25 Must-Have Policies & Procedures Every HOA Should Have

Every community association operates on policies and procedures—but many boards don’t realize which ones are essential until a problem occurs. In this livestream, our industry expert panel reviews 25 must-have policies and procedures that associations should strongly consider having in place.

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CEU On-Demand: Available all day on Jun 23, 2026 at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1325461722409362262

YouTube: https://youtu.be/AiVrI72mTfA
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CEU INSTRUCTIONS: During the session, you are required to use the “Question” feature and enter “CEU” when prompted. If you cannot locate the Question feature, stop immediately and email us for instructions so we can assist you (info@brainerdcommunications.com). You will be prompted a total of three times during the program. We must receive all required responses in order to verify your participation.
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We’ll walk through the purpose of each policy, why it matters, and how it helps boards and managers operate more consistently and fairly.

You may discover that your association already has many of these in place—or you may find a few important ones missing.

Times change. Communities change. Laws change. Good associations make sure their policies evolve too.

Panel:

John LaGumina, Esq. • The LaGumina Law Firm, PLLC • jlagumina@laguminalaw.com • www.laguminalaw.com

Mike Luzzi, CIRMS • Acrisure • mluzzi@acrisure.com • www.acrisure.com

David Byrne, Esq. • Ansell Grimm & Aaron, PC • dbyrne@ansell.law • www.ansell.law

Stephanie Harmon, CMCA, AMS, PCAM • FirstService Residential • stephanie.harmon@fsresidential.com

Cory Kravit, Esq. • Kovitz Shifrin Nesbit • ckravit@ksnlaw.com • www.ksnlaw.com

Gregg V. Gerelli • Gerelli Insurance Agency, Inc. • gregg@gerelli-insurance.com • www.gerelli-insurance.com

Raymond Dickey • AssociationHelpNow.com • ray@brainerdcommunications.com • www.AssociationHelpNow.com

This content does not constitute professional advice.

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

Hi, I am Ray Dicky from South Carolina, Hudson Valley CAI Association Help Now. We cover many states. Thank you so much for being here today. 25 policies and procedures. I can pretty much guarantee that we're going to give you one that you never thought about. Okay? And let me know if I was wrong on that guarantee. If you need CEUs, everyone has a question feature. Please use it. Just write CEU. And that way I'll know that you need them. So find that question feature. That's how you communicate with us today. Please send comments. Send questions. I love it. A lot of times it changes the program. Don't send me anything too top secret, though, because I don't use people's names, but someday I can make a mistake. So send C. If you want to send more than CEUs, go ahead too. You want to tell me how your day is? I'd like to hear about it. So but make sure you include CEUs. So with that being said, I would like to have our panel introduce themselves with who I see first, and that is Stephanie.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

Good morning. I'm Stephanie Harmon. Um I currently am a GM at a property in New Jersey, uh large scale, over uh 1,000 uh homes. Excited to be here this morning. And uh that's me.

SPEAKER_04 1:25

Stephanie is the best manager in the entire world. Thanks. Because my mother-in-law lives in the community, and she tells me all the time that's what she says. Stephanie is the best manager in the entire she's a great homeowner, so we'll just leave it like that.

SPEAKER_02 1:43

It's a two-way street, right? So it is. My mother-in-law is very nice. Yes, uh, Greg.

SPEAKER_06 1:51

Good morning, everyone. Greg Jarelli with Jirelli Insurance Agency. We're located in Cold Spring, New York, and we have community association master policy insurance programs for community associations throughout the Hudson Valley and surrounding tri-state area.

SPEAKER_04 2:07

Now, before John introduces himself, we learned today that John was in Miami during the Miami Vice years, and he was basically hobnoging with Miami Vice actors. John, go ahead.

SPEAKER_07 2:21

Yeah, I guess sort of. Um John Lugomina from the Ligomata Law Firm in Parchus, New York, where we represent condos hoas and co-ops um from New York City throughout the Hudson Valley areas.

SPEAKER_04 2:33

John is a fascinating individual, isn't he, Greg? We always learn something new about him.

SPEAKER_07 2:37

Yeah, you never know. Uh Corey.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

Good morning, everyone. My name is Corey Cravitt. I'm the managing principal of COVID Schiffer and Nesbit's uh Florida office. We're located in Boca Ruch Hill in Florida, service the whole state, and uh represent community associations for all their legal needs. All right.

SPEAKER_04 2:59

Uh Mike is here with us today.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

Good morning, everybody, and thank you for having me. My name is Mike Lazzi with the Accoursure Community Association Division. I myself personally am a CERMS, which is a community insurance risk management specialist. We have offices throughout the East Coast. I'm stationed in northern New Jersey and operate in the tri-state area. And our division primarily specializes in community associations of all kinds.

SPEAKER_04 3:25

Besides being a great insurance professional, Mike is like nine feet tall. He doesn't mind me communicating now, and his wife is like eight feet tall, and they have a three-year-old that's looking like the kid's gonna be like ten feet tall, probably based on those genes. Right, Mike?

SPEAKER_00 3:41

It'll be pretty close. He'll definitely be uh taller than me, I think for sure. But uh he's like just turned three, is the size of like a seven or eight-year-old. So he is cute.

SPEAKER_03 3:50

All right, uh, Dave. Uh good morning. I I think if we have walk-up music, Joe, we know what John's song is gonna be. It's gonna be uh Phil Collins in the air tonight. That'll be his walk-up song. Um, but good morning. My name is Dave Byrne. I'm uh the partner in charge of my law firm's community association practice group, Ansel Grimm and Aaron. Uh, and we represent condominiums, co-ops, and hoas in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. I hope I have time to add it.

SPEAKER_04 4:17

I have to figure out like the copyright thing with that, though.

SPEAKER_03 4:20

They only have a few seconds per song, right? Before they can before they can click you on YouTube, they they find you on YouTube or issue you a strike or something.

SPEAKER_04 4:28

It's automated. I've had like copyright strikes, not maliciously, but okay. Um, you know, a question did come in before we go to the topic, and I I want to get to it because I appreciate it so much. People sending me questions. I have a community with a lot of homeowners who have pass due assessments, but we do not have the funds to have our documents amended for us to be able to send them over to collections for the past due assessments. What can we do? Dave Byrne, I'll start with you.

SPEAKER_03 5:02

They don't, I don't, they don't they don't have a provision in the governing documents for it.

SPEAKER_04 5:06

That's what it says. It says, but we do not have the funds to have the docs amended for us to be able to send them over to collections for past due. That is the question.

SPEAKER_03 5:16

Uh I mean, I I don't know that I don't know if there is an answer. I mean, did if the if the if the owners have to pay, then I think by law they they don't they don't they don't need a provision to collect the money. There's already a contract requiring the owners to pay. So therefore they could bring an action to make them pay, I think, if I'm understanding it correctly.

