Under the Condominium Act, or Chapter 718 in Florida Statutes (F.S.), condominium unit owners have the right to receive notice of, attend, and speak at board, committee, and annual meetings subject to reasonable restrictions. For a condominium association to be successful, unit owners must serve in active leadership positions on the board and its committees, attend, and contribute to meetings.
As a board member and member of your community, you may face a number of challenges, including disputes between unit owners. A St. Petersburg condo management company is an immeasurable resource in terms of managing and running a successful condo board. In this article, we will discuss the different approaches to handling disputes, including hiring a condo management company.
Related: How Management Companies Help Boards
Foster Positive Relationships with Residents
The number one approach to handling disputes is to lessen the likelihood of conflicts by fostering positive relationships among residents. Residents informed with the rules and expectations of the condominium are less likely to cause a disruption or respond defensively when faced with a violation. Any governing documents for the condo should be easily accessible for residents so that they may familiarize themselves with what is expected of them.
Related: How to Build Lasting Relationships with Residents
Clarify the Dispute
The biggest root of disputes is misunderstandings. That’s why it is of the utmost importance to determine what the scope of the conflict is before you go about solving it. For something more minor like a noise complaint, a member of management or the board may need to simply visit the unit of the alleged offender to assess the scope of the noise issue. Something more major like a dispute between a unit owner and management needs more attention devoted to the mediation and resolution of the conflict.
Related: Frequent Community Nuisances Associations Encounter
Choose the Right Property Management Company
The role of a condo management company is to provide support for the condo in multiple areas from accounting and bookkeeping services to administrative support and association meeting services. The ideal management company will help manage your condo with a proactive approach, anticipating and resolving issues before they can develop into more serious disputes for the community. The role of the management company includes invaluable tasks, such as coordinating and distributing notices and attendance of board meetings.
If your St. Petersburg condo management company isn’t assisting you in the process of handling disputes or fostering positive relationships with residents, it’s time to switch to Wise Property Management. Wise is a family-owned and operated company that has managed associations in the Tampa Bay area for over 35 years and is dedicated to providing you with the expertise necessary to manage your association.
Are you ready to work with one of the top St. Petersburg condo management companies that makes life easier for you and your board members and improves the value of your property? If so, submit our proposal request form today!