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PDL HOA
The Parks at Durham Lakes HOA P.O. Box 1607 Fairburn, GA 30213 770-892-7476 |
Board Officers/Members
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Board Meetings:
3rd Wednesday of each Month at 6:30pm in the clubhouse or via Zoom. Community Meetings: The Saturday after the Board meeting at 2:00pm in the clubhouse or via Zoom coming soon. |
Mission/Purpose:
The Parks At Durham Lakes subdivision is a covenant community that is self-managed and governed by its Homeowners Association, otherwise known as HOA. The purpose of The Parks At Durham Lake Homeowners Association is to preserve and enhance the character and quality of life envisioned in the original design for our community.
Before you purchase a home in this community, you should make it a point to carefully read the HOA covenants conditions and restrictions, often referred to as the CC&Rs to determine if this is the best type of living arrangement for you. You also need to read the bylaws which will detail how the association will operate in the community. Our HOA is used as a means to enforce rules and restrictions regarding the community, the homes within the community and the members of the community and is also used to maintain, improve or repair common grounds and amenities throughout the community.
Once you make the decision and purchase a home in our community, you will automatically become a member of our HOA and will be required to pay HOA dues every year. These dues cover the cost of services and amenities covered under our HOA. These dues are annual and are currently in the amount of $500 and they are assessed to all homeowners at the beginning of the calendar year.
Although many view HOA's as being too restrictive, it is important to understand that the restrictions, rules and covenants are designed to maintain the home values in the neighborhood. If you view our HOA as a protection of your investment, than you can soon understand why so many people choose to live in our community.
With such a large community, your ideas, input and other contributions are not only welcome, but are needed. All of our HOA meetings are open to the community and we strongly encourage homeowners to come. If you would like to join one of the neighborhood committees, please contact the appropriate committee chair.
The Parks At Durham Lakes subdivision is a covenant community that is self-managed and governed by its Homeowners Association, otherwise known as HOA. The purpose of The Parks At Durham Lake Homeowners Association is to preserve and enhance the character and quality of life envisioned in the original design for our community.
Before you purchase a home in this community, you should make it a point to carefully read the HOA covenants conditions and restrictions, often referred to as the CC&Rs to determine if this is the best type of living arrangement for you. You also need to read the bylaws which will detail how the association will operate in the community. Our HOA is used as a means to enforce rules and restrictions regarding the community, the homes within the community and the members of the community and is also used to maintain, improve or repair common grounds and amenities throughout the community.
Once you make the decision and purchase a home in our community, you will automatically become a member of our HOA and will be required to pay HOA dues every year. These dues cover the cost of services and amenities covered under our HOA. These dues are annual and are currently in the amount of $500 and they are assessed to all homeowners at the beginning of the calendar year.
Although many view HOA's as being too restrictive, it is important to understand that the restrictions, rules and covenants are designed to maintain the home values in the neighborhood. If you view our HOA as a protection of your investment, than you can soon understand why so many people choose to live in our community.
With such a large community, your ideas, input and other contributions are not only welcome, but are needed. All of our HOA meetings are open to the community and we strongly encourage homeowners to come. If you would like to join one of the neighborhood committees, please contact the appropriate committee chair.
The Difference Between Officers and Board Members:
- Board members are elected by the general membership (homeowners) at the annual meeting.
- Officers are elected by the board.
- Once the board has been elected by the members, the board then needs to elect its officers. Typically this is done at the first board meeting following the annual meeting. We are required to have at least the following three positions: President, Secretary and Treasurer.
Officer and Board of Directors Roles and Responsibilities
President:
Serving in the role of HOA president is not an easy job. It is one that demands leadership and exemplary skills in presiding over meetings. Many HOA’s are registered as non-profit corporations and in turn, the president can be thought of as the CEO of the corporation, (serving of course in a voluntary capacity without pay). Perhaps more importantly, he or she is elected by the membership to serve the community and elected by the board to lead the board through challenging situations and decisions. The president is also responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the association, and can make decisions based on the best interest of the community.
Many mistakenly believe that it is the president’s role to take the lead and make the tough decisions, but it is more their role to help guide the board’s discussion process so that the board can make the difficult decisions. A good president will follow the agenda and keep the board meetings running on time and efficiently. A GREAT president will do all of the above, plus ensure that every board member has a voice at the table. Drawing out the thoughts and insights of quieter board members and ensuring their thoughts are “heard” over those of the outspoken board members. Parliamentary procedure, when followed, can aid the president in successfully presiding over a meeting where important matters are introduced, discussed and decided upon.
It is also the president’s role to propose the agenda for the board meeting. He/she will do so based on unfinished business carried over from previous meetings and from new issues that have arisen since the last board meeting. The president may call for agenda items several weeks prior to the meeting and then pare the submitted items down to critical meeting business. While the secretary is responsible for creating and giving proper notice of board meetings, it is the president’s role to ensure that critical issues find their way to the agenda.
Delegation is also critical. Everyone seems over-committed these days and finding people to step-up and volunteer can be next to impossible. A great leader has the knack for asking others to take on a specific task or responsibility.
