Condo Media - March 2014 - 35

Again, common-interest communities
are meeting important expectations.

Always a Critic

Sadly, critics often ignore the real and
practical benefits of community association living, instead focusing their
attention on issues that garner media
attention, such as disputes over fences,
landscaping, flagpoles, yard signs, and
similar behavioral issues. The reasons
for the continued growth of associations
- and the value and benefits of these
homeowner-governed communities -
are either ignored or misunderstood.
We are under no illusions with
respect to the issues that arise in some
communities. Not all associations live
up to the ideals we espouse. There
are incompetent boards and managers
who could use professional education
and greater professionalism. There are
also irresponsible homeowners. So is
it realistic to expect each and every association to run smoothly all the time,

without disagreement and dissention?
Utopia doesn't exist in any universe of
this size.
Some issues are brought on by
individual residents who either don't
know the rules or decide that certain rules and obligations don't apply
to them. Other conflicts are created
by poor communication and faulty
decision-making by community boards
or managers. Still other situations are
the result of circumstances that do not
lend themselves to simple solutions.
Individual preferences can conflict with
the best interests of the community at
large, even in the very best of communities. Mistakes, missteps, and misunderstandings are inevitable.
But this is not the norm. Conflicts
make headlines: We read about planes
that crash, not the millions of flights
that arrive safely. Regardless of what
critics may say, we know, anecdotally
and from research, that people who live
in common-interest communities are

happy with the experience and that says
a lot about the homeowner leaders and
professionals who govern and manage
associations.
If you are reading this, you are likely
working to meet the expectations of
hundreds or even thousands of homeowners and non-owner residents.
There are challenges and frustrations to
be sure, but your services - even when
they may seem to go unnoticed - are
invaluable. CM
Thomas M. Skiba, CAE, is the chief executive ofﬁcer of the Community Associations Institute. With more than 32,000
members dedicated to building better
communities, CAI works in partnership
with 60 domestic chapters, including the
CAI New England chapter, a chapter
in South Africa, and housing leaders in
a number of other countries, providing
information, education, and resources to
community associations and the professions who support them.

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Condo Media * March 2014

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Condo Media - March 2014

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