SPEAKER_04 5:38

Sounds like you did. Uh Corey.

SPEAKER_01 5:41

Yeah, I think you probably your documents probably already have the authority to send it over to your attorney for collections. Um, I know uh our firm, we uh we we advance the costs and we defer our fees until we collect it from the owners. Um so that way associations can afford to uh send it over without worrying about attorney's fees.

SPEAKER_04 6:02

All right. Miami Vice John, what is your advice?

SPEAKER_07 6:07

Yeah, I I to it's definitely a breach of contract, right? So you have some covenant somewhere saying you gotta pay at least monthly assessments. If it's if your documents are entirely just vague and have like a one-sentence statement, that's still enough for a breach of contract lawsuit.

SPEAKER_04 6:26

So even though the documents are silent, doesn't really matter theoretically.

SPEAKER_07 6:31

I think that's what I heard. Well, you have you have to have at least an obligation to pay assessments, has to be a minimum.

SPEAKER_03 6:39

Yeah, I I agree. And you also be the problem you may have, this could maybe goes to Corey's point too, to think about if you don't have a provision that allows for fee shifting, allows you to recover your attorney fees. Like in New Jersey, for instance, uh you the HOA, the condo can only get its attorney fees recovered if the governing documents say so. So where Corey is in Florida, maybe it's a statutory thing, but in in like New Jersey, for instance, if the governing documents don't have that provision, then you wouldn't be able to recover attorney fees. So whether your lawyer did it for a deferred on a deferred basis, like Corey suggested, or whether an attorney did it as a fee for service basis, you wouldn't have any. There may not be any attorney who's coming back your way, at least in in New Jersey, for instance.

SPEAKER_04 7:22

All right, excellent. All right, I am going to get to the topic. Thanks for that question. I appreciate that. Policies and procedures. Why do we have to have them? John.

SPEAKER_07 7:35

Best practice. I mean, you you you um Greg could tell you like if you don't have uniform and consistent policies, you're exposing yourself to liability for uh not treating um owners the same. Um that's called disparate treatment, and that's like a breach of duty claim. So um it's part of best practices and protecting yourself from lawsuits.

SPEAKER_04 8:00

Okay, Greg, before we go to the 25 different policies, commentary.

SPEAKER_06 8:06

You want your policies to be consistent, that's why you want to have them, you want to follow them for everybody, even the board members and the president of the board and all the unit owners. If you're following your policies and they're communicated well, that should keep you away from having claims against the association and having to talk to your insurance agent.

SPEAKER_04 8:24

Okay, Mike, you love policies, right? Most insurance professionals do.

SPEAKER_00 8:30

Yeah, you can never have enough. I was surprised we didn't have more than 25 listed there. But but to Greg's point, I think one of the best things you could do is clearly and effectively communicate the procedures and policies that you have in place. You know, best practices, as John said, but you want to make sure that you control the chaos, so to speak. You know, you want to have uh proper order uh from a social aspect, from an event aspect, and just the day-to-day life of the association.

SPEAKER_04 8:56

So, Stephanie, but before I go any further, if you don't know or you don't want to answer, it's it's fine. That's always like people get nervous when I say it that way. But how many policies do you think you have at your association? Do you can you take a guess? I'm just sure you have a very large association, you have a tremendous amount of amenities. About how many policies do you think you have?

SPEAKER_02 9:16

You know, policies and rules and regulations are are similar when you're looking at a community of this size, because you have policies for the board and how they should govern and function, and then you have the rules and rigs. So, policies for the board, um, we probably have 15 working policies that uh we have just in place for the board of trustees once elected. And then our rules and regulations is an entire book. So it's not something that you can, you know, when you relate to the pool, every amenity needs to have its own guidelines and structures so that we we can control the chaos, as was earlier mentioned. So it's difficult to even maintain them all and memorize them all, and then as your community evolves, homeowners want to change those policies to what is happening today, i.e., social media is something that is a big policy right now.

SPEAKER_04 10:13

Uh Corey, I have what and where. I have no idea I have that. Does that can you relate to that or offer some commentary why I have what and where before we dive in to the different policies?

SPEAKER_01 10:23

You know, I I was just gonna say that you know, policies are designed to your board members are volunteers. It's keep keep it simple, stupid. You know, if if if you're doing a collection, all right, what's the first step, next step? And you don't have to guess or make any mistakes. You know, when airline pilots are flying airplanes, they have checklists that they go through for each each function. Associations should do the same to keep it efficient, fair, uh, and streamlined.

SPEAKER_04 10:52

Okay, and we're almost ready to dive in. But before we do so, Dave, what are the different parts of a policy? Does it even exist? Do we need to have parts?

SPEAKER_03 11:04

Need to have courts? Parts. Oh, parts. Parts. Yeah. Well, yeah, I mean, because some pol, I mean, some policies would be different based on the circumstances when they're triggered, um, what level of um board action, whether uh, you know, a standard policy is one or multiple policies where management's given discretion to do certain things. Uh, and that's um, you know, that that policy would exist. And then within that policy, there'd be parts. Management has the discretion to waive a fine, for instance, but only if it's the first time the guy's had a violation, or management has the right to waive a late fee, but only if it's the first time. But management doesn't have the right to waive a late fee if it's the second time, you know, that that kind of thing.

unknown 11:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 11:56

And audience, by the way, if you want to send use your question feature, let me know how many policies you have or how you feel about policies. I'm also gonna ask you, do you think you have too many policies? Do associations sometimes go policy crazy? Um, but let's start off with the first one. I oh, Stephanie's nodding her head. Okay. Um, all right, let's start up with the first one. You know what's gonna be fun? I wonder how many of these policies Stephanie will have because her community has just about everything. The first one I have is that you should have a security policy. So I am gonna start with Corey. Corey, do you agree with this?

SPEAKER_01 12:32

Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Um some com some governing documents, especially for HOAs, specifically state that they do not provide security. Um, and so by having a security policy, you could be creating a new duty, um uh a duty of care that the association didn't originally have. So I I would talk to your lawyer uh about that before before creating a security policy.

SPEAKER_04 13:00

So interesting. You you lawyers, you guys do come up with different angles and ways to look at things. Uh Dave, how do you feel about security policies?

SPEAKER_03 13:08

Do you agree with Corey or and when you when you say security policies, you mean like like keeping owners like safe and protected from is that what you're talking about?

SPEAKER_04 13:22

Stephanie, I don't know if you've been on one of these with Dave for a while. It's a lot of questions I get. All I do is make these silly slides just to keep the conversation moving. He can say anything he wants. I can't see the slide like uh yet he's like in court. What's the size of the case? I'm in a here's an example, Dave. A security exclamation point. That's what I say. A security, uh, I don't know what's going on with you. I can't help you with your computer. I don't know what's going on there. A security policy would be a community that has a gatehouse or a community that has active security people. Do they need a security policy?