Lastly, the president must also chair the annual meeting of the membership. This can be much more challenging than the board meetings based simply on the sheer number of attendees. He or she must find the delicate balance of allowing the membership to speak out on issues at the appropriate times. Again ensuring that the most vocal members do not “run down the clock” leaving no time for others to be heard.
Serving in the role of HOA president is not an easy job. It is one that demands leadership and exemplary skills in presiding over meetings. Many HOA’s are registered as non-profit corporations and in turn, the president can be thought of as the CEO of the corporation, (serving of course in a voluntary capacity without pay). Perhaps more importantly, he or she is elected by the membership to serve the community and elected by the board to lead the board through challenging situations and decisions. The president is also responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the association, and can make decisions based on the best interest of the community.
Many mistakenly believe that it is the president’s role to take the lead and make the tough decisions, but it is more their role to help guide the board’s discussion process so that the board can make the difficult decisions. A good president will follow the agenda and keep the board meetings running on time and efficiently. A GREAT president will do all of the above, plus ensure that every board member has a voice at the table. Drawing out the thoughts and insights of quieter board members and ensuring their thoughts are “heard” over those of the outspoken board members. Parliamentary procedure, when followed, can aid the president in successfully presiding over a meeting where important matters are introduced, discussed and decided upon.
It is also the president’s role to propose the agenda for the board meeting. He/she will do so based on unfinished business carried over from previous meetings and from new issues that have arisen since the last board meeting. The president may call for agenda items several weeks prior to the meeting and then pare the submitted items down to critical meeting business. While the secretary is responsible for creating and giving proper notice of board meetings, it is the president’s role to ensure that critical issues find their way to the agenda.
Delegation is also critical. Everyone seems over-committed these days and finding people to step-up and volunteer can be next to impossible. A great leader has the knack for asking others to take on a specific task or responsibility.
Lastly, the president must also chair the annual meeting of the membership. This can be much more challenging than the board meetings based simply on the sheer number of attendees. He or she must find the delicate balance of allowing the membership to speak out on issues at the appropriate times. Again ensuring that the most vocal members do not “run down the clock” leaving no time for others to be heard.
Vice-President:
The vice-president has basically the same responsibilities that any vice-president has. They take over the responsibilities of the president in the situation that they are absent. The vice-president may also have various other tasks based upon the community and what the board decides. Oftentimes, the vice-president will chair a committee for the community. Most community associations have an architectural review board, which is one of the biggest responsibilities of the board.
The vice-president has basically the same responsibilities that any vice-president has. They take over the responsibilities of the president in the situation that they are absent. The vice-president may also have various other tasks based upon the community and what the board decides. Oftentimes, the vice-president will chair a committee for the community. Most community associations have an architectural review board, which is one of the biggest responsibilities of the board.
Treasurer:
The treasurer handles all of the financial aspect of the association. They handle all of the community’s funds, securities, and financial records. In some communities, this is close to a full-time job considering that these associations are nonprofit businesses. The treasurer handles the funds of the association on a daily basis and is responsible for annual budgets and financial reports. These reports are very technical and need to be up to state specifications.
The treasurer handles all of the financial aspect of the association. They handle all of the community’s funds, securities, and financial records. In some communities, this is close to a full-time job considering that these associations are nonprofit businesses. The treasurer handles the funds of the association on a daily basis and is responsible for annual budgets and financial reports. These reports are very technical and need to be up to state specifications.
Secretary:
Every board member plays an important role. The secretary is no exception and is so much more than just “note taker”. His or her duties are critical to the Association’s overall success. At a minimum, there are five key areas for which the secretary should be responsible.
Giving proper notice – the secretary is responsible for giving proper notice of the board meetings and the member meetings according with the requirements of the governing documents. This means giving the required minimum number of days notice and ensuring that the notice includes all the necessary information. Not just the who, where, and when – but perhaps most importantly the “what”. A good meeting notice will clearly explain to the community what items are being discussed at a particular meeting and their relevance to the homeowner.
Agenda development - the secretary coordinates with the association president to put together the meeting agenda’s content. The secretary should conference with the president prior to finalizing the agenda to identify the agenda items and the time needed for each item. The secretary can provide an additional service to the president by also serving as the time keeper for the meeting. Agenda’s should be distributed prior to the board meeting allowing the board members ample time to review and prepare for discussion. Your governing documents will likely state how many days in advance the agenda must be distributed prior to the board meeting.
Meeting minutes – when you think “secretary” most people think “meeting minutes”. There is a definite skill involved in writing good meeting minutes. They should capture who was at the meeting and the specific decisions that were made. Far too often the association secretary includes too much detail in the minutes – this can come back to haunt you later. To learn more about taking great minutes read: HOA Minutes.
Record keeping – the association’s records must be kept somewhere and they are stored under the supervision of the secretary. Boxes of old records don’t have to be housed in the home of the secretary, in fact it is preferable to keep them in a more public location if possible – but they should be accessible. Association records must be made available for inspection by homeowners upon request. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want people coming into my home to view boxes of records. For this reason, the association may wish to consider investing resources in scanning old paper files into electronic documents; making it much easier to provide records to the homeowners to request them.
