CAI-NJ July 2020(w)

your guide but a bridge. While there are many ways to create a communi- ty association manual, something to keep in mind is that it is continually evolving. Just like any reference book, it will come with an index. If this arti- cle inspires you to create a manual, don’t fret. Let’s start from the begin- ning. How do we do this? Think of a timeline that will be your manual index. It provides you what happened in the past, and when new systems are added, the index expands for future changes. Certain constants will be part of the manual. Your governing documents will define these constants. The manual doesn’t just have to be about building facili- ties. Let’s start with the basics. When is the annual meeting to be held? How many meetings a year are required?

These constants can be chapter 1 of our manual. Let’s call chapter 2, where’s the money? How many bank accounts does the association have? Where are the accounts held? Sure, you could consult with your property manager, or review the association’s financial statements. Then comes your emergency contacts. Who do I call if the sewer backs up in the middle of the night? Sure, a good property manager will be a phone call away. But this isn’t about the accountability of your property manager, it’s about making your community better pre- pared in times of crisis. Deeper into our manual can be the facilities. What type of boiler system does the building have? What are some of the trouble shooting techniques if an apartment heater is not working?

This may seem like a lot of work for a property manager, but for the most part, all of this information is at your disposal. An attorney once told me that upon joining a law firm a young attorney introduced himself. He said, “Hi my name is Jonathan, I copy and paste.” The roadmap is the knowledge that has accumulated over time. If your company does an initial inspec- tion report to document all the facilities (which include construction, guarantees, warranties, assets, etc.), this is accumu- lation of information that is formulated for your manual. If you’ve been man- aging the association for several years, or an eternity, look to your reserve study. This will help you create your timeline of capital structures. We all need a playbook. Think of a board president with no prior expe- CONT I NU E S ON PAGE 18

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