SPEAKER_03 13:59

Well, of course. I I would think that the the contract, I mean, in a lot of ways, the contracts you sign with certain vendors would be the policy. So I gather you create like a specification for a security company or a specification for a or even, I guess, like a uh terms of employment for someone who's watching the front gate. Those are policies that are put in place. The companies have to know what to do, they have to know when they can do it, what level of um uh you know, of uh service they have to provide. So I would think I don't know how you could operate um those types of things without a policy, but I think a lot of ways, even like in the context of management, and like I think there's a lot of ways the contracts you sign with the specifications and the scopes of work, I think in a lot of ways they're the policies.

SPEAKER_04 14:48

Dave's got the audience all worked up now, which I don't blame them. They're like Dave's right. Do you mean documents? Do you need property? I don't see any slides either. The slides are behind me. They're the slides are behind me, they're not they're not separate. I think secur, I think security should definitely have a have a policy. Security when present should work in tandem with management for violation coordinate coordination. Let me read that one again. That's interesting. Security when present should work in tandem with management for violation coordination.

SPEAKER_02 15:19

That would be for mobile guards. So if your community has mobile, if your community has mobile guards and they see like a parking violation or something, management can't get out to do that kind of stuff overnight, right? So the the communities that are fortunate enough and can afford uh mobile security, for instance, to be driving around the property, they should be working with management by jotting down that license plate number, um, calling uh in or letting management know this car was parked overnight, uh, and things of that nature. That's what I would assume that that means. But um, you know, if I could just jump in on a security policy, right? So you do have your contracts, and that's their contractual obligation to the community. We've established a specific way to answer the phone, um, you know, things, how to do things in that booth. To me, those are the types of like a must-have uh policy. I don't want my guard just picking up the phone and going, yo, you reached security. Uh, you have to answer the phone a very specific way. Regency at Monroe, security, how may I help you this afternoon or this morning? So that's a policy that we've put in place. And of course, I've called them randomly throughout the day to make sure that they're doing that, right? Also, something as silly as if you have a guard that smokes, well, they're not allowed to smoke anywhere, you know, in that guardhouse area. They have to be sure. So I think those are the types of policies that are important to association and members of the association because it's a look, it's a presence. Security is the first people that your um members and your guests see when they're coming through the gate. So um, that's what I would gear more towards a policy from in relation to security.

SPEAKER_04 17:05

I love it because I was thinking of when they said violations, like somebody's bushes are too high or the the doors are the wrong color. But really, Stephanie, you're saying have a policy in place so security knows what violations you want them to communicate and which ones you don't, along with all the other great stuff you just mentioned. I I think you just sold the importance of a security policy.

SPEAKER_05 17:25

Okay. All right.

SPEAKER_04 17:27

Wow. I was gonna go to John, but I don't even need to at this point. So, John, any additional commentary? We can't hear you.

SPEAKER_07 17:42

I agree. That was a really good point, Stephanie. You made so nothing else.

SPEAKER_04 17:47

I guess my mother-in-law's right. Stephanie is the best manager ever. We'll see. All right. Another policy, maybe we'll get a debate about this one among the panel. Should does there need to be a policy on ethics and a conflict of interest?

SPEAKER_07 18:03

Uh John. Well, I mean, in New York, there actually is a requirement for um that you disclose conflicts of interest, so it's already there statutorily. Um, best practices, yeah. Um CIA has a code of conduct that I I definitely recommend to all my clients. You can't make it mandatory, but but there it's certainly um a good idea and a good policy. And and since we're talking about policies, I I highly recommend it. Um it yeah, it deals with ethics, but it also deals with streamlining communications, um and and really you know, dealing with things that might be uh considered confidential, not not taking action outside of meetings and that type of thing.

SPEAKER_04 18:52

Thank you, John. Now, oh look wait, looks like Dave is excited to get to all right. Let me go to Dave really quick. Yeah, you're good. You can go on. I'm just making it. Sure. Let me play devil's advocate, okay? Why should you have to have a policy about ethics or even a conflict of interest when that should be common sense? It should be well known. Why do you have to put that in writing? Or maybe you think that you don't. In New York, you must, according to John, I believe.

SPEAKER_01 19:19

Well, in Florida, it's statutory, also, just like in New York, that like John mentioned. So I don't know that you necessarily need a policy because it's already public policy to have a policy. So your policy is the statutory policy. Um, so I don't think you have to do it twice. Um, the the conflict of interest uh statutes pretty clear, and um uh so I I don't think you would need to create a new policy to say the same thing.

SPEAKER_03 19:49

Okay, Dave. Yeah, I think a actually a lot, I think a lot of associations make the mistake of over policying things that are already existing in the law. Uh you know, like Corey and John, like these are these are it's the same with like in New Jersey, where New Jersey uh has a mandate to make ADR available. Stephanie's probably heard about a gazillion times. And there's this like fantasy that there has to be some written policy about ADR. The statute itself is the policy. The statute says in this example, in the event of a housing-related dispute, you have to make an alternative to litigation available, has to be fair and efficient, and has to involve someone other than a board member or a manager. That's the policy. I mean, you know, there's no other there's no other way to manipulate that any different. And adding stuff to things that are already set by the law in a lot of ways makes things more confusing and sets up landmines that you somehow are taking on obligations more than what the legislature or the government has like core used the great expression public policy. There's already public policy, in like in my hypothetical with ADR. Public policy already is there. That's that's the law. There's anything else you add to it or try to manipulate around it ends up being um, you know, can end up being a problem.

SPEAKER_04 21:06

Okay, don't get me over to ADR because I know that I have that as a as a as a as a coming up. Greg, I think we've done live streams though on whether or not boards can enforce new board members to sign conflict of interests and and ethic policies and things like that. Um, do you you do you agree that you also remember us having conversations about that?

SPEAKER_06 21:28

Yes. And I forget the answer on whether you're forcing them to sign this or not. But yes, they are more common sense policies. And if they're already in law, there's, I agree with the lawyers, there's no reason to duplicate something. It leaves room for an error.

SPEAKER_04 21:42

Yeah. Um Stephanie, I I, you know, we don't have to put you on the spot for your community, though, but this one seems all over. I know we've done whole segments on whether or not you can make a fellow board member even sign this kind of policy. Yet here we are also having an opinion that maybe you don't really need one. And then John's talking about it. New York, that it's possible statutory if I heard it correctly. John, interrupt me if I'm wrong. Stephanie, how do you feel about policies and what's your experience been with that for ethics, conflicts and interest?