Community communication – The old addage “no news is good news” simply does not hold true for homeowners associations. Whether it is a website, newsletter or some other method of communication – keeping the community apprised of happenings is very important. If the association does not keep the community up to date on how assessments are being spent (improvements, repairs, etc.), owners will begin to assume that the association is doing nothing at all.
Every board member plays an important role. The secretary is no exception and is so much more than just “note taker”. His or her duties are critical to the Association’s overall success. At a minimum, there are five key areas for which the secretary should be responsible.
Giving proper notice – the secretary is responsible for giving proper notice of the board meetings and the member meetings according with the requirements of the governing documents. This means giving the required minimum number of days notice and ensuring that the notice includes all the necessary information. Not just the who, where, and when – but perhaps most importantly the “what”. A good meeting notice will clearly explain to the community what items are being discussed at a particular meeting and their relevance to the homeowner.
Agenda development - the secretary coordinates with the association president to put together the meeting agenda’s content. The secretary should conference with the president prior to finalizing the agenda to identify the agenda items and the time needed for each item. The secretary can provide an additional service to the president by also serving as the time keeper for the meeting. Agenda’s should be distributed prior to the board meeting allowing the board members ample time to review and prepare for discussion. Your governing documents will likely state how many days in advance the agenda must be distributed prior to the board meeting.
Meeting minutes – when you think “secretary” most people think “meeting minutes”. There is a definite skill involved in writing good meeting minutes. They should capture who was at the meeting and the specific decisions that were made. Far too often the association secretary includes too much detail in the minutes – this can come back to haunt you later. To learn more about taking great minutes read: HOA Minutes.
Record keeping – the association’s records must be kept somewhere and they are stored under the supervision of the secretary. Boxes of old records don’t have to be housed in the home of the secretary, in fact it is preferable to keep them in a more public location if possible – but they should be accessible. Association records must be made available for inspection by homeowners upon request. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want people coming into my home to view boxes of records. For this reason, the association may wish to consider investing resources in scanning old paper files into electronic documents; making it much easier to provide records to the homeowners to request them.
Community communication – The old addage “no news is good news” simply does not hold true for homeowners associations. Whether it is a website, newsletter or some other method of communication – keeping the community apprised of happenings is very important. If the association does not keep the community up to date on how assessments are being spent (improvements, repairs, etc.), owners will begin to assume that the association is doing nothing at all.
Board of Directors:
The Board of Directors sets the policies for carrying out the operations of the association – which operation must be consistent with the Declaration of Condominium or the HOA Declaration of Covenants. In corporations, officers report to the board of directors. The board of directors reports to shareholders. In community associations, the members are the equivalent of “shareholders.” That is why it is so important that association members take an active role in their community – ultimately, it is the members who decide how their association should be run.
To be effective, a homeowners association needs a strong board of directors that understands its role and pursues it with passion and a concise mission in mind. To form an effective board, directors must have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the association, its history and what is to be accomplished. Every homeowner association should have responsibility for its assets as well as its operation in accordance with standards established by state and federal law, local ordinances, and the governing documents upon which the entity itself was created. To the extent that the association has such authority and control, it is the board of directors that makes certain these responsibilities are fulfilled.
A number of fundamental principles govern board action:
Community association boards are absolutely mandatory for the associations to prosper. Associations are also dependent upon volunteers to run these boards, as running these boards can be a very time-consuming task.
The Board of Directors sets the policies for carrying out the operations of the association – which operation must be consistent with the Declaration of Condominium or the HOA Declaration of Covenants. In corporations, officers report to the board of directors. The board of directors reports to shareholders. In community associations, the members are the equivalent of “shareholders.” That is why it is so important that association members take an active role in their community – ultimately, it is the members who decide how their association should be run.
To be effective, a homeowners association needs a strong board of directors that understands its role and pursues it with passion and a concise mission in mind. To form an effective board, directors must have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the association, its history and what is to be accomplished. Every homeowner association should have responsibility for its assets as well as its operation in accordance with standards established by state and federal law, local ordinances, and the governing documents upon which the entity itself was created. To the extent that the association has such authority and control, it is the board of directors that makes certain these responsibilities are fulfilled.
A number of fundamental principles govern board action:
- The board must act as a group at a board meeting, not as individuals.
- The board can delegate authority to act to others (such as the officers) but cannot delegate responsibility for actions taken (or not taken).
- The board has a fiduciary duty to the owners it represents to act in the owners best interests.
- Following the correct procedure may be more important for a board at times than making the right decision.
- Board inaction may create more liability than board action (i.e., doing nothing but talk about a problem may get the board into more trouble than doing something which turns out to be wrong).
- Board action which complies with the governing documents and the law will usually be upheld as long as the board acts reasonably and in good faith.
- The owners who elect the directors can also remove them.
Community association boards are absolutely mandatory for the associations to prosper. Associations are also dependent upon volunteers to run these boards, as running these boards can be a very time-consuming task.
