One of the most important duties of an HOA involves dealing with homeowner violations. When a resident breaks the association rules, it’s important to have a course of action and a well-worded violation letter that outlines the next steps for the homeowner. Below are some tips on how to craft an HOA violation letter that will help enact some positive change in your neighborhood.
1. Make the purpose of the HOA violation letter clear
It can be easy to get caught up in how to word a letter to be friendly and engaging, but when it comes to a violation letter, it needs to be crystal clear what the issue is. Providing the specific part of your community covenants that relate to the violation in question is a great way to establish the reason for the letter and direct the conversation to how the rule was broken and the next steps.
2. Layout the evidence
When possible, provide evidence to show how the homeowner has broken the covenant. This makes your issue irrefutable.
3. Request changes
Next, you’ll want to outline what the homeowner needs to do to fix the issue. Be specific about what needs to be done and reasonable solutions that they can take to tackle the violation.
4. Set a due date
Homeowners may dally if they’re not given a period of time to make the changes. Weigh the amount of work involved in fixing the violation and set a reasonable time to get it taken care of.
5. Outline steps for contesting the HOA violation
Homeowners have the ability to contest a violation and present their side of the story. Always include information on how they can schedule a disciplinary hearing.
Crafting the right HOA violation letter is a great first step in taking care of homeowner violations and fixing problems within the community. If your board is having trouble establishing next steps or managing day-to-day duties, contact Prism Realty Management. Give us a call at 512-676-5842 — we’d be happy to talk to you about who we are, the services we offer, and our process.