Condo and HOA Unit Owner Resolutions: A Necessary Reality Check
- Eric M. Glazer
- 14 hours ago
- 2 min read
Last week we wrote some New Year resolutions for Condo an HOA Boards to follow. Now it’s time for the unit owners to make some resolutions of their own. It’s never just the fault of the Board.
1. Actually Read the Rules
Most association disputes begin with one sentence: “I didn’t know.”That applies to:
Use restrictions
Rental limitations
Pet rules
Alteration and approval requirements
Ownership in an association is not absolute ownership. You agreed to restrictions when you purchased—and courts enforce that agreement every day. Court decisions clearly state that when you moved into a condo or HOA, you give up certain rights that would ordinarily have in a home not located in a community association.
2. Stop Taking Enforcement Personally
Most enforcement actions are not harassment. They are document-driven. The rule existed before the current board. The board didn’t invent it to target you. And unless enforcement is truly selective, emotional objections carry little legal weight.
A simple truth: The board didn’t create the rule—you bought into it.
3. Attend Meetings—or Stop Complaining
Participation matters. Owners who don’t attend meetings, vote, or engage in the process lose credibility when disputes arise. Silence is not neutrality—it is consent in association governance.Courts favor informed, engaged owners. Not spectators.
4. Pay Assessments on Time
Associations are not banks. Late payments affect: Maintenance schedules, Insurance premiums, Safety and compliance, Every other owner’s financial burden. When assessments aren’t paid, everyone pays more—eventually.
5. Run for the Board—or Support Someone Who Will
Social media outrage is not governance. If you don’t like how the association is run, there are only two real options:
Get involved
Accept the outcome
Boards are imperfect, but they are run by volunteers—not villains.
Shared Resolutions for a Healthier Association
Boards and owners alike should commit to:
Communicating respectfully
Assuming good faith—until proven otherwise
Remembering that litigation benefits no one (even lawyers would rather avoid it)
Most association conflicts are preventable. They escalate only when communication breaks down and positions harden.
Final Thought
If there is one resolution worth keeping this year, it’s this:
Follow the documents.
Follow the process.
And, like we said last week, deal with problems early...before they become legal ones.
That single change would eliminate more condo and HOA headaches than any New Year’s promise ever could.