SPEAKER_02 22:12

Um obviously I'm gonna agree with the attorneys. Otherwise, I'd be a bad manager. So I'm gonna agree with the attorneys. I can tell you what we do. We don't require an additional signature on anything, but we do supply them um the gap report from CAI on conflicts of interest uh as part of their onboarding, any new board members so that they understand exactly what we're referencing. Um and that's really about the all that we do.

SPEAKER_04 22:43

Okay. So I want to jump off this one, but really quick for attorneys. John, you're saying that you have to have one in New York, correct? So you're for it. Corey, you're not for it, correct?

SPEAKER_01 22:57

In Florida, there's there's a uh a statute that says that the board member has to sign a certification that they've read and understand the governing documents and the and the and the laws. Um, so beyond that, I don't think it's necessary.

SPEAKER_04 23:13

Okay. And Dave, you agree? So here we are. We're a little bit uh different opinions on that, and I know a lot of boards are gonna feel differently about that. All right, Mike, have you ever seen that before I go to the next one?

SPEAKER_00 23:28

Uh yes, I have seen it actually far too often. I agree with everything that anybody's saying, with everybody that is saying um, you know, that you don't need to duplicate it. But I I would just stress maybe having just like a a point of uh mentioning it, you know, at least once a year, uh especially if it's a newer board member, just as a refresher, you know, within like maybe an executive meeting, because sometimes people lose sight or lose track of of what they should and shouldn't be doing. So I think that um you know that that really wouldn't hurt by just refreshing that.

SPEAKER_04 23:59

I and I, you know, I have to watch our time because there's 25 of them, and I think we've done two, which always ends up to happen. Um, the next one is fighting neighbors. Really, really quick. Do we need a separate policy for this, Dave?

SPEAKER_03 24:11

Frankly, I think the fighting neighbors thing, there shouldn't be a policy, the policy should be there is no policy. Fighting neighbors are fighting neighbors, they can do what they need to do. They can call the police, they can sue each other. Uh I think associations should uh be very wary of getting involved in owner versus owner disputes.

SPEAKER_04 24:30

Does anyone on the panel? Does sticking with policies? Does anybody on the panel think that there needs to be a policy in regard to how to handle neighbor disputes? Okay. Interesting. Okay. The next one, oh boy, this is the big one, and we could spend like an hour on this one. Stephanie, I'm actually going to start with with you first. And I don't want to put you on the spot. I really do, but I won't. Social media policy. Oh boy. What do you what do you think about this one? What do you want to share?

SPEAKER_02 25:02

I really like this one actually, and we probably our social media policy is probably uh, I think like 10 or 12 points, um, so that the homeowners understand what they can and cannot post, i.e. um political or using foul language back at another homeowner, so that when I go and take something down from the community Facebook page or social media page, there's an understanding and there's something for the manager uh or the staff to be able to point to and say, I'm sorry, you violated this policy that is part of what you said yes to when you asked for membership to join this group. So I actually like it because social media is constantly changing, and we really need to do now. We also have a policy for the board that if you're a board member, you're not to engage in conflicts and speak on behalf of the board or the association on a topic that may be running wild on the social media page. They're just supposed to step off and let the community have their conversation. Um, so that's how we've created that here because we want to keep the board. We don't want people, the board going on and saying, well, the board member said this, when they're really expressing a personal belief and not that of the the board as a whole. So we're very strict with that and our board members as it relates to posting a response to anything that's management's job, let us do it. We're monitoring the page. Uh, so we do actually have that policy in place for our board as well as the community.

SPEAKER_04 26:37

And I I want to be careful, Stephanie, because I got to watch our time. But this is this is just in regard to your site that the association manages, correct? Not Facebook or anything else like that.

SPEAKER_02 26:50

Right. Just my property. This is what we've created here, and it works for us.

SPEAKER_04 26:55

All right. So this is where we're gonna run out of time here. So I will start with Corey. Corey, uh, social media policy, if you could do it quick, policy, if you should have one in regard to any social media engines that the association controls first. Should they even bother trying to have one for outside the community?

SPEAKER_01 27:17

Social media is not in Florida, at least, is not a uh is not required by statutes, not required by the governing documents. Um my personal belief is that associations should not engage in social media other than you know putting information out. Um, I would disable comments. Uh it it it just becomes unneighborly and very difficult to control. Um that's my personal opinion. But from a legal standpoint, if you're gonna have social media and you're gonna remove comments from people, I guess there should be some policies in place as long as they're fair and don't violate any kind of you know uh uh potential fair housing issues or anything like that, discriminatory language.

SPEAKER_04 28:04

All right, so let me just make a blanket statement so we can fly through this. We're already gonna assume that every lawyer doesn't want you to write down a lot of stuff and throw it on social media. You guys don't like people to write anything for the most part and put anything in writing unless it's been reviewed. So we can make a blanket statement as far as I don't think there's gonna be any lawyer that's gonna love board members on social media. John, with that blanket statement, how about an official site? Should there be a policy? And how about some a policy for people what they can and can't say off the association site, including board members?

SPEAKER_07 28:36

So if you were gonna host your own site, um you could have you could have like terms and you know, like um not disparaging the board and thus needlessly. Um you know, my my sense though is is I kind of agree with Corey, like stay clear of it altogether. Um more harm comes out of it than good. And you know, if you want to use your own platform, um you better have good terms of use and have someone monitoring it. And yeah, disabling the commentary is a is a great idea because that almost always leads to uh you know needless problems. You already have enough to do that you need to now monitor what people say at three in the morning after they've had a couple drinks. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 29:31

Um, Greg, I already made a blanket statement that lawyers already hate anybody writing down anything. All right. Dave, blanket statement. We already know that you hate anybody writing down anything for the most part. How do you feel about a social media policy if not if they're not gonna listen to you and they're gonna insist on being on social media? You need one.

SPEAKER_03 29:50

Well, you're talking about the board. I mean, to me, a policy is something that is there to regulate the operations of the association management board members. Rules are there to regulate the conduct of the owners and how you're gonna punish them and that sort of thing. So when it comes to a policy vis-a-vis social media, yeah, I think I think the board should certainly adopt a policy uh with respect to the use of social media, but the general lies policy ought to be either no one does anything unless it's approved by a majority of the board, or no one does anything unless it's in accordance with the policy set by the majority of the board. So for instance, uh the board could vote, okay, our our policy is by majority vote, where I hereby make a motion to set our policy that Bob and Jane can post on our social media account, but no one else can. That to me is a policy.

SPEAKER_04 30:46

Okay. Uh Mike, I think I'm hearing from the panel that most of them do believe there should be some kind of social media policy, but limited to maybe the board members because otherwise you're what are you going to do about it anyway?

