Welcome to The Board Minute
Over the years, I’ve noticed that many of the legal issues community associations face don’t begin as legal problems. They begin with board decisions made without clear answers to a few fundamental questions.
That’s why I created The Board Minute.
In about a minute, I’ll share practical observations from representing Florida condominium, homeowners’, and cooperative associations. These conversations are designed to help boards think through the legal and practical considerations that arise before important decisions are made.
Many of the topics will center around three questions:
Authority
Does the board have the authority to act under the governing documents and Florida law?
Process
Is the board following the procedures required to make a sound decision?
Impact
What are the legal, financial, and operational implications of the decision?
My hope is that these short conversations provide practical guidance for board members, community association managers, and others who serve Florida community associations.
Thank you for following along.
All posts
Newest first. Each post takes a minute or two to read.
How Do You Know It’s Time to Amend Your Governing Documents?
Applying Authority, Process and Impact to a common question: does the board need to amend its governing documents, or is the authority already there?
What Does Thoughtful Leadership Look Like?
Thoughtful board leadership isn’t having all the answers. It’s listening, asking the right questions and knowing when to ask for help.
Have We Considered the Unintended Consequences?
Well-intentioned board decisions can create problems no one anticipated. Look one step beyond the immediate problem before moving forward.
Who Will Have to Live With This Decision?
The people who make a board decision aren’t always the ones who feel it most: owners, residents, future boards, management and vendors.
What Else Could Be True?
First impressions are sometimes right. Before responding to an owner, a vendor or a policy that isn’t working, ask what else could be true.
What Information Are We Missing?
Boards decide with imperfect information. Before an important decision, ask what you know, what you don’t, and whether the gap matters.
What Would a New Board Learn From This Decision?
Minutes are not a transcript. They record what the board did, so the next board can understand what the association actually decided.
What Will Success Look Like Six Months From Now?
A decision that looks simple at the board table has to work day after day: who administers it, what it costs, and whether it solves the problem.
If We Say Yes Today, Can We Say No Tomorrow?
Exceptions can be the right answer. Before granting one, ask what makes the request different and how the board will answer the next one.
Are We Solving the Right Problem?
Before adopting a rule, amending the documents or imposing a fine, ask what underlying issue the board is really trying to address.
What Happens After We Vote?
A board can have the authority and follow the right process and still miss a question: what happens after the vote?
Have We Followed the Right Process?
Most boards know they need authority to act. The harder part is often how the decision is made: notice, the vote, documentation and consistency.
Do We Have the Authority?
Most governance problems start as gaps in clarity. Three questions help a board decide well: authority, process and impact.
About the author
AnnaDanielle Carter is a third-generation Fort Myers native with nearly three decades of experience in the community association field, including more than 15 years representing condominium and homeowners’ associations throughout Southwest Florida. As Chair of Hamilton Mikes’ Community Association Practice Group, she works with community association boards on the legal and practical issues they encounter in leading their associations.