of goats chewing their way through overgrown weeds and other vegetation growing wild along scenic trails surrounding a California community association. Surely the herd would be back again this year. But no. This year, the work was being done by tractor-powered mowing machines, "really nifty" equipment capable of trimming "weeds even in those hard-to-reach rutty, rocky places," according to an article in the community association's monthly publication. "That's okay when there's a range of options for clearing wild vegetation, either a herd of goats or mowing equipment." But the article's author wonders "how the goats might have been informed about the change in plans. Maybe the herd's team leader -- a goat named Billy? -- stops by for a chat with the boss. And maybe the boss says something like... "Billy, your team crushed it last year! Outstanding numbers! I'm sure you've se...