SPEAKER_00 31:00

Yeah, I think everybody is hit the nail on the head there. I really like what Stephanie said as far as their viewpoint on it and the things that they, you know, recommend restriction. I think that you have to have some sort of you know control and the ability to prevent people from putting out important information of the uh association, which in my eyes would be the most important. Um, and also, you know, a little bit less conflict out there.

SPEAKER_04 31:25

Greg, any commentary?

SPEAKER_06 31:29

Everything said was excellent. Be clear, consistent. I think it would be better of a policy so everybody knows what to expect. Um, the big difference on these is if it's the official, have the official association site versus there's a lot of non-official sites set up where all that bickering and back and forth goes off, and that's where things tend to lose control. The official site, turning off commenting, just posting hours in the pool and these items, usually a little easier to monitor.

SPEAKER_04 31:54

Why make a policy that you could not control in regard to the non-association sites? Does everyone agree with me? Don't bother because you can't control it anyway. Yes, you're just uh let me flip oh, I got some questions. One's about noise. I'm gonna push that for for another time. If you want to email me, I will be happy to get you answers to these questions. Uh neighbor disputes. I think some neighbor disputes can inform policy. After all, violations also result from neighbor complaints, unsightly conditions, nuances. And then someone is asking about unofficial pages, how could you stop them or what could be done? We've done, we've spent entire hours on that. So if you email me about it, I'm happy to kind of refer you to those videos we've done on that. There are some things you can do, but maybe not. It's gonna be hard. Let me see if I can fly through these. Does everyone agree you need to have a policy on how you're gonna find people and how you're gonna register violations and communicate them?

SPEAKER_05 32:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 32:51

Okay, that's probably an extremely important policy, and don't deviate it from it because it could be big trouble. Does anyone disagree? Okay. Here's a big one background checks. I'm gonna try to fly through it because I there's gonna be a debate whether or not you should even do them. Stephanie, do there need does there need to be a policy in regard to backdown background checks for prospective employees? And maybe this isn't even an association issue, maybe it's a it's an employment issue.

SPEAKER_02 33:24

Well, I would imagine if you are a self-managed property, the answer would be yes. Um, if you work for a company as I do, first service runs background checks before anybody is hired.

SPEAKER_07 33:35

Okay. John, I mean it it doesn't come into play with most of the New York properties I I run across. But um in New York you have to be careful because they have this Fair Chance Housing Act. Um, but um you know I don't if if you're just a condo with a right of first refusal, you you shouldn't be doing background checks, you know, if someone's renting and I I find that happens frequently. The condominiums are like treating they they're treating themselves as they're as if they were co-ops and they're doing you know background checks and things that you really if it was challenged in court, you wouldn't you'd lose.

SPEAKER_04 34:22

Uh yeah, don't get me too sidetracked here. Corey, uh background check, do you need a policy on it?

SPEAKER_01 34:28

I like to put in my contracts when I do contract reviews for for vendors or construction thing um contracts, um, that the contractor uh agrees to do background checks on the people who are coming to you know the community to do work, especially in situations like a condo where the workers will have access to the condominium to do repairs on the limit on the balconies or stuff like that. Um I like to put that in this into my contracts. Um but um in terms of background checks on prospective tenants or or members of the community, uh that really needs to be in your governing documents before you do it.

SPEAKER_03 35:08

Dave. I I wouldn't want to be part of any background checks for for tenants, owners, shareholders, like John said. That's a that's a that yeah that's a straight line path to a housing discrimination complaint, even if you're innocent of the charges. Uh the if you're if you're if you're dealing with with self-employed associate self-managed associations or or associations that have employees, because you know many associations have management companies, but then also have employees, I think you've got it, you're gonna naturally have an employment policy in place, right? Um not like employment contracts, but I think employment policies, like something things as rudimentary as when you take a day off and you know, overtime and that sort of thing. So I would think that um background checks and would be part of that policy. And then I guess you alert an applicant to the fact that there will be a background check. That would I guess be the policy.

SPEAKER_04 36:09

All right, and by the way, I uh I I had to excuse Mike because his internet was bad. So he didn't he didn't leave. I he can't hear me though, because I I did make him go away. So poor Mike. Um, let's let's do the next one. Somebody's actually asking from the audience, so I'll jump ahead. Documents. Yeah, I meant uh Stephanie, you definitely need to have a policy in regard to what documents members are entitled to request and how that process should take place. Am I correct?

SPEAKER_02 36:37

Uh yes, but I'm gonna actually defer to uh legal for this.

SPEAKER_04 36:44

Yeah, would I do a big disc would I do Stephanie is I do a being a big disclaimer that no one should ever listen to me anyway. And that's my blanket disclaimer for all these lines. So I feel comfortable just saying anything. But with that being with that being said, uh Dave. But I'm I missed the question. What was it? You need to have a policy on documents, right? Because I want to start flying through these. I mean, you have to have it. Whether people can get them, what you have to give them.

SPEAKER_03 37:11

I I suppose, but frankly, in most states that's regulated by statute. So a lot of times the policies I see clients create aren't even they're not even consistent with the statute. So um I'm not sure you'd I'm not sure you do need a policy. Uh certainly not one that's but that conflicts with the statute. It's probably if you're serious about it, it's probably something you have to have a lawyer do, frankly.

SPEAKER_04 37:31

See, Stephanie, why I can say anything? They'll correct me. That's what they're here for.

SPEAKER_01 37:36

Corey. Dave nailed it on ahead as usual. Um, it's it's statutory in Florida. Florida does give some areas where you can adjust the policy for inspections, um, but it it it's it's pretty tight as it is.

SPEAKER_04 37:53

Oh, okay. So I'm hearing you don't really need one. John.

SPEAKER_07 37:57

All right, so yeah, this is this is a umdoors box in New York. Um, so New York most bylaws say books and records, and they don't really define what they are. Um, and it used to be that you have the right to go to like the management agent's office uh uh no more than once a month to look at everything. But the that the the case law in New York has changed um quite dramatically, whereas if you have it in electronic uh form, which almost every case is is true, um held that you can and should send it to the requester uh electronically. So um so you don't need to have these inspections set up. So there's some debate of whether, you know, what about confidentiality concerns? But courts have even said you could take care of that with a like a standard confidentiality agreement. So um, you know, uh the really really the the answer to your question is the policy in New York should be owners are entitled to just about anything. So let them have it.

SPEAKER_04 39:03

The question is though, because I don't want to dive deep into every one of these topics. Do you should an association in New York have a written policy in regard to if members ask for documents? Do they need it or do they not need it, John?

SPEAKER_07 39:17

Yeah. They the policy should be if it's related to how common charges are spent, they're entitled to it, you know, with the with a caveat for anything um that involves privacy rights.

SPEAKER_04 39:28

All right, Stephanie, committees. Do you have to have a policy in regard to what committees should or should not be doing? I'm gonna be devil's advocate and don't you already have a charter for that?

