In theory, every person who moves into an HOA will read the community rules and not just agree to them, but choose the community because of them. The rules are there to create the type of community that everyone wants to live in. They should want to follow those rules and they should want their neighbors to do the same.
Of course, in the real world, things do not always go this smoothly. Your members may struggle to follow the rules or you may have certain members with repeated violations. How can you get them to go along with the guidelines, other than fining them?
These tips may help
There is no guarantee that you can always get every person to adhere to the rules, and it may be a constant struggle. That said, here are a few tips that may help with compliance:
● Don’t just tell residents what the rules are. Tell them why the rules exist. Explaining it makes them far more likely to follow it because they’ll understand that it’s reasonable.
● That said, you also need to ensure that all of the rules are fair and reasonable. If you have numerous members breaking the same rule, ask yourself if there’s an issue with that rule.
● Explain all of the rules carefully. Sometimes, violations happen just because people don’t know that they’re even breaking a rule.
● When enforcing the rules you have, be consistent. If you let one person get away with a violation, more people are going to try. Give the same rules to everyone and enforce them the same way.
While doing all of this, speak with residents about the benefits if everyone does follow the regulations. Try to create a real community atmosphere where everyone is in it together.
What if it’s not enough?
As noted above, this isn’t always enough. If residents consistently violate regulations, you may need to know what legal options you have. The same is true if they challenge you on the legality of the rules or the enforcement of them.