Kelly G. Richardson

Civil Code Section 5105 added one mandatory eligibility standard (HOA membership) and added several optional board eligibility standards.

Any eligible member can put their name into nomination during the 30-day nomination period, so if your community wants new blood on the board, get volunteer applicants who will garner broad member support – and elect them.

Q: If our offsite owners use a management company to run their units and use the management company as their preferred address, how do we get them

The best way to get out the vote is to have members contact their fellow members, explain the need for the amendments and ask the members to support the amendments

Q: I'm running for the board. Candidates to appear on the ballot had to apply by a stated deadline. I asked the agent for the names of the other candidates that applied.

The list of candidates should be announced to the members at least 30 days before ballots are distributed.

The office of HOA president is important, but sometimes misunderstood. In most associations, presidents are selected by board vote (in an open meeting). Here are some ideas as to what to look for in the HOA's next president.

No single person will completely fulfill all these criteria, but in choosing the president, try to get as close as possible

The association president has just one vote on the board, and that vote is no more valuable than any other director. Directors who always automatically defer to the president are not fulfilling their responsibility to the association, which needs each director to contribute.

The association president has just one vote on the board, and that vote is no more valuable than any other director.