SPEAKER_02 39:41

Uh I think that you actually you need to at least have a mission statement for those committees and determine uh what they're gonna be working inside of so they just don't go rogue and uh do whatever they want to do. We used to have um here, we just actually got down to only four committees for this entire property. Uh, and then we just do ad hoc committees as we know and we give them a specific task. So the policy should state something. Yes, do you need a policy? Yes. Does it need to be overboard? No. This is your task, this is what we're asking you to do from the board perspective. And you know, once you deliver it, thank you very much. Stay within that, in that. That's what I think the the policy should be as far as structuring the committee.

SPEAKER_04 40:29

All right. Uh, anybody on the on the panel think that you should not have a policy in regard to committees. Okay, so you need to have one audience for our panel. Greg, any commentary? I'd like just to make sure you're you're I know we don't always have a lot of insurance questions, but no, nothing insurance related on that one.

SPEAKER_06 40:48

It's just a good practice.

SPEAKER_04 40:51

Okay. Uh, board meetings. I don't know why I have this. I think this is kind of related to ethics. So if it's okay with the panel, I'm gonna skip it. I don't think you have to have a policy on how a board meeting should run or the different aspects of it. Anyone disagree with that? You know, Stephanie, do you find a lot of the residents love policies or they hate policies? The owners? I'm curious.

SPEAKER_02 41:15

I don't think that a lot of the owners even pay attention to them, if I'm being honest. They just go about their you know, they go about their day, they do what they need to do, and then they realize there's a policy when they may receive a violation. You know, um, and that's really how I over my 25-year career, that's really what I have seen throughout all the properties I've ever sat on.

SPEAKER_04 41:38

If the Jarellis lived in your community, they would care a lot. They would be asking about a lot of policies because Greg loves policies, he loves them. All right, pets and service animals, no-brainer. Does everyone agree this is a no-brainer? Uh wait a minute. Dave's making a face. I can't tell what the face is in agreement or not. Dave, uh, pets and service animal policies.

SPEAKER_03 42:03

I I think policy having a written standard policy here uh is a mistake unless it's done a certain way. As I kind of said before when I was relating to New Jersey and ADR, which is a very obviously specific issue. Here, the policy is the law, right? Like I it's very difficult to I'd be hard pressed to recommend to a client that it tried to adopt a policy concerning service animals and motion support animals, because a lot it's all case by case. It's all you know, like what information you're gonna get, when you're gonna get it, who's in front of you, who isn't. It's very case by case, very fact-specific. Um, and if you really want some kind of policy, I've created forms that managers and boards can use when people raise the question, a form to hand out to someone. It's also very specific, state by state. I mean, we we had a big uh decision by our state Supreme Court last year, 2025. Yeah, I guess 2025, maybe 2024 at this point, which was like a 90-page opinion that laid out how you have to specifically handle any of these types of requests. So any policy you have doesn't follow that opinion is basically worthless in New Jersey. So it really is a case-by-case, fact-specific, state-by-state um uh process that I don't know how far you get uh with a policy. Last thing, I guess, in that is frankly, in my view, if if someone asks for an accommodation, uh I hate to make work for lawyers, but if someone asks for an accommodation, you really probably ought to ask your lawyer about it, and in which case the policy is sort of irrelevant, other than the our policy is who we ask our lawyer.

SPEAKER_04 43:45

All right, Stephanie, there's so many rules involving pets and service animals, and it seems like confusing a little bit between what's a policy and what's a rule, right? So, how do you feel about this? Do you guys have a set policy on pets and service animals and have rules on top of it? That, I mean, how are you handling this?

SPEAKER_02 44:02

The only thing that is if someone wants to bring it, uh, a pet or service animal into the outdoor pool area or into the clubhouse, we just uh the only requirement we have is that they're visibly wearing the vest that makes that statement.

SPEAKER_04 44:18

So you brought up a whole other thing, which I have to avoid. Service animals are gonna be okay. So here's an example, really quick, Corey. My building, we have a rule that um you can't take your pet out the front door, you have to take him out the side entrance. There's a reason for it. I don't want to waste time on the reason for it. There's a legitimate reason. Is that a policy or a rule? I don't know what my association has, but I'm curious. Is it a policy or a rule? Okay, so you don't need a policy.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

The the policy is more how the board deals with things, the rules are what the membership follows. Um you know, uh and and Dave killed it again on service and emotional support animals. The policy should be consult with the attorney. I had I I I saw a policy via c of a condo last week, condo I do not represent, and it was discriminatory on its face, uh, as it relates to emotional support dogs. And it wasn't intentional, um, but they just you know, there's also there's there's federal fair housing act, and there's also the state, you know, states regulate also, and sometimes the state, you know, they'll they'll pass something and it conflicts with the federal law, it just hasn't gone through the appellate section yet, and you can be following the state law and breaking federal law and not even knowing it.

SPEAKER_04 45:38

Policy necessary. That's what I'm hearing.

SPEAKER_01 45:41

Policy is called the attorney.

SPEAKER_04 45:42

Yeah, I'm gonna go to John in a second. Mike, this would be something an insurance company would definitely want to see in writing in some way, whether there's a rule or a policy, true or false.

SPEAKER_00 45:54

They don't ask the questions all the time. I think that is today's point, it's gonna be case by case, specifically if it involves a claim, right? You know, what are the details of the claim, the nature, um, you know, were the rules followed or broken that the association has in place. Um, so they they would dive into the specifics uh, you know, in that situation.

SPEAKER_03 46:14

Yeah, like right, right, a policy, like what Corey was saying, a policy would be for a manager, uh, would be if anybody asks for an accommodation related to disability, don't say no, don't say yes, tell the board, and then tell or then contact counsel. That to me would be the policy. Oh, you know what? Don't say yes, don't say no. Noncommittal, non-committal. Thank you for your paperwork. We'll be in touch. That's you explained that beautiful.

SPEAKER_04 46:41

That's awesome. Greg, any commentary?

SPEAKER_06 46:45

Yes, if you have a I like what the attorneys are saying here, these policies, some of these can be very dangerous, so you really need to make sure they're written in accordance with the law if you do have them. And it's can be better just to make sure you're following the law and consulting your attorney because a lot of these pet situations churn into lawsuits, claims, and threats.

SPEAKER_04 47:06

How holiday decorations, John. I know I skipped, you can backtrack if you want, but uh, this is this is a rule or is it a policy?

SPEAKER_07 47:15

Rule. Um, I'm gonna backtrack that even you gave me the chance. In New York, um Corey's right. In New York, like New York State statutes go further than the federal statutes for fair housing. Um, so you gotta be careful with that. Uh, as far as forms, and this has come out of like um rulings or decision and verdicts in uh housing discrimination complaints that um you should have a reasonable accommodation request form. So that's a good form to have, and and you could have it as a policy that everyone needs to fill out this form. Like Dave said, you you you know, at that point you're just asking, but they should fill out a form. Um and also when it comes to emotional support animals, dogs, that's usually what most of these issues um come down to. Um you should have a uniform policy that uh i if you do end up allowing them, they still have to provide proof of having shots uh registration with the town, that they'll obey the local leash law and and you know, like have an affidavit form ahead of time that they can effectively handle and control their dogs. Um, those are all good forms to have in place.

SPEAKER_04 48:38

Okay, excellent. Stephanie, now I'm gonna do something called a lightning round. This is basically when I'm running out of time and I just need to fly through these, okay? So, panel, if you can do it for me at a pretty you can say yes, no, or maybe, or pass, and then I'll figure it out later. And I'm gonna put you in this too, Stephanie. I'd be curious if you have a policy, and I think we all know what the difference is between a policy and a rule. Obviously, all these things you have to have some rules. I guess the question is, do you need to have a policy? Stephanie, do you feel like we've communicated, and maybe we haven't, well enough on the difference between a policy and a rule? Because I want to make sure we did a good job on that. I really do. Uh, somewhat. Okay, somewhat. I'm not happy with that then. Okay, you want all right, I'll let one of the lawyers tackle it. Dave, could you please keep it short and once again tell us what the difference is between a policy and a rule?

SPEAKER_03 49:30

I think a rule is something that's uh creates a um a yes and no, a do and don't for an owner uh or a resident, and a policy is uh something that is a do and don't uh on top of the board and manager as to how they're going to deal with the owners and other operational issues.

SPEAKER_04 49:48

I love it. I was thinking a rule is something that the board is telling owners they have to follow, and a policy is something that the board needs to follow or use as a guideline. Dave, is that acceptable?

SPEAKER_03 50:02

Yeah, that I think most people in our industry would hear the hear the word policy. I mean, Stephanie would probably be a better person to comment on this, but I think in our industry, if people hear the word policy, they're thinking about uh the operations of the board and manager, and then they hear the word rule, they're thinking about things owners can and can't do.

SPEAKER_04 50:18

Stephanie, I think we have it, right? Do you agree? I think we have it now. Here we go. So I'm gonna go to the panel lightning round holiday decorations. Do you have a policy on that, Stephanie, or just rules? We have rules. Okay, do you have a form? I'm curious. A form. Yeah, a form to fill out about it if you want to put them up. No, you just put them up. Okay, Greg, have you ever seen this? Yes or no?

SPEAKER_06 50:42

Or maybe not a policy, just a rule.

SPEAKER_04 50:44

Does anyone on the panel think that you need to have a policy in regard? Okay, ice damage. I don't this comes up and it is people do have policies about this. John, why do I have this up here? I know it's not lightning round, but go ahead.

SPEAKER_07 50:58

No, like so. For ice damage, it there's so many factors that it depends on. Um, so you can you really create a rule or a policy? I mean, the policy should be um what's already in your governing documents is that the board has the obligation to properly repair. Um, basically, it's usually the sheetrock and insulation. Um and you know what that means. Um there's so many different factors. You don't want to you don't want to use a policy or a rule to hamstring the board into doing something that they're not obligated to do.

SPEAKER_04 51:32

My notes said it would be a policy on who's typically responsible for the roof and what parts each each party is responsible for.

SPEAKER_07 51:40

Well, if it's a casualty loss, right? So you have to make an assumption that that's a sudden and unforeseeable or unexpected event which triggers insurance. So you could you could potentially have an insurance claim. Um, so but if no one's at fault, um your bylaws or your declaration, they already have clauses on who's gonna do that. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 52:01

Greg, I don't want to get sidetracked at the whole thing, but do we need to have a policy on ice damage?

SPEAKER_06 52:06

I'll keep it quick. I would say no. You may have an insurance policy just generically stating what the unit owner should be purchasing or what the board is carrying. You don't want to be restating what's covered and not covered in your bylaws or the insurance policy itself. You may have a deductible resolution or other items, but as far as ice damming specifically, no. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 52:29

Mike, do you agree?

SPEAKER_00 52:32

Uh, yes and no. So, not to get a little spicy, but I think that there should be something talked about as far as from a procedural standpoint that you don't want to be firing out, you know, four or five claims with one storm. You should properly assess the damage, prevent anything from happening forward. A lot of times we're seeing very high deductibles now, so you don't want to be putting claims in under the deductible or claims that are going to pay out only a couple hundred dollars because that'll create a claims frequency issue.

SPEAKER_04 53:00

I like the feistiness. I like it. Let me ask you that.

SPEAKER_00 53:04

There's no there's no feistiness, Greg and I I know, yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_04 53:07

I'm joking. But really quick, if Dawn was here, your boss, who's on all the time, do you think Mike would have gone with that approach? Yes. You think okay, all right, Mike. Would you?

SPEAKER_06 53:19

I think he would, and I like it, but when he's talking about some more generic insurance, uh and I agree with that part. Excellent.

SPEAKER_04 53:28

All right, architectural. Um, is this a policy, Stephanie, or is it just rules?

SPEAKER_02 53:34

The policy is the application process and um what you need in order to get that approval, right? The rules are the guidelines in which you can do and what you cannot do as far as that uh modification is concerned. So it needs both.

SPEAKER_04 53:50

I love it. Does anybody have anybody want to add comments? That was perfect.

SPEAKER_03 53:54

I'll add I think that was I know I think that was a perfect answer. And I'll say um that the policy sort of tagging onto what Stephanie said, the policy would be sort of uh whether a committee can say yes or no, or whether the manager could say yes or no, or what types of modifications have to go up the chain to the board. You know, that that's sort of how a policy maybe would apply uh with respect to architectural modification. Some are like rubber stamp at the front desk, some require votes, some require board intervention, that kind of thing. Certainly if there's a modification that implicates fair housing, you know, like religious decorations, that kind of thing, that would go that would go to a different the policy would deviate, would direct those to another another course of analysis, you know.

SPEAKER_04 54:40

Interesting how some of these you guys completely dive in on and other ones you don't. Uh garbage, Stephanie. Yes, no, maybe you need it or not. We have a policy policy.

SPEAKER_02 54:51

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. You don't want garbage out too early, you don't want garbage sitting there all day, you don't want people putting garbage out a week ahead of time.

SPEAKER_04 54:59

So we're saying not rules though, Stephanie. Is that a policy part?

SPEAKER_02 55:02

Part of it is cool, right? But then the policy part is we change it based on daylight savings here and different things, so we'll change what's going on. So the policy is driven on our side to make sure that we're communicating to the homeowners, like it's management's responsibility to uh make sure that we're communicating. Oh, garbage goes back to six o'clock now because the clocks have changed, and then when the clocks change again for daylight savings, guess what? It's now five o'clock. You can put your garbage out because we don't want anybody getting hurt at night.

SPEAKER_03 55:33

So step 70, the the policy kind of case carried out through the through the arrangement with the with the vendor uh contractor, probably then, right? Like what times they come, how they can audit over trucks and that sort of thing. And right?

SPEAKER_02 55:45

Yeah, well, we all run out of the right. We have that as well. Like they can't come in the community before 7 a.m.

SPEAKER_04 55:52

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 55:52

Yeah, so it's like the twofold thing. You're right, David.

SPEAKER_04 55:56

Dave has no respect for my time frame. His answers are important and they're much appreciated, but absolutely not.

SPEAKER_03 56:01

I'm I'm a podcast guy, not a uh not a not a CNN talk show guy.

SPEAKER_04 56:06

Okay. Um, email. Do you have to have a policy on on emails on what people can and put cannot put in email? Stephanie. Yeah, good luck. Okay. Anyone on the panel disagree with Stephanie that you don't need a policy on email? Uh whether or not people can record things at the meeting. Oh boy, this is gonna be a big one. Okay. Uh John, can we do this one quick? You need a policy.

SPEAKER_07 56:37

Just like in New York, it's it depends on your state. So New York is a one-party state, so really only one party has to know. My my recommendation is do you think anyone ever actually cares about listening to these meetings? Like, so let them let them tape. Rory, you need a policy on this?

SPEAKER_01 56:58

It's statutory in Florida, but I'm still upset you didn't ask me my comments on ice damage.

SPEAKER_04 57:06

I don't think you've seen ice, except if it's in your drink at the bar later.

SPEAKER_01 57:12

I know iced tea.

SPEAKER_04 57:13

Yeah, you probably come up here like a like like in your like freezing when it's like 45 degrees.

SPEAKER_01 57:18

My toes get cold from the flip-flops.

SPEAKER_04 57:22

Noise. Uh Stephanie, we only got two minutes. Policy or just rules?

SPEAKER_02 57:27

Uh actually, we just do the uh the township enforcement there. Township has a very uh restrictive thing as it relates to noise, and we tell them to call the township uh when there's a noise complaint.

SPEAKER_04 57:40

Landscaping, Stephanie, that would panel jump in if you want to. Landscaping would be the same as architectural, right?

SPEAKER_02 57:47

I believe so, yes, and except when you're working with the contractor, right? But again, that's all covered in your contract.

SPEAKER_04 57:53

I think people should think about having a policy in regard to drones. Stephanie, do you agree?

SPEAKER_02 57:58

I do.

SPEAKER_04 57:59

Okay, do you have one?

SPEAKER_02 58:01

No, we don't because you you don't need one.

SPEAKER_04 58:03

Anyone on the panel? Nobody nobody's flying drones here. I know. I know. That's why I kind of backtracked. Yeah. Uh anybody anybody on the panel disagree that you should consider having a policy on drones. This is gonna be a thing, it's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_03 58:19

Okay. Yeah, I mean you want you want to adopt a rule on a drone, then like get all these other things we've talked about over the years, and these you better be prepared to enforce it. So if you adopt a rule that limits how people are gonna fly drones, then better have somebody out there who's prepared to testify about who flew a drone and how low it was. And I mean, that's a very tough enforcement uh game to play, I think.

SPEAKER_04 58:40

Oh, I think it's gonna be a thing, Dave.

SPEAKER_03 58:43

But oh yeah, and I'm sure it is very difficult to enforce. I don't know how you prove where the drone can you know, follow the drone around the neighborhood. And people are pretty dumb.

SPEAKER_04 58:50

They'll sit out there with their they'll sit out there with their controller in front of everybody. All right, maybe um like Greg has a huge drone, like six feet commercial drone, he flies it all over Hudson Valley all the time. He knows what he's looking at. Okay. Um, it pulls a bannel, a banner, a Javelli insurance banner. All right, rentals. You have to have a policy on that, I assume. Yes, anybody disagree? Parking and towing, yes, stop me. Home occupancies, do you have to have a policy on that? Stephanie.

SPEAKER_02 59:19

Well, it's already highlighted in the documents for a community of 55 plus.

SPEAKER_04 59:26

Okay, so I didn't get the parties, accommodations, and documents we did. Parties is more around rules. Anybody disagree? Please stop me if you do disagree. Accommodations, does that need to be a policy? Anyone think it does?

SPEAKER_03 59:38

What does that mean? Accommodation.

SPEAKER_04 59:40

I don't know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 59:42

I think we talked about I think we talked about that with relation to animals and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_04 59:46

Disability. Elections. There's a lot of rules. Assume you have to have policies, though, when people can and when they can't, what they can say, what they can't say. Stephanie, do you have a policy on elections?

SPEAKER_02 59:58

Uh, we just simply follow the Radburn bill.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:01

Oh, see, there for sure. I thought this would be a policy. Really, really quick. John, you should you have a policy on elections?

SPEAKER_07 1:00:07

Actually, I think you should because most New York bylaws are really skimpy. Corey.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:14

A lot of it's statutory in Florida, um, especially for condos.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:19

Oh, okay, Dave. Yeah, this is another case-by-case, state-by-state thing. Uh, there are some states like New Jersey and Florida, based on what Corey said about Florida. I don't really know Florida, but New Jersey's got a pretty tight government-mandated election-related policy. It's sort of a fool, fool's errand to try to create something different. But in John's right about New York, it depends on your bylaws, and they're really bad, especially ones that are old.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:44

I'm gonna go let's not do the last word. We're out of time. Does anybody have to say anything? If you really have to, by all means, please do. Please do, Dave. Do you have to say anything? Are you sure? Okay, excellent. Um, Dave's so nice to me. He's always makes time for me. Okay. Corey, John, you're good. Mike? Greg?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:08

Uh, the only thing I would add is with the committees, I would say that there should be some sort of discussion about what they can do from an event standpoint. You don't want people bringing, you know, committee bringing their uh portable grills to the clubhouse to grill and and have shared use amongst everybody. And I have had that happen in New Jersey. So uh that's the one pro tip I regarding that.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:34

All right, Stephanie, last word. If you could do it in 30 seconds about policies and procedures, what do you think?

SPEAKER_02 1:01:42

When in doubt, contact your attorney.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:45

That is such an out. Can you give me something else really quick?

SPEAKER_02 1:01:49

No, I can't.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:51

Okay. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:53

I believe in that.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:55

I know you do. I know you do. And you are an excellent manager. I want to thank everybody for being here. Thank you, panel, for letting me rush you. I appreciate that. And thank you, audience, for being here. And I'll try to get some of the other questions. Bye, everybody. Thank you so much. See ya. Okay, bye bye. Great to